Further Simulations of Ancient Agriculture and Population at Tikal, Guatemala

D. Bruce Dickson

doi:10.2307/280119

Ancient Agriculture and Population at Tikal, Guatemala: An Application of Linear Programming to the Simulation of an Archaeological Problem

American Antiquity ◽

10.2307/280142 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 45 (4) ◽

pp. 697-712 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

D. Bruce Dickson

Keyword(s):

Linear Programming ◽

Agricultural Production ◽

Classic Period ◽

Late Classic ◽

Archaeological Data ◽

Ancient Agriculture ◽

Intensive Farming ◽

Root Crops ◽

Potential Population ◽

Maya Site

Population estimated for the Late Classic period at the Lowland Maya site of Tikal, Guatemala, is reviewed. Linear programming is described and suggested as a method for simulating the agricultural carrying capacity of the sustaining area of the site, thereby inferring its potential population. Archaeological data on the estimated size of the Tikal sustaining area is presented along with modern agricultural production and caloric output figures for maize, root crops, and ramon seeds. These data are used in the computation of a linear program. The results of the computer runs calculating the maximum population supportable by different combinations of milpa, intensive farming, and aboriculture are discussed. These results suggest that a mixed subsistence strategy in which ramon seed aboriculture and intensive root cropping were combined and were supplemented by kitchen gardening, hunting, gathering, and trade might have supported a population as high as 69,705 to 76,699 people within the boundaries of the site of Tikal during the Late Classic period.

Download Full-text

ANALISIS DAYA DUKUNG LAHAN DAN OPTIMASI PENDAPATAN USAHA TANI DI DAERAH TRANSMIGRASI KURO TIDUR, BENGKULU

Jurnal Rekayasa Lingkungan ◽

10.29122/jrl.v6i2.1932 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Daru Mulyono

Keyword(s):

Linear Programming ◽

Carrying Capacity ◽

Random Sampling ◽

Upland Rice ◽

Farm Income ◽

Research Use ◽

Food Crops ◽

Programming Technique ◽

Linear Programming Technique ◽

Research Show

The objective of the research is to know the cultivation land scale of farmers according to kind of commodities in order to achieve the highest farm income subject to the low land carrying capacity condition. The research use Linear Programming Technique with subject to two main constraints, that are area of cultivation and availability of man power. The research was carried out in Wonoharjo Village, Unit VIII Kuro Tidur Transmigration area, Bengkulu. The method of sampling drawn was random sampling. Number of respondentswas 60 farmers who cultivate food crops as well as estate crops. The results of the research show that the highest farm income can be achieved to a high of Rp. 2.279.217,- a year or increase amount of Rp. 511.140,- a year or 28.9 % through intensive cultivation of wetland rice = 0.261 ha, upland rice = 0.188 ha, cassava = 0.120 ha, peanut = 0,101 ha, and coffee = 0.750 ha.Kaywords: Transmigration land income

Download Full-text

Linear programming and the optimum carrying capacity of range under common use

The Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.1017/s0021859600051935 ◽

1974 ◽

Vol 83 (2) ◽

pp. 259-265 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

J. Connolly

Keyword(s):

Linear Programming ◽

Carrying Capacity ◽

Permanent Damage ◽

Forage Plants ◽

Maximum Profit ◽

Different Types ◽

The Common ◽

Maximum Utilization

SUMMARYThe common use of range by different types of animals may be more efficient than separate grazing by each type in that they may be complementary in their utilization of forage. Also, under certain pasture and range conditions the danger of permanent damage by over-grazing can be critical. This paper presents a method of assessing the optimum carrying capacity of range under single or common use subject to constraints on the level of utilization of forage plants. The joint optimum carrying capacity for the animal types may vary as the management objective varies between maximum profit, maximum animal gain or maximum utilization of forage, all subject to the same protection against over-grazing.

Download Full-text

Venice and Overtourism: Simulating Sustainable Development Scenarios through a Tourism Carrying Capacity Model

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12020512 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 512 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Dario Bertocchi ◽

Nicola Camatti ◽

Silvio Giove ◽

Jan van der Borg

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Linear Programming ◽

Carrying Capacity ◽

Programming Model ◽

Local Population ◽

Fuzzy Linear Programming ◽

Data Availability ◽

Linear Programming Model ◽

Development Scenarios ◽

The Impact

Overtourism problems, anti-tourist movements and negative externalities of tourism are popular research approaches and are key concepts to better understand the sustainable development of tourism destinations. In many of the overtourism narratives, Venice is considered to be one of the most relevant cases of overtourism and therefore has become a laboratory for studying the different conflicts that emerge when tourism numbers continue to grow and the quality of the tourism flow continues to decline. This article is therefore focusing on Venice and on one of the possible solutions to mitigate the negative impacts of tourism represented by the concept of a tourist carrying capacity (TCC) in an urban destination. The aim of this paper is to discuss alternative methodologies regarding the calculation of the TCC, and to apply a fuzzy instead of a ‘crisp’ linear programming model to determine the scenarios of a sustainable number of tourists in the cultural destination of Venice, looking for the optimal compromise between, on the one hand, the wish of maximizing the monetary gain by the local tourism sectors and, on the other, the desire to control the undesirable effects that tourism exerts on a destination by the local population. To solve the problems related to tourism statistics and data availability, some uncertainty in the parameters has been included using fuzzy numbers. The fuzziness in the model was introduced on the basis of questionnaires distributed among both tourists and residents. By applying the fuzzy linear programming model to the emblematic case of Venice, it was shown that this approach can indeed help destinations to understand the challenges of sustainable tourism development better, to evaluate the impact of alternative policies of overtourism on the sustainability of tourism, and hence, to help design a strategy to manage tourist flows more adequately

Download Full-text

Egregious Energetics

American Antiquity ◽

10.2307/280118 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 46 (4) ◽

pp. 919-922 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

David L. Webster

Keyword(s):

Linear Programming ◽

Carrying Capacity

Dickson's elaborate linear programming simulation of the agricultural carrying capacity of the Tikal sustaining area is flawed by an energetic miscalculation.

Download Full-text