Ethnological Study of Grassland and Forest Use in Nepal Himalaya

该项目的主要目的是通过自然科学家和社会科学家的联合调查，构建尼泊尔东部喜马拉雅南坡环境开发的新的“喜马拉雅模式”。1994年至1997年，所有成员主要在尼泊尔-喜马拉雅的索鲁-昆布地区进行了几次实地工作。本研究旨在了解和了解该地区的自然环境(主要是草原和森林)、利用(主要是农业和牦牛养殖)以及与之相关的社会系统。取得的主要成果如下：1)根据采集的大量植物和观测的气候数据，可以很好地分析该地区的自然环境特征。2)从技术和社会文化的角度观察和审视该地区的牧业和农业等环境开发。3)建立了夏尔巴人社会的父系氏族对自然环境(牧场和森林)的控制制度。这一系统被认为是该地区可持续发展的有效途径。4)观察到夏尔巴人和格伦人之间的共生关系，他们在高原上分享夏尔巴人的夏季牧场来放羊。这种关系被认为是为有效利用有限的自然资源而发展起来的一种方法。总的来说，环境控制技术使可持续利用脆弱环境成为可能，并发展了有效的社会制度，供研究区域的当地社区进行土地控制和使用。然而，近年来，即使在高山地区，这些系统也发生了变化，这是因为主要从新大陆引进的高产作物在运输和种植方面取得了进展。此外，许多高原居民移民到低地，因为高地的经济资源变得稀缺。

The main purpose of this project is to construct th new "Himalayan Model" of the environmental exploitation on the southern slope of the eastern Nepal Himalaya, through the joint investigation both of natural scientists and social scientists. Field work was conducted several times by all members mainly in the Solu-khumbu region of Nepal-Himalaya from 1994 to 1997. Our research was focused to know and understand the natural environment (mainly grassland and forest), its use (mainly agriculture and yak breeding) as well as to the social system related to them in this region.Main results obtained are as follows.1) Based on many plants collected and climatic data observed, the characteristics of natural environments in this region can be analyzed well2) The environmental exploitation such as yak-herding and agriculture in this region was observed and examined both from technological and from socio-cultural perspectives.3) The social system of control on natural environment (pasture and forest) by patri-lineal clan of Sherpa society was found. This system is recognized as an effective method for the sustainable development in this region.4) The symbiotic relation between Sherpa and Grun people, who share the Sherpa's summer pasture in the highland for feeding their sheep, were oberved. This relation is considerded to be a method eveloped for effective use of limited natural resources.In general, technologies for environmental control made it possible to use fragile environments in a sustained manner and effective social systems were developed for land control and use by local communities in the regions studied. In recent years, however, these systems have changed even in the high mountain areas, due to progress in transportation as well as to cultivation of highly productive crops introduced mainly from the New World. In addition, many highland inhabitants have emigrated to the lowlands because economic resources became scarece in the highlands.