EMAP (2006) Agriculture, Mobility, and Human Impact in the Mimbres Region of the United States Southwest

The relationships among land use, population, and environment are not simple. Larger populations impact the environment more than do smaller populations, and environmental marginality promotes greater impacts from human action. While these two statements may be correct at a broad scale, the relationships are not linear. We examine the relationships among these variables using data from eleventh- through thirteenth-century villages and hamlets of prehistoric subsistence agriculturalists from the Mimbres region of southwest New Mexico. Regardless of population size, we find that the richest areas received the greatest impact. We argue that human perception of environmental potential plays a role in the extent to which land-use strategies are sustainable.