| Peer-Reviewed

Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Shifting Agriculture of Bulang People in Yunnan, China

Received: 3 May 2020     Accepted: 26 May 2020     Published: 8 June 2020
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

Land-use and land-cover changes directly impact biological diversity, and may cause land degradation by altering ecosystem services and livelihood support systems, thereby disrupting the socio-cultural practices and institutions associated with managing those biophysical systems. The most important is the gradual disappearance of human’s traditional ecological knowledge and cultural diversity. Xishuangbanna is one of regions that have the richest biodiversity and cultural diversity in the world. In recent years, academic scholars, government departments at different levels and media have increasingly paid close attention on the relationship between rubber cultivation and biodiversity in Xishuangbanna. However, such attention on the relationship between rubber plantation and cultural diversity is few. Conclusively, social and cultural practice on natural resource management carried out by local people and relevant institutions are greatly changing in the context of implementing rubber plantation. During this process, traditional ecological knowledge is also experiencing changes. The paper will elaborate impacts from the rubber plantation on Bulang society in Xishuangbanna, explore changes on local subsistence, social and cultural practice and relevant institutions, and further analyze relationships between the rubber plantation, cultural diversity and traditional ecological knowledge, and threats and challenges faced by Bulang people. Through the case study of Bulang people, we see that the traditional ecological knowledge not only includes natural resource management and genetic resource protection, but also recognition of ethnical identities and heritage of biological and cultural diversity.

Published in American Journal of Environmental Protection (Volume 9, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajep.20200903.13
Page(s) 51-58
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Shifting Agriculture, Rubber Plantation, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Agro-biodiversity, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China

References
[1] Gong ZL, Guo HJ. 2004. Xishuangbanna community upland rice variety diversity and in situ conservation [in Chinese with English abstract]. Biodiversity Science 12 (4): 427-434.
[2] Hongmei Li, T. Mitchell Aide, Youxin Ma, Wenjun Liu, Min Cao. 2007. Demand for rubber is causing the loss of high diversity rain forest in SW China. Biodivers Conserv 16: 1731-1745. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-006-9052-7
[3] Houghton, R. A. 1994. The worldwide extent of land-use change. BioScience 44: 305-313. https://doi.org/10.2307/1312380
[4] Lambin, E. F., B. L. Turner II, H. J. Geist, S. Agbola, A. Angelsen, J. W. Bruce, O. Coomes, R. Dirzo, G. Fisher, C. Folke, P. S. George, K. Homewood, J. Imbernon, R. Leemans, X. Li, E. F. Moran, M. Mortimore, P. S. Ramakrishan, J. F. Richards, H. Skanes, W. Steffen, G. D. Stone, U. Svedin, T. Veldkamp, C. Vogel, and J. Xu. 2001. The causes of land-use and land cover change: Moving beyond the myths. Global Environmental Change 11: 261-269. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0959-3780(01)00007-3
[5] Pei SJ. 1991. Managing for biological diversity conservation in temple yards and holy hills: The traditional practices of the Xishuangbanna Dai Community in southwest China. In: Hamilton LS, editor. Ethics, Religion and Biodiversity. Cambridge, United Kingdom: White Horse Press, pp 118-132.
[6] Sala, O. E., F. S. Chapin, III, J. J. Armesto, E. Berlow, E. J. Bloomfield, R. Dirzo, E. Huber-Sanwald, L. F. Huenneke, R. B. Jackson, A. Kinzig, R. Leemans, D. M. Lodge, H. A. Mooney, M. Osterheld, N. L. Poff, M. T. Sykes, B. H. Walker, M. Walker, and D. H. Wall. 2000. Biodiversity: Global biodiversity scenarios for the year 2100. Science 287: 1770-1774. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.287.5459.1770
[7] UNESCO, 2007. The Man and Biosphere Programme, available online at http://www.unesco.org/mabdb/br/brdir/directory/biores.asp.code=CPR+10&mode=allVitousek, P. M., H. A. Mooney, J. Lubchenco, and J. M. Melillo. 1997. Human domination of earths ecosystems. Science 277: 494-499. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.277.5325.494
[8] Wang YH, Xu T. 1998. Analysis and evaluation of Xishuangbanna rubber plantation [in Chinese]. Journal of Yunnan University 20: 605-608.
[9] Xu JC. 2006. The Political, Social, and Ecological Transformation of a Landscape the Case of Rubber in Xishuangbanna, China. Mountain Research and Development Vol 26 No 3: 254-262 https://doi.org/10.1659/0276-4741(2006)26 [254: TPSAET]2.0.CO;2.
[10] Xu JC. 2002. Hani practices of intensification of shifting cultivation in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China: Rattan and tea based fallow management. In: Cairns MF, editor. Indigenous Strategies for Intensification of Shifting Cultivation in Asia-Pacific. Proceedings of a Regional Conference Held in Bogor, Indonesia on June 23-27, 1997. Chiang Mai, Thailand: International Centre for Research in Agroforestry.
[11] Xu JC, Fox J, Zhang PF, Fu YS, Yang LX, Qian J, Leisz S, Vogler J. 2005. Land-use and land-cover change and farmer vulnerability in Xishuangbanna Prefecture in southwestern China. Environmental Management 36 (3): 404-413. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-003-0289-6
[12] Yang WM, Qin W. 2009. Yunnan Xishuangbanna rubber development on ecological environment impact assessment [in Chinese with English abstract]. Ecological Economy 01: 336-339.
[13] Yin ST. 2008. Away in the hill fire - Anthropological Perspective on Shifting agriculture [in Chinese], China: Yunnan people's Publishing House.
[14] Zhang MQ, Zhou KX, Xue DY. 2007. Rubber's Influence on Tropical Rainforest in Xishuangbanna and How to Reduce the Impact [in Chinese with English abstract]. Ecological Economics 02: 377-378.
[15] Zhou JW. 1982. History and current status of Yunnan upland rice production [in Chinese]. Yunnan agricultural science and technology 05: 22-26.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Lun Yin, Misiani Zachary, Yanyan Zheng, Xiaohan Zhang, Antonine Sakwa. (2020). Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Shifting Agriculture of Bulang People in Yunnan, China. American Journal of Environmental Protection, 9(3), 51-58. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajep.20200903.13

