Ecological History of Human Activities and Environmental Change in African Tropical Forest

本研究旨在从广义生态学的角度，包括信息学和社会学的角度，阐明热带雨林人类居住模式的多样性及其意义。到目前为止，以京都大学为中心的日本研究人员一直在非洲雨林，特别是喀麦隆东南部进行长期研究。本研究主要围绕“生态环境”、“信息环境”、“社会环境”三个维度展开研究。在这个地区生活着“俾格米人”狩猎采集者和班图农民，这两个群体的居住方式差别很大。也就是说，俾格米人与森林共存，但农民改变和开发森林，相反。这些居住方式将为人类在21世纪如何在这个星球上居住提供一些启示。这项研究的结果被收录在2010年出版的两本书中：《非洲热带森林的人、自然和历史I：从生态学的角度》和《非洲热带森林的人、自然和历史II：从社会学的角度》。

This study aims to clarify the diversity and meaning of the human dwelling pattern in the tropical rain forest, from the viewpoint of ecology in the broader sense, including informational and sociological aspects. So far, Japanese researchers center on Kyoto University have been conducting long-term research in African rain forests, especially in South-East Cameroon. In this study we carried out the research mainly in this area, along the following 3 axes : "ecological environment", "informational environment", and "social environment." There live "Pygmy" hunter- gatherers and Bantu farmers in this area, and the way of dwelling of these two groups so much differ. I.e. Pygmies live coexistent with the forest, but farmers change and exploit the forest, on the contrary. These ways of dwelling will provide some light on how the humans dwell on this planet in 21^<st> century. The results of this study were collected up in the two books : "People, Nature and History of African Tropical Forests I : From Ecological Perspectives," and "People, Nature and History of African Tropical Forests II : From Sociological Perspectives" published in 2010.