Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
mysticism and spiritual authority on human life” (Mishra 2000: xxi). Table 11.2 summar-
izes the utilitarian uses of forest biomass.
Uses of Wood
Fuelwood for cooking and heating places the greatest demand on forest biomass in
subsistence societies, accounting for two-thirds of global wood utilization. However, ju-
dicious collection of downed wood can promote overall forest health. In arid uplands,
gathering reduces the fire hazard. Collection and pruning may impede the spread of
disease. Moreover, selective cutting of branches and trees boosts sunlight to the upper
canopy and the understory, which may harbor cultivated crops.
Gathering wood is relatively easy in tropical mountains, as vigorous growth sheds
plenty of branches. The chore is more difficult around sedentary villages in montane
forests, where amassing the weekly household supply often requires a full day of ardu-
ous labor (Fig. 11.22). Examples include the Nepalese Sherpa, who sometimes excavate
juniper roots from deep within the soil; the Karen of Northern Thailand where young
boys wield machetes with adult skill; and Xhosa women from the Drakensberg Moun-
tains in Southern Africa who balance wood bundles weighing half their body weight
atop their heads. For Beli villagers in India's Garhwal Himalaya, the growing difficulty
of lopping enough oak limbs to use as fodder was one factor that led to sending their
children to school in preparation for work elsewhere (Makino 2011). In contrast, Kyrgyz
and Kazakh herders in Central Asia rarely encounter significant tree cover, so animal
dung is the primary energy source. This explains why they covet their limited access to
riparian stands of birch and willow. Quechuan herders from the mostly treeless Andean
Altiplano face the same problem, and burn hand-sized pieces of woody cushion plants
( Azorella compacta ) pried from rock.
TABLE 11.2
Utilitarian Uses of Forest Biomass
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