Settlement and Agricultural Practices of Bemba Shifting Cultivators in Northern Zambia from Multi-temporal LANDSAT TM Images
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In the miombo woodland of Northern Zambia, the Bemba have practiced a unique shifting cultivation called Citemene. Men climb up trees and pollard the branches to open fields for agriculture. Tree branches are collected and taken to a garden from surrounding tree-cutting areas before they are set on fire in October. Newly opened Citemene fields could be recognized as white circles with black centers on LANDSAT TM images. This study examines the settlement and agricultural pattern of 8 households by applying multi-temporal LANDSAT TM images from 1984, 1989, 1992 and 1994. In 1984, the population was concentrated along the road, cultivating hybrid maize, which was introduced by the Zambian Government. Around 10 households set up seasonal dwellings during the dry season to open Citemene, but most of the villagers remained resident at the roadside. They simultaneously opened Citemene and cultivated maize although some households became dependent on maize cultivation. In 1987, the fertilizer supply became unfavorable for farmers in remote areas and they began to open Citemene actively. In 1989, approximately 30 households began to set up seasonal dwellings along the seasonal marsh, but they returned to the settlement and cultivated maize near the road during the rainy season. In 1990 a bridge was destroyed and that made it impossible for vehicles to go by the shortest way from the township to the village. The fertilizer supply was interrupted and it became difficult for them to continue the maize cultivation. Citemene became more important for maintaining subsistence, as an alternative to maize cultivation. The villagers abandoned the settlements along the road and shifted their base to the site of the seasonal dwellings. In 1994, woodland suitable for Citemene was exhausted around the new settlement and the villagers set up seasonal dwellings along the river. They prepared land for Citemene from a base of seasonal dwellings during the dry season, but they stayed at the settlement along the seasonal marsh during the rainy season. In 1997, they shifted their settlement again to seasonal dwelling area along the river. There was plenty of water at the river although they had had trouble getting water before. Not only mature woodland but also water availability is important in selecting a place for seasonal dwellings and settlement. Where the distance between the settlement and newly opened Citemene increased to 3 to 5km, they set up seasonal dwellings near the seasonal marsh or rivers. When the distance became longer than 3 to 5km from seasonal dwellings to new fields, they left the settlement for seasonal dwelling area. The villagers shifted their base with their relatives at 3 to 4years' minimum interval. These periods accord with the crop rotation of Citemene. They could furnish themselves with staple and subsidiary foods from the fields around the seasonal dwellings at least 3 to 4years after setting up seasonal dwellings and they shifted settlement to the seasonal dwelling area. After the fertilizer supply became unstable in the mid-1980's, they started actively seeking mature woodland with plenty of water. Spatial mobility was important for the Bemba to maintain their shifting cultivation and subsistence.
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関連論文
- Settlement and Agricultural Practices of Bemba Shifting Cultivators in Northern Zambia from Multi-temporal LANDSAT TM Images
- Ecological knowledge of site selection and tree-cutting methods of Bemba shifting cultivators in northern Zambia