Identifier

etd-0707103-124904

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Geography and Anthropology

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

Conserving ecologically valuable areas is proclaimed a priority by governments, institutions, and citizens throughout the world. Preventing the erosion of the remaining indigenous cultures also receives widespread support. In response to these desires, numerous protected areas now exist; spaces that theoretically should attain both ecological and cultural preservation. However, many of these areas are found within a larger setting plagued by ongoing struggles to meet basic needs. Often these larger problems create a challenge to, if not work in opposition to, the original aims of protected areas. This study of nine communities looks at these and related issues in the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve of northeast Honduras. It focuses on frontier settlement, within a broader context of changing settlement patterns; on culture change and adaptation by the indigenous Miskito; on the new land use systems introduced by the new Ladino settlers; and on the overall implications for the integrity of the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve.

Date

2003

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Miles Richardson

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.1928

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