石灰岩地帯に暮らす人々 : 雲南東南部の生態文化複合系の変容過程(<特集>雲南 およびその周辺)

Abstract

中国雲南省東南部の石灰岩地帯に住む漢族の生活を調査した。彼らは約100年前に石灰岩の洞窟に移り住み, コムギ, トウモロコシを主食とし, 周辺の森から採集によって生活を行ってきた。しかし, 人口の増加と, 硝石採集などにより, 周辺の森林をはじめとする環境が悪化し始め, 土地問題, 水問題, 人口問題などが, 生活を圧迫し始めた。この生態文化複合系の変容過程を, 石灰岩地帯の生活の問題に関連させて論じた。

The study is based on the life of the minor Han tribe in the limestone cave in the southeastern Yunnan province of China. Its members settled down nearly hundred years ago and had been earning their life by cultivating corn and wheat together with substantial hunting and gathering in the surrounding forests up until 1950s. But because of the collection of saltpeter and population increase, the surrounding forests decreased and environmental problems relating to water, landuse and high population density created pressure on the harmony of the ecology. The process of environmental degradation, the characteristics of limestone environment and the peoples' attitude towards environmental pressure are described in the paper.