People are always a part of the landscape, but to assume that cropping is inconsistent with forests is simply to follow the European experience and mock the nuanced sophistication we know to be a part of Maya cultivation. For the milpa of Mesoamerica and the Maya, the forest is integral to the cycle. Recognizing the cyclic quality of Maya farming emphasizes the impact of this forest enrichment and its reflection in the human ecology of the forest. The combined records for precipitation and pollen provide a baseline for interpreting environmental change.