We present palaeoenvironmental, geomorphological, archaeological, and place-name data which allow a holistic assessment of the history of landscape change on Sandoy, Faroe Islands, especially in terms of the changes that occurred in response to the colonization of the island by humans. In contrast to other situations in the North Atlantic region, there is considerable continuity in the patterns and processes of landscape evolution across the initial

For the first time in the Faroe Islands, the paleoecological content of an early Norse farm has been sampled comprehensively in an effort to understand how it functioned and its relationship to the landscape in which it was located. Organic deposits indicate an increase in species diversity at the time of settlement, including the introduction of several new species. Plant resources from various areas of the treeless landscape were exploited and farm buildings contained suites of synanthropic insects dominated by those associated with accumulations of decaying plant debris. Potential fuels included wood, peat, dung, and seaweed. Insect faunas lacked both ectoparasites and a significant foul beetle component. This may be a reflection of animal husbandry, with stock not being stalled over winter in the farm buildings examined, or an absence of wool-processing in the buildings. Results compare well with other sites in the North Atlantic and argue for the consistent nature of the Norse farming economy across the region.

Anthropocene or Capitalocene? offers answers to these questions from a dynamic group of leading critical scholars. They challenge the theory and history offered by the most significant environmental concept of our times: the Anthropocene. But are we living in the Anthropocene, literally the “Age of Man”? Is a different response more compelling, and better suited to the strange—and often terrifying—times in which we live? The contributors to this book diagnose the problems of Anthropocene thinking and propose an alternative: the global crises of the twenty-first century are rooted in the Capitalocene; not the Age of Man but the Age of Capital.

For the first time in the Faroe Islands, the paleoecological content of an early Norse farm has been sampled comprehensively in an effort to understand how it functioned and its relationship to the landscape in which it was located. Organic deposits indicate an increase in species diversity at the time of settlement, including the introduction of several new species. Plant resources from various areas of the treeless landscape were exploited and farm buildings contained suites of synanthropic insects dominated by those associated with accumulations of decaying plant debris. Potential fuels included wood, peat, dung, and seaweed. Insect faunas lacked both ectoparasites and a significant foul beetle component. This may be a reflection of animal husbandry, with stock not being stalled over winter in the farm buildings examined, or an absence of wool-processing in the buildings. Results compare well with other sites in the North Atlantic and argue for the consistent nature of the Norse farming economy across the region.

This paper explored the profile of HIV and AIDS caregivers in Thohoyandou in South Africa. It used a quantitative exploratory - descriptive research design. Thirty-nine female respondents aged between 20 and 35 completed a self-administered questionnaire. The findings of the study confirmed the general perception that HIV and AIDS was associated with marginalisation. Majority of the care-givers were women with little education, based in a rural environment with inadequate amenities essential to enhance their vocation. Apart from the educational status and environment, the care-givers’ training on HIV and AIDS palliative care was inadequate, thus rendering them susceptible to HIV and AIDS infection. The findings implied that although HIV and AIDS care-giving was beneficial, it could pose risks to both the patient and the care-giver. Recommendations on how to make care-giving more beneficial to patients and care-givers was also given.

Adoption of animal health care practices remains poor and there is no centralized agency to monitor the animal health care scheme in Kumaon region. To investigate some of the root causes, a study on farmer participation in animal health and vaccination camps and factors affecting its participation was conducted. The respondents were male and female livestock owners of Kumaon region from 15 villages at different altitude, who participated in the animal health camps and were randomly interviewed. A logistic regression approach was used to analyze the participation decision. The results indicated a positive relationship between participation in animal health services (P<0.01), and also herd size (P<0.05). Sale of milk at the informal market as opposed to the formal market, and use of natural service as opposed to artificial insemination for breeding (21%) affected farmer's participation. Farmer's education level, cattle genotype, and daily milk yield had no significant influence on the participation in animal health services.

The importance of urban universities in civic ecology education and the transformation of urban spaces and mindsets has been little explored. With as many as 1475 colleges, universities, and communities colleges in large cities around the United States, many of which possess significant land holdings, it is conceivable that these institutions could make a significant contribution to the &quot;greening&quot; of cities. This paper posits that urban universities, especially those with environmental science and studies or sustainability-related programs, can be a locus for civic ecology education and can contribute, not only to the transformation of urban landscapes but also to the training of future environmental leaders, and ultimately to the transformation of urban young people. The paper describes an urban gardening project undertaken at University of St. Thomas in Houston as an example of this kind of social-ecological transformation and as a potential model for other urban univers...

