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The island of Cozumel is located 18km from the Yucatan Peninsula. It is 43 km long and 14km wide. The climate is humid and tropical, with a rainy season between June and October.
After the arrival of the first inhabitants (416-435 AD), Cozumel became an important religious center that revolved around the God of Wisdom, Itzamná and his wife Ixchel, Goddess of Fertility.
San Gervacio was the main religious, political and commerce center of the island.
Agriculture was the principal Mayan activity, for which they used “milpas” and “pet kots”. Milpa is a mix of corn, pumpkin, beans, chile peppers, etc.
In the past, the slashing and burning of forest to obtain the needed land for starting a milpa was a successful technique. However, today the growing human population overstresses the system, contributing to a global loss of tropical forest annually.
Pre-Hispanic low stone walls, or “pet knots”, have been used as a collection site for “wild” tree and plant species, that were used for medicine, food, and construction. The walls were used also for orientation in the dense jungle. As third, the pet knots probably functioned as borders between properties, Pet knots are still being used today.
Cozumel was discovered by the Spaniards on May 3, 1518. These Europeans came with violence and they brought diseases such as the Black Plague. In no time, the island was deserted.
Repopulation occurred no sooner than three centuries later, when many people left the peninsula because of La Guerra de Castas (“War of Races”). In 1900, the island had 971 inhabitants. In 1922, the first hotel was built.
The United States built the international airport, which, together with the harbor, enabled the development of tourism.
The state of Quintana Roo was initiated in 1974. In 2000 the population counts 60,025 people. Now more than ever there is a huge need for environmental protection due to increasing population and tourism.
Cozumel contains numerous ruins and pre-Hispanic structures. Majority of it has its origin from 1200-1600 AD, the Postclassical period. The biggest site is San Gervacio. It consists of 6 architectural groups. Group l, “Central Square” is formed by 10 typical Post-Classical structures. The square functioned as a meeting-place for priests and political leaders.
The island's flora consists of coastal dunes, mangroves, and tropical dry forests.
Littoral zone vegetation occurs abundantly on the east coast of the island and is characterized by its salt-tolerance and thick waxy leaves. It contains ground-level herbs and branching bushes.
Mangrove systems can often be found next to the coastal dune area. They are located in areas that are periodically or permanently flooded with brackish water. Low diversity characterizes the ecosystem; only a few of the salinity-adapted tree and plant species thrive here. Mangrove vegetation encompasses almost the entire perimeter of Cozumel Majority of Cozumel's flora consists of medium and low tropical dry forest. Life zones of tropical dry forest are frost-free areas where the mean annual temperature is above 17ºC; mean annual rain-fall ranges from 250-2,000mm, and the annual ratio of potential evapotranspiration to precipitation exceeds unity. Low tropical dry forest contains the same species as medium forest. They are not as high, however. Medium tropical dry forest is composed of several vertical layers: trees, bushes and herbs.
PAST AND PRESENT
Several influences have made Cozumel the island that we know today. In order to know and understand present-day Cozumel, the history of the island – from its first inhabitants until now – is given in this pages. First, however, the island is described briefly.
1. THE ISLAND
The island of Cozumel is located 18 km is east of the Yucatan Peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo. The top geological layer (which is 16m in depth) is composed of oceanic sediments from the Holocene (10,000 ago). The island extends approximately 14 km on the east-west axis and 43 km on the north east - south west axis. The climate is humid and tropical with a rainy season between June and October and an average temperature of 25.5?C. The vegetation consists mainly of tropical dry forest. Mangrove communities and coastal dune
The fauna is composed of different animals such as peccaries, armadillos, doves, woodpeckers, warblers, snakes, iguanas, anolis lizards, etc.
Neath the sea, Coral reefs around the island can be found.
2 HISTORY
EARLY MAYANS
According to the Mayan documents called “Chilam Balam”, a group of Mayans departed from the Petén Guatemalteco during a religious migration some time between 416-435 AD. Priests and astronomers spoke of a place with the name “Tontun Cuzamil” (which means “flat stone of the swallows”).
With the arrival of the first inhabitants, and their conception of the island as a religious sanctuary, Cozumel was converted into one of the most
important ceremonial centers, with a culture and religion that revolved around Itzamná and Ixchel.
Itzamná was the God of Wisdom, represented by the sun. His wife, Ixchel, was represented by the moon. Being the Goddess of Fertility, she held a great importance in the Mayan people?s lives. Her prime sanctuary was San Gervacio.
San Gervacio was the main center of Cozumel, which was an autonomic political entity with its own leaders. From here, White Roads – Sacbés or Sacbeoob in Mayan (sac, white; be, road; y oob, plural) – led to the other settlements. Other roads that have been reported in the region are those in Cobá and Xel-Ha.
After the fall of Cobá (in 1200 AD) as a commerce center, Cozumel took its place and connected the coastal Mayan communities as a center of commerce. An intensive trade of cotton products, colored feathers, salt, honey, wax, and cacao was instituted with the Caribbean.
TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURE
The principal Mayan activity was agriculture. Two forms of agricultural techniques were used on the Yucatan Peninsula: slash and burn farming, and the use of “pet kots”.
