The mulching of agricultural fields and gardens with stones, pebbles, volcanic ash and similar lithic materials is a variant agricultural strategy uniquely suited to the constraints of a dryland ...environment. While the agricultural literature contains reports on limited experiments with stone or gravel mulch, data regarding the employment of lithic mulch are lacking. This paper works to bridge this gap by comparing empirical data collected from prehistoric pebble-mulch gardens in the Galisteo Basin (New Mexico) to contemporary agricultural experiments with lithic mulch. Such past-present and experimental-real world comparisons allow us to more fully address the effectiveness of lithic mulching as an agricultural strategy. It is affirmed that lithic mulch is applied to garden plots, especially during periods of drought, in order to reduce soil erosion from wind and water, increase soil temperature to extend the growing season, increase water infiltration, and reduce the evaporative loss of water from wind and sun. The cumulative effect of this soil and water conserving technique is an increase in crop biomass and crop yield.
The rural dynamics of the Ecuadorian Sierra are the result of the three-fold influence of demographic pressure, modes of land occupation and migration. The Bolívar province, situated on the outer ...slopes of the western Cordillera is of particular importance as it is a key territory in regional migration. Demographic growth, which is in fact fairly high, gives rise to a fairly low rate of population increase locally but a very high level of emigration towards the lowlands of the pediment, towards the country's major cities, Quito and Guayaquil, and also into Amazonia. When we add to this the two models of spatial organisation among the mestizos and the campesinos, we can clearly see the source of the conflict that is shaking the Sierra, namely, who should cultivate and who should control. The study is based on three levels of analysis. First, we look at the relationship between the Bolívar province and the rest of the country. Secondly, we analyse things at a regional level and using different chorotypes. Lastly, we focus on a small valley, examining the unequal distribution of land and the diversity of resources which give rise to three distinct socio-spatial systems: hacienda, mestizos and campesinos which are represented in a hillside model.
Agricultural geography Bowler, I R
Progress in human geography,
12/1990, Letnik:
14, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
A review of contemporary literature of agricultural geography identifies three clusters of research activity on: the restructuring of agriculture, the role of the state in agricultural change, & ...agriculture & environmental conservation. Seventy items of published research drawn from rural sociology, agricultural economics, political science, & rural geography are included. 73 References. Modified AA
WHATMORE S., MUNTON R. and MARSDEN T. (1990) The rural restructuring process: emerging divisions of agricultural property rights, Reg. Studies
24, 235-245. The continuing importance of property ...rights to our understanding of the restructuring process in rural areas has not received appropriate recognition in the recent literature. This paper draws attention to this deficiency and indicates the nature and significance of new divisions of property rights within the agricultural sector and the continuing importance of the internal dynamics of farming to our comprehension of rural change. The changing relations between agriculture and other competing uses for rural land are examined through a relational typology of property rights, the complexity of recent changes being illustrated through a series of case examples.
WHATMORE S., MUNTON R. et MARSDEN T. (1990) Le processus de restructuration rurale: la répartition naissante des droits de propriété agricoles, Reg. Studies
24, 235-245. L'importance non-diminuée des droits de propriété pour une compréhension du processus de restructuration dans les zones rurales n'a pas été reconnue dans la dernière documentation comme elle le mérite. Cet article a pour but d'attirer l'attention sur cette lacune et de signaler les caractéristiques et la nouvelle répartition des droits de propriété agricoles et l'importance non-diminuée de la dynamique interne de l'agriculture pour une compréhension de la mutation rurale. Les rapports entre l'agriculture et d'autres utilisations des terres rurales qui font concurrence sont examinés par moyen d'une typologie des rapports des droits de propriété, la complexité des transformations récentes étant illustrée par une série de cas d'étude.
WHATMORE S., MUNTON R. und MARSDEN T. (1990) Der Vorgang ländlicher Umstrukturierung: sich neu ergebende Bereiche des Rechts betreffs landwirtschaftlich genutzten Grundbesitzes, Reg. Studies
24, 235-245. Der anhaltenden Bedeutung des Grundbesitzrechtes für unser Verständnis des Vorgangs der Umstrukturierung in ländlichen Gebieten ist in der Fachliteratur in der letzten Zeit keine angemessene Beachtung zuteil geworden. Dieser Aufsatz macht auf diesen Mangel aufmerksam, und weist auf Natur und Wichtigkeit der neuen Bereiche des Besitztumsrechts innerhalb des landwirtschaftlichen Sektors und auf die anhaltende Bedeutung der der Landwirtschaft innewohnenden Dynamik für unser Verständnis des ländlichen Wandels hin. Die sich wandelnden Beziehungen zwischen Landwirtschaft und anderer, konkurrierender Nutzung des ländlichen Bodens werden mittels einer Beziehungstypologie der Grundbesitzrechte untersucht, wobei die Komplexität kürzlich aufgetretenen Wandels durch eine Reihe von Fallbeispielen beleuchtete wird.
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