Ethnoecology of Maize and Language Diversity among the Maya

9976892Brush这个试点项目涉及加州大学戴维斯分校的文化人类学家，他们研究中美洲文化多样性与作物物种多样性之间的关系。要检验的一般假设是，文化差异涉及不同的耕作方式，从而导致种植不同种族的玉米。研究人员将研究墨西哥恰帕斯州三个地方的玉米农民，两个玛雅印第安人和一个非印第安人的梅斯蒂索人社区。研究人员与来自墨西哥南部研究机构ECOSUR的墨西哥同事合作，将在海拔1000至1800米和1800米以上的两个海拔区域采访主要语言为Tzeltal语、Tzotzil语（两种当地玛雅印第安语言，对应不同的当地文化）和西班牙语的农民。将根据语言、海拔高度和与市场中心或城市服务的关系，对4-5个社区中每个社区的15 - 30户家庭进行抽样调查。受访者将被要求根据农艺和文化标准（产量、风险、储存、烹饪质量等）对不同的玉米品种进行排名。将收集遇到的不同品种的玉米。这项研究将促进我们对这种重要粮食作物在其最初被驯化的一般地区的了解。所创造的新知识将对规划保护玉米遗传多样性作为未来资源的项目有价值。

9976892Brush This pilot project involves cultural anthropologists from the University of California-Davis studying the relationship between cultural diversity in Mesoamerica and diversity in crop species. The general hypothesis to be tested is that cultural differences involve different farming practices which result in different races of corn (maize) being cultivated. The researchers will study maize farmers in three locations in Chiapas, Mexico, two Mayan Indian and one non-Indian Mestizo community. The researchers, working with Mexican colleagues from ECOSUR, a southern Mexican research institution, will interview farmers whose primary language is Tzeltal, Tzotzil (two local Mayan Indian languages corresponding to different local cultures) and Spanish, in two altitude zones, from 1000 to 1800 meters and above 1800 meters. Between 15 and 30 households in each of 4-5 communities in each language group, for a total of 12-16 communities will be sampled according to language, altitude and relation to market centers or urban services. Respondents will be asked to rank different maize varieties according to agronomic and cultural criteria (yield, risk, storage, cooking quality, etc. ). Collections will be made of the different varieties of maize encountered. This research will advance our understanding of this important food crop in the general region where it was first domesticated. The new knowledge to be created will be valuable in planning programs to preserve genetic diversity of maize as a resource for the future.