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Lun Yin; Misiani Zachary; Yanyan Zheng; Xiaohan Zhang; Antonine Sakwa. Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Shifting Agriculture of Bulang People in Yunnan, China. Am. J. Environ. Prot. 2020, 9(3), 51-58. doi: 10.11648/j.ajep.20200903.13

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Lun Yin, Misiani Zachary, Yanyan Zheng, Xiaohan Zhang, Antonine Sakwa. Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Shifting Agriculture of Bulang People in Yunnan, China. Am J Environ Prot. 2020;9(3):51-58. doi: 10.11648/j.ajep.20200903.13

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.ajep.20200903.13,
      author = {Lun Yin and Misiani Zachary and Yanyan Zheng and Xiaohan Zhang and Antonine Sakwa},
      title = {Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Shifting Agriculture of Bulang People in Yunnan, China},
      journal = {American Journal of Environmental Protection},
      volume = {9},
      number = {3},
      pages = {51-58},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajep.20200903.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajep.20200903.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajep.20200903.13},
      abstract = {Land-use and land-cover changes directly impact biological diversity, and may cause land degradation by altering ecosystem services and livelihood support systems, thereby disrupting the socio-cultural practices and institutions associated with managing those biophysical systems. The most important is the gradual disappearance of human’s traditional ecological knowledge and cultural diversity. Xishuangbanna is one of regions that have the richest biodiversity and cultural diversity in the world. In recent years, academic scholars, government departments at different levels and media have increasingly paid close attention on the relationship between rubber cultivation and biodiversity in Xishuangbanna. However, such attention on the relationship between rubber plantation and cultural diversity is few. Conclusively, social and cultural practice on natural resource management carried out by local people and relevant institutions are greatly changing in the context of implementing rubber plantation. During this process, traditional ecological knowledge is also experiencing changes. The paper will elaborate impacts from the rubber plantation on Bulang society in Xishuangbanna, explore changes on local subsistence, social and cultural practice and relevant institutions, and further analyze relationships between the rubber plantation, cultural diversity and traditional ecological knowledge, and threats and challenges faced by Bulang people. Through the case study of Bulang people, we see that the traditional ecological knowledge not only includes natural resource management and genetic resource protection, but also recognition of ethnical identities and heritage of biological and cultural diversity.},
     year = {2020}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Shifting Agriculture of Bulang People in Yunnan, China
    AU  - Lun Yin
    AU  - Misiani Zachary
    AU  - Yanyan Zheng
    AU  - Xiaohan Zhang
    AU  - Antonine Sakwa
    Y1  - 2020/06/08
    PY  - 2020
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajep.20200903.13
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajep.20200903.13
    T2  - American Journal of Environmental Protection
    JF  - American Journal of Environmental Protection
    JO  - American Journal of Environmental Protection
    SP  - 51
    EP  - 58
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-5699
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajep.20200903.13
    AB  - Land-use and land-cover changes directly impact biological diversity, and may cause land degradation by altering ecosystem services and livelihood support systems, thereby disrupting the socio-cultural practices and institutions associated with managing those biophysical systems. The most important is the gradual disappearance of human’s traditional ecological knowledge and cultural diversity. Xishuangbanna is one of regions that have the richest biodiversity and cultural diversity in the world. In recent years, academic scholars, government departments at different levels and media have increasingly paid close attention on the relationship between rubber cultivation and biodiversity in Xishuangbanna. However, such attention on the relationship between rubber plantation and cultural diversity is few. Conclusively, social and cultural practice on natural resource management carried out by local people and relevant institutions are greatly changing in the context of implementing rubber plantation. During this process, traditional ecological knowledge is also experiencing changes. The paper will elaborate impacts from the rubber plantation on Bulang society in Xishuangbanna, explore changes on local subsistence, social and cultural practice and relevant institutions, and further analyze relationships between the rubber plantation, cultural diversity and traditional ecological knowledge, and threats and challenges faced by Bulang people. Through the case study of Bulang people, we see that the traditional ecological knowledge not only includes natural resource management and genetic resource protection, but also recognition of ethnical identities and heritage of biological and cultural diversity.
    VL  - 9
    IS  - 3
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Center for Ecological Civilization, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China

  • Kenya Meteorological Department, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Nairobi, Kenya

  • Yunnan People’s Publishing House Ltd, Kunming, China

  • Center for Biodiversity and Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Kunming, China

  • School of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, South Eastern Kenya University, Nairobi, Kenya

  • Sections