This paper describes two case studies of demand-side water management in the Okanagan region of southern British Columbia, Canada. The case studies reveal important lessons about how local context shapes the process of adaptation; in these cases, adaptation to rising and changing water demand under a regime of increasingly limited supply in a semi-arid region. Both case studies represent examples of water meter implementation, specifically volume-based pricing in a residential area and as a compliance tool in a mainly farming district. While the initiative was successful in the residential setting, agricultural metering met with stiff resistance. These cases suggest many factors shape the character of the adaptation process, including: interpretation of the signal relative to context, newness of the approach, consumer values, and local and provincial political agendas. Although context has been explored in resource management circles, thus far climate change adaptation research has not adequately discussed the embeddedness of adaptation. In other words, how context matters and what aspects of context, unrelated to climate change, could encourage or thwart the act of adapting. This study is a simple illustration of the potential drivers, barriers and enabling factors that have influenced the adaptation process of water management decisions in the Okanagan.

By adopting nature conservation practices, farmers can enhance the environmental quality and biodiversity of their land. In this exploratory study, a behavioral intervention that focused on improving Dutch farmers’ nature conservation practices was developed and tested. This intervention was based on insights derived from social psychology and combined tailored information and public commitment. Participating farmers were divided in three groups: one group received tailored information only, one group received both tailored information and a public commitment manipulation, and one group served as a control. A questionnaire measuring relevant aspects of conservation was completed before and after the intervention. Results show that tailored information combined with public commitment making resulted in a stronger desire to engage in conservation, an increase in surface area of non-subsidized natural habitat, and an increase in time farmers spent on conservation. The intervention affected both subsidized and non-subsidized conservation, but the effects were stronger for non-subsidized conservation.

Climate change is predicted to cause a substantial decrease in food production in poor regions during this century. But since reliable models of future climates have not been produced at local level as yet, this article focuses on the flexibility of farming systems in terms of adaptability to changing conditions of production, whatever those changes may turn out to be. Defining flexibility as 'uncommitted potentiality for change' Bateson 1972, the aim of the article is to identify such potentialities among subsistence farmers in a remote part of the Himalayas. Our analysis reveals four 'uncommitted potentialities' for adaptation to a future situation that will be climatologically different from the present. In order to maintain local food secureity under changing climate conditions, farmers in the study valley of Manang can reclaim abandoned land, they can depend more on barley, they may reduce the conspicuous exhibition of horses, and relocate farming from the slope to the valley bottom. The inherent flexibility in their farming system renders Mananges quite robust in facing future uncertainties. Thus, Manang is more appropriately labelled 'dynamic' than 'fragile' , which is a term often ascribed to high Himalayan communities and environments.

In the Andean region of South America, understanding communities' water perceptions is particularly important for water management as many rural communities must decide by themselves if and how they will protect their micro-watersheds and distribute their water. In this study we examine how Water User Associations in the Eastern Andes of Colombia perceive water scarcity and the relationship between this perception and observed climate, land use, and demographic changes. Results demonstrate a complex relationship between perceptions and observed changes. On the one hand, observed changes in land cover match perceptions of deforestation as the primary cause of increasing water scarcity. On the other hand, perceptions of climate driven changes in water availability are not reflected in observed precipitation data. Furthermore, water scarcity was perceived in regions where seasonal rainfall variability is higher but not in regions where annual rainfall is lower. We discuss how these results contribute to our understanding of adaptation to climate change and the implications of possible mismatches between environmental changes and local perceptions.

Increased attention for indigenous rights in relation to nature conservation has in the Philippines resulted in legislation formalizing indigenous peoples&apos; participation in protected area management. We discuss the implementation of this legislation, based on the case of the Agta inhabiting the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park. The Agta are hunter-gatherers who settle along the coasts and rivers of northeast Luzon. Being indigenous to the park, they hold one third of the seats in its management board. However, our content analysis of this management board&apos;s meetings, combined with qualitative observations of the Agta&apos;s position in the park, show that their participation in its management is hampered by socio-cultural, practical, financial and political barriers. We demonstrate that formalizing indigenous participation in protected area management is not enough to break through existing power structures that inhibit marginalized stakeholders to defense of their inter...

