Abstract
By describing the ecological implications of Mormon settlement in the Little Colorado River Basin, the paper demonstrates: (1) the application of general ecological concepts in human ecology, (2) the ecological basis for the evolution of complex human communities, (3) the interactive, hierarchical relationship between community diversity and environmental stability, and (4) the positive contribution that human ecology can make to the general discussion of diversity and stability in ecological systems. The paper gives a brief description of Mormon colonization in the Little Colorado River Basin. Local differences in community development are then related to environmental variation within the basin and compared to general ecological research expectations. The implications of community development in this region for explaining the relationship between diversity and stability in ecological systems are discussed.
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Abruzzi, W.S. Ecological stability and community diversity during mormon colonization of the Little Colorado River Basin. Hum Ecol 15, 317–338 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00888029
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00888029