Mimicking the Natural Environment Essay -- Agriculture Nature Essays

Mimicking the Natural Environment In Clifford Geertz’s article, Two Types of Ecosystems, he suggests that the uneven distribution of the Indonesian population is in direct correlation with the different methods of agriculture used by those in the densely populated area and those in the less populated area. Geertz explores the distinct characteristics of two methods of cultivation in Indonesia, swidden and sawah agriculture. Swidden agriculture, as described by Geertz, is when the forest is burned and cleared so new crops can be sowed. The nutrients from the burned plants are used as a natural fertilizer to insure growth of its variety of crops. Swidden agriculture works in a cycle, once the nutrients in the soil are depleted, the field is abandoned to the forest, which quickly takes over, and the cultivator begins the process at a new location. Geertz describes sawah agriculture as an irrigated flooded paddy field, such as a wet-rice field. In this field only one crop, rice, is planted, intensive labor is need and the fields are rarely allowed to return to their natural state. Thus, for swidden agriculture more land area is needed than for sawah agriculture. Geertz concludes that this is why sawah agricultural methods are practiced on the densely populated island of Java, and swidden on the less densely populated islands. Although the Indonesians analyzed by Geertz live half way around the world from the Guarani of Paraguay and Brazil, the agricultural ecosystems are relevant. In Richard Reeds ethnography, Forest Dwellers, Forest Protectors, he explores the Guarani people and how they have maintained themselves in their diverse ecosystem for thousands of years. The Guarani people have adapted to life in the dense ... ...ystem are still active members of that ecosystem and can either live with in its means, or exploit it for their own. The Guarani of Paraguay and Brazil, as described by Reed, mimic their surrounding environment, living with in its means and with in its carrying capacity through the practice of agroforestry. Geertz also depicts the outer islanders of Indonesia as living within their means and with in their carrying capacity by the utilization of slash and burn agriculture. Geertz also explains the results of a society that exploits its ecosystem with unnatural land use, such as Java Indonesia which is overpopulated and crowed. In their texts, both Geertz and Reed, show the importance of a society living as close to its natural environment as possible. Works Cited: Clifford Geertz: "Two Types of Ecosystems" Richard Reeds: "Forest Dwellers, Forest Protectors"