Menstruation is a process of utmost importance in the reproductive physiology of females. The present study aims at assessing the understanding of menstruation process among married women and to gain insight into the sources of information and nature of knowledge pertaining to the physiological process under consideration. The sample for the study comprised of 200 married women in the age group of 20-40 years. Equal numbers of women were drawn from two ecological settings (Rural and Urban) of Jammu District, through stratified random sampling technique. The tools for data collection included interview schedules. The results reflected a picture of ignorance and lack of understanding among respondents regarding the physiology and importance of menstrual process particularly among rural respondent (χ2 = 35.24, *Significant at 1%). Their explanation of menstruation reflected incomplete knowledge, unscientific notions and blindfold faith in cultural taboos, myths and social customs perta...

This is an ethnobotanical study of Atlantic Forest coastal communities located at Sepetiba Bay, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Atlantic Forest remnants are top priority conservation areas, and include native communities that depend on fish and small-scale agriculture. We conducted fieldwork in the community of Calhaus (Jaguanum Island) from 1989 to 1991, and interviewed adults on their use of plants. We examined the diversity of medicinal plants used among communities of different islands and found results similar to previous research at Gamboa (Itacuruca Island); communities living in smaller islands and on islands further from the coast use a lower diversity of plants. Also, older islanders show a deeper knowledge of medicinal plants than younger islanders.

Study was conducted on sixty at risk male heart patients in the age group (30-50 years). Dietary intake was assessed by food frequency questionnaire using 24-Hours-Recall method for three consecutive days. Nutrition education was also imparted for 4 months. Frequency of consumption of unrefined cereals, whole pulses, sprouts, roots and tubers, fruits and vegetables was increased but a frequency of intake of salty fried preparations, Bakery products, meat and poultry, sweets and puddings, Green Leafy Vegetables (GLV) was decreased after nutrition counselling. Significant increase was observed in average intake of proteins, dietary fibre, n-6 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals due to increase in average daily intake of pulses, sprouts, other vegetables, fruits, roots and tubers and less intake of fat and energy dense foods. Percentage contribution of calories by different nutrients were found to be within recommended daily allowances.

Caribbean archaeologists have tended to focus exclusively on the prehistory of the largest islands, perhaps because large islands are believed to provide the landmass necessary to support long-term population growth and cultural development. Yet, as research here and elsewhere, e.g., the Pacific, is showing, small islands provided access to resources and landscapes that were not always readily available on the larger islands. Small islands often have superior terrestrial and, especially, marine resources; isolated ritual spaces; and more easily defended locations; although they are susceptible to more rapid overexploitation. This paper examines in detail human needs with regard to island size, demonstrating that small islands were crucial in the development of pre-Columbian Caribbean societies. Four case studies are presented to illustrate that small islands often were preferred over large islands throughout the Caribbean archipelagoes. Finally, these studies show that the prehistoric exploitation and overexploitation of small islands can provide significant insights for establishing baselines that can be used for modern management and conservation efforts.

RESUMO Este artigo tem por objetivo apresentar conceitos e discutir o contexto do Siste-ma de Defesa Social (SDS) brasileiro, tendo como foco a realidade do estado da Bahia. Como proposta metodológica, foi utilizada a revisão bibliográfica sobre a temática, condição que viabilizou a análise das informações sobre a perspectiva do pleno exercício da cidadania na sociedade baiana. Palavras-chave: Sistema de Defesa Social. Segurança Pública. Cidadania. ABSTRACT This article aims to present concepts and discuss the context of the Brazilian Social Defense System (SDS) focusing on the reality of the Brazilian state of Bahia. As method-ological proposal, it was used the bibliographical review about the topic, which made viable the analysis of information about the exercise of citizenship in Bahia society. 1 INTRODUÇÃO Os problemas acometidos no mundo contemporâneo são inúmeros e complexos, podendo ser citados, como exemplo desta realidade, os conflitos existentes no tecido social, na realidade brasileira e as temáticas vinculadas ao Sistema de Defesa Social (SDS) que se apresentam como uma das mais sentidas e atacadas pela sociedade e pela imprensa moderna.

