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 of the Ecuadorian Amazon. First, Irvine (1987) determined that the Runa Indians managed tree 

 succession in some fallow areas by planting certain desirable species, especially fruit trees, and 

 protecting other useful species. The managed and unmanaged fallows that resulted were strikingly 

 different from each other in appearance and composition. Second, Irvine (1987) conducted a study of 

 833 game kills and determined that, when planted trees were in fruit, managed fallows were important 

 capture sites for three caviomorph rodents (paca; agouti; and acouchi, Myoprocta pratti), numerically 

 the most important game for the Runa. Irvine (1987) concluded that the Runa Indians had developed 

 an efficient, resource-enhancement strategy. By managing fallow areas in the forest and by 

 concentrating their hunting on the smaller, but numerically abundant caviomorph rodents (compared 

 with the brocket deer [Mazama spp.] and the collared peccary that are larger, but less abundant), the 

 Runa were in effect practicing garden hunting. 



In a theoretical study unsupported by field data, Greenberg (1992) examined deer hunting by 

 Maya Indians in the Yucatan Peninsula as an example of coevolution between humans practicing 

 shifting cultivation and populations of this locally important game animal. When the peninsula was first 

 settled, according to Greenberg (1992), the impact of the human population on the deer population was 

 minimal as there were few people, little hunting, and limited shifting cultivation. Subsequently as the 

 human population increased, the association between these two populations changed to one where 

 humans practiced hunting and gathering, exploiting the small deer population at a low rate. Over time 

 the association continued to evolve. Although hunting and gardening continued, the deer population 

 increased because it had acquired a dietary preference for secondary vegetation that resulted from 

 shifting cultivation. Deer, according to Greenberg (1992) also had a behavioral pre-adaptation that 

 allowed for close contact with humans. Humans responded by hunting the more-abundant deer, but 

 over time humans also inaeased in number and created more secondary vegetation favorable to deer. 

 Given the primitive hunting technologies and the low human population density of the peninsula, this 

 relationship, according to Greenberg (1992), explains the high harvest rate sustained by deer in the 

 vicinity of Maya gardens. 



