| A study of the social ecology of a human ecosystem in semi-arid Central Chaco in Paraguay was conducted. Emphasis was directed at examining the relations between biophysical and sociocultural ecological attributes in this human ecosystem. The study site selected for this research comprised the three Mennonite Colonies and adjacent indigenous settlements located in Transition Chaco in Paraguay. The effects of water availability and access upon population, labor, the legal framework, outputs, the scale of external relations, and administration were examined for the Mennonite and the Lengua and Nivaclé ethnicities.;Relevant quantitative and qualitative data were obtained from primary and secondary sources. Primary data were obtained from direct observations, focus groups, and semi-structured interviews with key informants. Occasionally, informal unstructured interviews were also conducted. Secondary data were collected from a variety of archival sources that include censuses, reports, books, articles, and working papers. Narrative analysis was used to examine qualitative data. Secondary survey data, correlation, and regression analyses were utilized in the analyses of quantitative data.;Findings of this research show that Mennonites, Lengua, and Nivaclé have developed a variety of strategies to better adapt to the semi-arid conditions of Central Chaco. These strategies include changes in the means to access water resources, changes in the social organization and institutions that regulate water availability and access, and changes in the economic patterns of sustenance. |
