adaptive strategies in alpine environments: beyond ecological particularism<sup>1</sup>

Rhoades, Robert E.; Thompson, Stephen I.

doi:10.1525/ae.1975.2.3.02a00110

Cited by 104 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…The principal social unit organizing that agriculture is the household although peasant communities and other suprahousehold groups are also important in shaping certain landuse activities (Brush and Guillet 1985;Orlove and Custred 1980). The majority of peasant households in Paucartambo practice diversified agro-pastoralism, an economic strategy that cultural ecologists have referred to as "generalized" or "compact" (Rhoades andThompson 1975 andBrush 1976, respectively). Agricultural production in the region is based on the combination of several native crops, including potatoes, maize, ulluco and quinoa, and other species such as wheat, barley, and lava beans which were introduced to the Andes by the Spaniards during the sixteenth century.…”

Section: Study Area and Methodology: The Southern Peruvian Sierramentioning

confidence: 99%

The loss and maintenance of native crops in mountain agriculture

Zimmerer¹

1992

GeoJournal

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The fate of agricultural biodiversity varies among the native crops produced in a mountainous region. Four native crops (potatoes, maize, ulluco, quinoa) cultivated in the southern Peruvian sierra demonstrate different patterns of cultivar loss and cultivar maintenance. Contingent social, economic and environmental conditions in mountain agriculture shape the distinct fates befalling the cultivars in each crop. Three sets of specific conditions contribute to differences in the patterning of cultivar loss and maintenance: (1) proximate conditions in the local peasant economy, particularly access among agricultural households to land, labor, and capital, and changes in the availability and quality of the three endowments; (2) the social and cultural value of the crop in the local diet and cuisine; and (3) the biogeographic patterning of cultivars. Maintenance of cultivars currently marks the ulluco and quinoa crop as well as many potato and maize types. Cultivar loss besets the fastmaturing potato S. phureja and the slow-maturing maize types. To incorporate variable in situ crop-conservation programs into development planning for montane regions requires thoroughly assessing the contingent conditions for continued production."The post-modern era has moved from genetic erosion to genetic wipe-out" (Harlan 1972: 214) "Genetic diversity in crops continues in many environments, but its continuity is particularly marked in mountain areas" (Brush 1986: 153)

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Section: Study Area and Methodology: The Southern Peruvian Sierramentioning

confidence: 99%

The loss and maintenance of native crops in mountain agriculture

Zimmerer¹

1992

GeoJournal

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“…Consequently 'Alpwirtschaft' could be understood as the specific form of agriculture prevalent in the European Alps. In a wider sense it addresses what Rhoades and Thompson (1975) understand as mixed mountain agriculture and what Guillet (1983: 562f. ) introduced as an adaptive strategy description.…”

Section: Almwirtschaft/alpwirtschaft or Combined Mountain Agriculturementioning

confidence: 96%

Pastoral Practices and Their Transformation in the North-Western Karakoram

Kreutzmann¹

2004

Nomadic Peoples

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Textbooks and research papers dealing with pastoral practices in high mountain contexts generally favour the European 'Alpwirtschaft' or 'Almwirtschaft' strategy as the only important way of utilising mountain resources. The first diagram published by Arbos (1923: 572) described the movement of mountain farmers and their livestock in Tarentaise in the French Alps. More than half a century later it was reproduced as the sole and/or role model in the textbook on 'mountains and man' by Price (1981: 413). In addition, a diagram based on the situation in the Swiss Val d'Annivers, initially published in 1936 in the influential text of Robert Peattie later figured in the textbooks as the 'ideal' model of resource utilisation at different elevations. Needless to say, this practice has not existed in the Valais for nearly two generations. Nevertheless, this diagram was republished during the 1980s and even as late as 1997 (see Grötzbach 1982: 10; 1987: 65; 1988: 27; Grötzbach and Stadel 1997: 26). This seems to be an example of an Eurocentric view of pastoral practices in mountain regions. Western textbook authors seem to support a romantic view of long-extinct practices, while neglecting the existence of forms of mobile animal husbandry in other parts of the world. In an attempt to overcome this restricted and fragmented world view, in the present article emphasis is placed on current pastoral practices in High Asia.

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“…And organizational diversity refers to the social context that supports diversified management. Verticality, or how the environment varies at changing altitudes, is a key concept in understanding mountain farming and animal husbandry (Rhodes and Thompson 1975) and is closely related to agrodiversity.…”

Section: Research Sites and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In terms of climate and biota, mountain ecosystems are characterized by rings of altitudinal zones (Rhodes and Thompson 1975), but tend to have regular interannual precipitation. Thus, Casimir (1992) has noted that mountain rangelands exhibit stable production and belong to a single equilibrium system.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transition of Mountain Pastoralism: An Agrodiversity Analysis of the Livestock Population and Herding Strategies in Southeast Tibet, China

Yamaguchi

2011

Hum Ecol

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Vertical mobile grazing is typical in undulating mountain landscapes. However, recent social, economic, and political changes in China are impacting these traditional practices. This paper presents findings of a study conducted in the Tibetan communities of southwest China to assess the current status of mountain pastoralism and its future viability. Rangeland environment, livestock variety, and grazing form were found to be significantly related factors, which made it possible to analyze livestock distribution. The yak population-the main mobile grazer in alpine pasture-is currently stagnating while the population of cattle raised around settlements is steadily increasing. This situation is likely closely related to labor shortages in households, which have triggered the imbalanced distribution of livestock. The fact that the key to rangeland sustainability is to stimulate mobile grazing runs counter to current privatization policies.

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adaptive strategies in alpine environments: beyond ecological particularism¹

Cited by 104 publications

References 14 publications

The loss and maintenance of native crops in mountain agriculture

The loss and maintenance of native crops in mountain agriculture

Pastoral Practices and Their Transformation in the North-Western Karakoram

Transition of Mountain Pastoralism: An Agrodiversity Analysis of the Livestock Population and Herding Strategies in Southeast Tibet, China

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adaptive strategies in alpine environments: beyond ecological particularism1

Cited by 104 publications

References 14 publications

The loss and maintenance of native crops in mountain agriculture

The loss and maintenance of native crops in mountain agriculture

Pastoral Practices and Their Transformation in the North-Western Karakoram

Transition of Mountain Pastoralism: An Agrodiversity Analysis of the Livestock Population and Herding Strategies in Southeast Tibet, China

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Resources

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adaptive strategies in alpine environments: beyond ecological particularism¹