Agricultural techniques are the largest factor of environmental change in the Maya landscape as 90% of Mayans were involved in agriculture production. Slash and burn agriculture is the most notable farming technique that drastically modified the environment. In order to create vast field systems for crops, forests were cut down and several crops such as corn, beans and squash were planted alongside each other in order to maximize harvest. Planting such complementary crops together balances the nutrients in the soil and prevented soil erosion (Cartwright). Planting such crops together is called milpa and after a few years of use the field left fallow to allow for soil recuperation as well as avoiding insect infestation. While the fields fallow
