Integrated land history and global change science: the example of the Southern Yucatan Peninsular Region project

Land histories originate in multiple disciplines. The corpus of this resear ch, however. does not link well to the science of global environmental chan ge, despite explicit recognition by that science to incorporate land histor y. History acid global change science would both benefit by such linkages, which necessitates the development of "integrated land history." This inter disciplinary research subject is identified here, illustrated through the S outhern Yucatan Peninsular Region project. This project addresses tropical deforestation and agricultural change in a frontier "hot spot" of biotic di versity. It seeks to inform environmental and global change science, includ ing its human and modeling dimensions. Emphasis is placed on the mutual ben efits for both land history and global change studies created by the integr ation in question. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.