Southeast Asian Grasslands: Understanding a Folk Landscape - Canonical Readings - Contributions from the New York Botanical Garden, Volume 21

Abstract

This volume examines systematic differences between official and folk views of fire-climax grasslands, based on canonical studies from the past half-century on Southeast Asia. These studies demonstrate that policy regarding the region's grasslands has been dominated for a century and more by a persistent set of beliefs that are completely divorced from everyday reality. The perspective afforded by the studies in this volume encourages us to think not just about environmental problems, but also about the sociology of the science and policy that addresses such problems.

Contents

I INTRODUCTION Chapter 1 Nature, Science, and Society in Southeast Asia’s Grasslands — Michael R. Dove The Forest Bias Traditional Grassland Management Grassland Perceptions and Interventions Understanding and Misunderstanding Grasslands Summary and Conclusions

II REGIONAL AND COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES Chapter 2 Fire, Primitive Agriculture, and Grazing in the Tropics — H. H. Bartlett (1956) The Early Records Activities of Contemporary Tropical Peoples Regional Examples of Grassland Expansion at the Expense of Forest Approaches to Permanent Cultivation Contrast and Conclusion

Chapter 3 Man, Fire, and Wild Cattle in Southeast Asia — Charles H. Wharton (1968) India Burma Thailand Cambodia Laos Vietnam Malaya Sumatra and Java Borneo Discussion and Summary

III THE GRASSLAND LENS ON HUMAN HISTORY Chapter 4 Some Sociological Aspects of Agriculture in Southeast Asia — G. J. A. Terra (1952-53) Distribution of Mixed Gardening in Indonesia Distribution of Grasslands in Indonesia Mixed Gardening and Mother right Grasslands and Father right Agricultural Types in Indonesia Mixed Gardening and Grasslands in Other Regions of Southeast Asia Discussion and Conclusions

Chapter 5 Correlations of Plant Patterns and Population Migration into the Australian New Guinea Highlands — R. G. Robbins (1963)

III VEGETATIVE SUCCESSION, AGRICULTURAL INTENSIFICATION, AND GRASSLANDS Chapter 6 Shifting Cultivation and Succession to Grassland Climax — Harold C. Conklin (1959) Chapter 7 From Extensive to Intensive Shifting Cultivation: A Succession from New Guinea — William C. Clarke (1966) Nduimba Basin Kompiai Upper Kaironk Valley Batainabura Implications

IV THE POLITICAL ECOLOGY OF GRASSLANDS Chapter 8 What “Green Desert”? The Ecology of Batak Grassland Farming — George Sherman (1980) Introduction Case Study Some Pan-Batak Evidence Paradox in the Ecosystem Paradigm Ecosystem of Imperata Grasslands Congruence and Anomaly in the Ecological “Holdings” and Political Organizations of Batak and Kachin Communities Recapitulation: The Agricultural Ecology of Grassland Farming Conclusions: Some Implications for Development Planning

Chapter 9 Symbiotic Relationships between Human Populations and Imperata cylindrica: The Question of Ecosystemic Succession and Preservation in South Kalimantan — Michael R. Dove (1981) Introduction Riam Kanan Valley Creation and Use of Imperata Grasslands Role of Imperata Grasslands in the Broader Cultural Ecology Role of Imperata in Rural Development Summary and Conclusion

V FALLACIES AND REALITIES OF DEVELOPMENT IN GRASSLANDS Chapter 10 Toward a Stable Low-Input Highland Agricultural System: Ley Farming in Imperata cylindrica Grasslands of Northern Thailand — T. Gibson (1983) Introduction Popular Misconceptions Imperata cylindrica Succession Toward Ley Farming Problems and the Future

Keywords: grasslands, Imperata cylindrica, Southeastt Asia, deforestation, fire ecology, fire climax grasslands