Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
riculture strategies are
traditional
is problematic, as they are often thought to descend
directly from ancient and somewhat unchanged practices. In reality, farming and animal
husbandry evolve significantly over time in even the most isolated mountain societies.
What we see today may bear little resemblance to what existed in previous times. The
evolving cultural landscape reflects a human response to specific environmental condi-
tions. Despite a lack of machinery and techniques common in many lowlands, “the
tra-
ditional
farm systems are as
modern
as any other in that they are products of contem-
porary processes” (Brush 1988: 116). The decline of alpine agriculture in the Alps and
North America because of mechanized competition from lowland farmers, combined
with their proximity to urban markets, further explains our emphasis on developing re-
gions.
FIGURE 11.1
Terraced fields above Dali, Cangshan Mountains, southern China. (Photo by S. F.
Cunha.)
Going Vertical
The vertical distribution of different environments and, in extratropical areas, the dif-
ferent seasonal conditions at each level, demands a staggered schedule for exploitation.
Each elevation is most ideal for growing specific crops or for certain animals to graze.
This
verticality
concept occupies an important position in mountain studies, and was
illustrated by Alexander von Humboldt's classic nineteenth-century
schemata
of alti-
tudinal zonation, or upward progression of changing vegetation and landforms in the
Andes (Helferich 2005). His early model (Fig. 11.2) identified Latin American subsist-
ence adaptations to distinct life zones. Sugar cane, maize, poultry, and pigs flourished
in the lowland
tierra caliente
below 900 m (3,000 ft). The higher and cooler
tierra tem-
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