Introduction to cultural ecology

1 Introduction

What is cultural biology?

Anthropology

The Study of human ecology

A History of thought on culture and environment

The Rise of human ecology

Thus ...

2 Fundamentals of ecology

The Environment

Niche and habitat

Resources

Energy

3 Human biological ecology

Humans as animals

Biological adaptations

Human population regulation

Nutrition

Evolutionary ecology

4 Cultural ecology

Human capabilities

Culture as an adaptive mechanism

Traditional knowledge systems

Human control of the environment

Decision making

A Concluding thought on management

5 Hunting and gathering

Hunter-gatherer classification

The Hunter-gatherer stereotype

Bias in hunter-gatherer studies

Population

Settlement and subsistence

Environmental manipulation and resource management

Relations with other groups

Case study: the Nuu-cha-nulth of British Columbia

Case study: the Mbuti of the Ituri forest

6 The Origins of food production

Agricultural domestication

The Transition to farming

On the origin of agriculture

Types of agriculture

The Impact of agriculture

7 Horticulture

Horticultural techniques

Use of wild resources

Environmental manipulation and resource management

Relations with other groups

Case study: the Grand Valley Dani of highland New Guinea

Case study: the Lozi of Western Zambia

8 Pastoral ism

General sociopolitical organization

Typesism

The Geography of pastoralism

The Origin of pastoralism

Some parameters of pastoralism

Use of nonpastoral products

Environmental manipulation and resource management

Relations with other groups

A Note on the impact of grazing

Case study: the Maasi of East Africa

Case study: the Navajo of the American southwest

9 Intensive agriculture

Changes in scale

Techniques of intensive agriculture

Contemporary industrialized agriculture

Environmental manipulation and resource management

Relations with other groups

Case study: Mountains and water - the traditional agricultural system along the South Coastal China

Case study: The Maya agricultural system

10 Current issues and problems

Tragedy of the commons

Agricultural involution

Agricultural development and intensificaiton

Rain forest dilemma.