Geography and Environmental Studies

Research Interests

My research interests revolve around the use and conservation of natural resources by indigenous and other rural peoples living in rain forest regions of Central America and Mexico. As a geographer, I am particularly interested in the interface between culture and ecology, the spatial patterns of plant and animal use, and how land tenure affects land use practices and forest conservation. Participatory mapping that includes trained local investigators has been a core element of this research. Closely related interests include ethnobiology, local geographic knowledge, and ethnogeography. In addition, a new research project has been initiated focusing on local knowledge of coastal environments in fishing communities of Newfoundland

2009-10 Courses

• GEOG 3021 Culture, Place and Time
• GEOG 4904 F/W Honours Research Workshop
• GEOG 5406 Special Topics in Cultural Geography - The power of Maps (NEW)

Recent publications and conference presentations

Smith, Derek A., 2008. “Ethnogeography of the Mayangna of Nicaragua.” In Ethno- and Historical Geographic Studies in Latin America: Essays Honoring William V.Davidson, edited by P.H. Herlihy, K. Mathewson, and C.S. Revels, pp. 85-104. Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Geoscience Publications, Louisiana State University.

Peter H. Herlihy, Jerome E. Dobson, Miguel Aguilar Robledo, Derek A. Smith, John H. Kelly, and Aida Ramos Viera, 2008. A Digital Geography of Indigenous Mexico: Prototype for the American Geographical Society’s Bowman Expeditions.  Geographical Review 98(3):395-415.

Smith, Derek A., 2008. The Spatial Patterns of Indigenous Wildlife Use in Western Panama: Implications for Conservation Management. Biological Conservation 141(4):925-937.

Smith, Derek A., 2006. Book review: "In Search of the Rain Forest" edited by Candace Slater. Cultural Geographies 11(3):306.

Smith, Derek A., 2005. Garden Game: Shifting Cultivation, Indigenous Hunting Strategies, and Wildlife Ecology in Western Panama. Human Ecology 33(4):505-537.

Smith, Derek A., 2004. Book review: "Trekking through History: The Huaorani of Amazonian Ecuador" by Laura M. Rival. Human Ecology 32(1):132-136.

Smith, Derek A., 2003. Participatory Mapping of Community Lands and Hunting Yields Among the Buglé of Western Panama. Human Organization 62(4):332-343.