Conservación y valor del suelo entre Totonacas de Veracruz, México

Abstract

Anthropological fieldwork was carried out the Totonac community of Coxquihui, Veracruz, México, in 1999 and 2000. Forty Totonac campesinos were interviewed and given copies of the same quetionnaire, from which information was obtained about the value and usage of soil relative to its conservation. The Totonacs cultivate plots of less than 5.0 hectares in area whit slopes of up to 30 %, with serious arosion problems and a slow decline in fertility due to constant cultivation. The results show that hillside soil is perceived as being unstable and also prone to erosion and loss of fertility, which focuses the solution on maintaining ground cover. Hence the use of traditional and empirical agricultural practices, such as tilling, ehich seek to conserve soil. It is concluded that practices used are linked to subsistence factors.