Mayan Planting Techniques

Mayan Planting Techniques

Mayan Planting Techniques
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 6 to 8
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	7.27

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		covering, individual, nitrogen, graze, successful, competition, population, provided, niche, advantage, reproduce, meeting, soil, likely, habitat, occupy
	content words:		Native Americans

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Mayan Planting Techniques
By Cindy Grigg

¹     Competition occurs whenever more than one individual or population tries to make use of the same resources. Because resources such as food, water, and space are limited, there is not enough for every individual. Only those individuals able to get the resources they need will survive. Plants constantly compete with each other for light, water, and nutrients in the soil. Any plant that is more successful in meeting its needs is likely to survive and reproduce. Plants have a large number of adaptations that help them meet their needs.

²     One way organisms reduce competition for food and other resources is to occupy a specific niche within a habitat. A niche is the special role an organism plays within its habitat. Different species may share the same habitat, but no two can have exactly the same niche. For example, deer, rabbits, and squirrels may live in the same leafy forest. Deer browse higher up on trees, rabbits graze on grasses, and squirrels eat acorns. Each animal occupies a different niche.

³     In ancient times, Native Americans often used the competition between plants to their advantage. For example the ancient Maya grew corn, squash, and beans together in fields. The corn plants shielded the beans from the harsh sun. They also provided a support for the bean vines to grow on. The squash vines and leaves covered the ground. This covering kept the soil from drying out or being washed away by rain. The covering also kept weeds from growing. The bean plants added nitrogen to the soil. Both corn and squash need nitrogen for healthy growth. In the Mayan fields, the corn, bean, and squash plants were all successful in meeting their needs. These farming techniques used by the Maya are still successful in gardens and fields today.

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