Until mass tourism developed, the island had always been self-sufficient in fresh food such as meat, fruit, and vegetables. After that, attention shifted from agriculture to tourism and agricultural activity was reduced to a few milpas (slash and burn fields).
SLASH AND BURN
One of the main activities that the tropical forest provides is the traditional agriculture or milpa, which is the agricultural mix of corn, pumpkin, and beans. A milpa can contain corn (Zea mays), one or two species of pumpkin (Cucurbita sp.) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris); tubers (Ipomoea batatas); some species of chilies (Capsicum sp.), yuca (Manihot esculenta), and other root plants such as macal (Xantosoma yucatanense).
In the past, the slash and burning was a successful technique due to the fact that Mayan population planted diverse crop and allowed sufficient fallow-time between crops for the milpas to recuperate their fertility. Today, an ever-expanding human population overstresses the system contributing to soil deterioration, erosion and loss of wildlife-habitats.
Slashing and burning impacts the environment in the following ways:
Immediately after the burn, the soil of the microclimate is exposed to increasing solar radiation and direct rain. Fauna that dwell in the ground as well as the microorganisms in the area are destroyed, and the ecological structure is degraded. During the growth of the corn, the organic matter is mineralized, soil is lost due to erosion, and nutrients are leached.
Approximately two to three years later, the milpa is abandoned mainly for two reasons: the soil has lost its fertility and been overrun by weeds, further decreasing productivity.
The minimum fallow-time required to cultivate another crop of corn ranges between 8 and 20 years. This period of time is sufficient for the soil to recuperate the nutrients which were lost during the slash and burn process.
This activity is practiced all over the world by 300 million farmers, and accounts for the loss of 10 million hectares of tropical forest per year, with a soil loss of 4 to 70.5 tons per hectare per year. This farming practice causes a loss of biodiversity, modifications of the biochemical cycles, and global warming.
Therefore, in places where soil is not actually formed, as in the case of the island of Cozumel, the activity of agriculture is inadequate. Overall, the results of a two-year production benefits only a few individuals, while re-growth of forest takes as long as 40-70 years.
Additionally, hurricanes and tropical storms have damaged forests on the island in various years and affected areas that are now in the process of regeneration. Some species of fauna such as the spider monkey have disappeared altogether.
Although milpas provided in the principal resource of energy (carbohydrates), the farmers obtained resources from other production units like the “pet kots”, orchard family gardens, and natural vegetation from the forest. Firewood and materials for the construction of housing were obtained from the tropical forest. Plants also played an important role in providing food, medicine, ink, fodder, etc. The diet was protein rich thanks to the abundance of wildlife and fish. Mayans ate wild fruit, and used honey for the production of an alcoholic drink called “Balché”. A lot of the resources that the ancient Mayans used many centuries ago are still being utilized today.
MANGROVE
Directly following the coastal dune area, there is generally found a mangrove community. Mangrove is a vegetation community that is primarily located in areas that are periodically or permanently flooded with brackish water. The species that compose this community are highly adaptable to different grades of salinity. The ecosystem is characterized by its low-diversity; vegetation of this area is composed primarily of trees of few species (Appendix 1). The soil is boggy and has a high concentration of organic matter.
Mangroves are of biological and socio-economic importance. Many types of trees found here are used for construction of houses, making of carbon, medicinal application, and to create tannin (used to tan leather).
Mangrove swamps often serve as a hatchery and nursery for the larval stages of many brackish and saltwater fish species. Crabs, mussels, snails and other invertebrates find shelter in the red mangroves extensive root system. Herons and other birds often build nests in the branches of the trees and this nutrient-rich community provides food and shelter for many other migratory bird species and mammals.
Mangroves also serve as a buffer zone against waves, therefore controlling erosion. The roots help to collect and contain decomposing organic matter, which help to enrich the soil.
Mangrove vegetation encompasses almost the entire perimeter of the island. Mangrove swamps flourish in the northwest and southwest of the island. (Figure 3). The species characterizing this vegetation community are red, white, black and button mangrove; epiphytes such as bromeliads and orchids are abundant.
TROPICAL DRY FOREST
Majority of Cozumel?s vegetation is characterized by medium low tropical dry forest. (Figure 3.)
Life zones of tropical dry forest are defined as frost-free areas where the mean annual temperature is above 17?C; mean annual rainfall ranges from 250-2,000mm, and the annual ratio of potential evapo-transpiration to precipitation exceeds unity.
The low tropical dry forests on the island are distributed between the mangrove areas and medium tropical dry forests. Their distribution areas are very narrow and are represented along the east side of the island. The compositions of the species are very similar to that of the medium tropical dry forests. They are not as high, however. Medium tropical dry forests occupy most of Cozumel island. This large area is composed of three different layers of plants: trees, bushes and herbs.
Most common are: Manilkara zapota, Vitex gaumeri, Lysiloma latisiliquum, Bursera simaruba, Piscidia piscipula, Metopium brownei, Plumeria obtusa, Gymnopodium floribundum, Randiaaculeata, Sabal mayarum, Coccothrinax readii and Thevetia gaumeri. Abundant are vines, and epiphytes such as Ryncholaelia digbyana, Tillandsia fasciculata, Tillandsia streptophylla, Catasetum integerrimum, Brassavola nodosa, Myrmecophila tibicinis and Encyclia belizensis.