Botany

Earth oven cooking is very important among the Yucatec Maya. It is used for daily, festive, and ceremonial occasions, contrasting with other Mesoamerican cultures that use this technique sporadically. In this paper we present an ethnobotanical analysis of the use of earth ovens in a Maya community in Yucatan, Mexico, and discuss its possible antiquity, probable reasons for its continuity, and its current and past importance. We found four oven types in daily use as well as in ritual and celebratory contexts. These involve both men and women in a way that favors transmission of traditional knowledge to the next generation and promotes social bonding and ethnic identity. Of the 46 plant species used in their construction or for the dishes cooked in them, 82% are native and produced in traditional agricultural systems: milpa (kool in Maya) maize-bean-squash association and conuco (pach pakal in Maya) based on tubers such as manioc (Manihot esculenta Crantz). Research suggests that this food preparation technology has the same antiquity as its associated agricultural systems (approximately 3400 to 3000 B.C.E.). Earth ovens were probably used to cook roots and meat in the Archaic and then to cook tamales (vegetal-wrapped maize dough) beginning in the Preclassic. Continuity of traditional agricultural and cultural practices has favored preservation of earth ovens.

Diversity, structure and floristic affinities of a temporarily flooded forest of the Yucatan Peninsula. Temporarily flooded forests (TFF's) are among the most endangered tree communities in Southeast Mexico and in a contradictory way among the least known in terms of their diversity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize the richness, diversity (Shannon-Wiener) and dominance (relative importance value; RIV) of a TFF of the Yucatan Peninsula, and evaluate its floristic affinities with other TFF's and upland forests (UF's) of Southeast Mexico. A sampling method based on 10 quadrants of 10 x 20 m (2 000 m 2) was used to record all woody individuals with diameter ≥ 1 cm and height ≥ 1.5 m. A floristic similarity analysis was used including 192 genera of woody plants belonging to TFF's and UF's of the Yucatan and Tabasco TFF's. A Mantel correlation test was performed to determine if the geographic distance has effect on the floristic similarities between TFF's and UF´s of the Yucatan peninsula. The TFF under study was characterized with a low level of diversity (2.79) and species richness (56), and a high dominance level (52.3 % of RIV in five species). Dominant species such as Haematoxylum campechianum, Dalbergia glabra, Cameraria latifolia, Byrsonima crassifolia, Crescentia cujete and Terminalia buceras showed a floristic neotropical affinity typical of floodable habitats. The structure of the community was characterized by an inverted " J " pattern for the distribution of individuals in the diametric and height classes. The high density of woody lianas, mainly of Dalbergia glabra (22 % of the recorded individuals) suggested an optimal state of conservation of the studied area. The floristic similarity analysis revealed that most of TFF's in Yucatan Peninsula were grouped with high similarity (55 %) independently of the adjacent UF's; however, TFF´s resulted similar among them (36 % similarity) when compared with TFF's from other regions (16 % similarity). According to the Mantel test, the similarity between sites is not influenced by its geographical proximity (r =-0.098, p>0.05). This emphasizes the need to generate conservation strategies for the TFF's of the Yucatan peninsula independently from other regions of Southeast Mexico. Our results suggest that the TFF of the studied region has a similar diversity from other TFF's in Southeast Mexico, a different floristic composition compared with adjacent UF's and a structure with an optimal conservation status , characteristics that indicate their importance for the regional flora conservation. Further ecological studies are needed to build a solid foundation for management and conservation for the TFF's. Rev. Biol. Trop. 65 (3): 868-880. Epub 2017 September 01.