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 every year. While all ejido members normally were required to plant a garden as one of several 

 requirements to maintain their residency status, sometimes this regulation was not enforced (D. Ake 

 Ayala, pers. comm.). Two, gardeners were free to select any site within the study area on which to 

 plant their garden. The single exception to this was a 25,000 ha parcel of land declared as a permanent 

 forest reserve by ejido and state forestry officials (M. Carre6n Mundo, pers. comm.). Three, 

 gardeners were free to determine the crops planted, the amount of land cleared, and the times to plant 

 and harvest. Four, the distribution of roads, trails, fertile soil, and level lands appropriate for planting 

 varied greatly on the study area. Five, gardeners often employed other workers or formed teams with 

 friends or family members to complete garden-related tasks. Six, gardeners often undertook other 

 activities (e.g., hunting, chide taping, and gathering firewood) while they were tending their gardens. 

 These factors required that the study be carefully planned and the analyses carefully thought out. 



There were three general objectives for this study and several specific hypotheses: 



First objective. "Determine the total number of gardeners and number of gardens planted in 

 1989 by X-Hazil Sur residents and compare this with a subset of gardeners and gardens planted in 

 1990. The specific hypothesis tested was that there was no difference between 1989 and 1990 with 

 respect to the number of gardens planted per "garden group" (see definition, below). 



Second objective. -Describe the annual horticultural cycle, quantify garden characteristics, and 

 characterize crop phenology, density, and mortality. The specific hypotheses tested were that there was 

 no differences between 1989 and 1990 with respect to the following variables: garden size, distance 

 from X-Hazil Sur, number of crops planted, and number of years of continuous use to which the 

 garden had been subjected. 



Third objective. -Characterize crop predation and wildlife use of gardens and adjacent forest. 

 Three specific hypotheses were tested: One, there was no difference between wildlife use of track 

 slicks in gardens and the adjacent forest in 1990. Two, there was no difference between wildlife use of 

 Late Secondary Forest without Gardens (see definition, below). Late Secondary Forest with Gardens, 

 and Early Secondary Forest in 1990 with respect to number of wildlife taxa reported and number of 



