52 

 program where about 30 residents will receive government loans and subsidies to grow fruits and 

 vegetables on private holdings. These projects have improved village life greatly during the past few 

 years. 



Closing Comments 

 Recognizing the multidisciplinary nature of this study, I have tried to show the complexity and 

 interrelatedness of the three basic elements of this project; gardens, wildlife, and hunting. No single 

 element can be understood in isolation from the other two. To appreciate these results, it is also 

 imperative to consider the natural, cultural, and socioeconomic environment of the area, how conditions 

 have changed over the past 25,000 years, and what challenges lie in the future. During the next 

 several years, the Maya of Quintana Roc will have to decide what aspects of their culture they wish to 

 maintain and what will be allowed to fade as the area is further developed for logging, tourism, and 

 cattle ranching. If the costs and benefits of the various alternatives are carefully researched by social 

 and biological scientists and clearly explained to the Maya, I would hope that the Maya would choose 

 wisely, but suspect that they might not. 