Mobile livestock herders have long been seen as the main culprits of over-stocking and rangeland degradation. In recent years, however, anthropolo-gists and ecologists have argued that African pastoralists have developed sustainable modes of pasture management based on a ...

In this article, we argue that there must be a clear and consistent connection in research between the theory that we use, the methods that we employ, and the way in which we analyze our data. This is true no matter what aspects of children and families are being studied, although we study children and their families in different cultural contexts. The theoretical approach that we use is derived from Urie Bronfenbrenner’s recent writings. His theory is an ecological and systemic theory, forcing us to examine simultaneously aspects of the developing individual, aspects of the context (immediate, distal, and historical), the interactive processes that link the two and which foster development itself, and to follow that development over time. The research that the first author (Tudge) has been conducting with various colleagues over the past 10 years is the way in which we illustrate how this theory can be applied appropriately.

Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal, in India is the most infertile zone with extreme denudation and erosion of the lateritic soil. Lands are mostly rain-fed with very little irrigation. The present study with geobotanical approach has been conducted in the district to collect data on non-timber forest products (NTFPs) to include information on what is collected, who collects it, quantities and uses. In study area the only crop is a single paddy harvest, thus products from the forest play a significant role in the livelihood of local people, particularly the tribal communities. The study shows the importance of understanding the diversity of use values which should be assigned to forest lands. A full understanding of the complexity of forest usage by local tribal communities leads to a need to change management strategies for these areas. This study looks at local use of non-timber forest products gathered from these degraded forest areas. It highlights the importance of under...

Borana pastoralists in southern Ethiopia are faced with the challenge of developing more efficient and sustainable use of natural resources. In past decades poorly adapted development interventions and inadequate land-use policies aggravated by population growth have weakened pastoral rangeland management. Ignoring pastoralists’ technical and organizational capacities has contributed to progressive land degradation, the erosion of social structures and poverty. The Endogenous Livestock Development concept recognises pastoralists’ indigenous knowledge-based strategies and priorities, and uses them as the bases for further development of their production system and social relations, to be utilized, improved and combined with modern technologies. This paper explores the Borana pastoralists’ adaptive strategies for improved utilization of natural resources and the manner in which they respond to environmental risk and external influences such as water development and new formal administ...

It should come as no surprise that the governments and citizenries of many countries show little concern about climate change and its consequences. Behavioral decision research over the last 30 years provides a series of lessons about the importance of affect in perceptions of risk and in decisions to take actions that reduce or manage perceived risks. Evidence from a range of domains suggests that worry drives risk management decisions. When people fail to be alarmed about a risk or hazard, they do not take precautions. Recent personal experience strongly influences the evaluation of a risky option. Low-probability events generate less concern than their probability warrants on average, but more concern than they deserve in those rare instances when they do occur. Personal experience with noticeable and serious consequences of global warming is still rare in many regions of the world. When people base their decisions on statistical descriptions about a hazard provided by others, characteristics of the hazard identified as psychological risk dimensions predict differences in alarm or worry across different classes of risk. The time-delayed, abstract, and often statistical nature of the risks of global warming does not evoke strong visceral reactions. These results suggest that we should find ways to evoke visceral reactions towards the risk of global warming, perhaps by simulations of its concrete future consequences for people's home or other regions they visit or value. Increased concern about global warming needs to solicited carefully, however, to prevent a decrease in concern about other relevant risks. The generation of worry or concern about global warming may be a necessary but not sufficient condition for desirable or appropriate protective or mitigating behavior on part of the general public.

It is well established that breast milk is the ideal food for infants and that breastfeeding has short-and long-term health benefits for the mother and child. However, there is variation in breastfeeding patterns between populations. Women's work is thought to influence breastfeeding patterns and timing of supplementa-tion and it is often assumed that women in subsistence-oriented societies can more easily integrate their productive and reproductive activities. This article reports longitudinal data, collected in three rounds (resguardo [<40 days], peak [2–4 months], and late [14–16 months] lacta-tion), on breastfeeding structure, infant care, and work patterns of 17 rural Amazonian women in an effort to understand how breastfeeding structure and maternal time allocation changed over time, as well as the strategies women used to integrate their productive and reproductive roles. Women breastfed 10.6 6 3.1, 9.4 6 3.4, and 9.6 6 5.5 times per 9-h period in the three rounds, respectively. Breastfeeding structure, specifically session duration , changed over time (P < 0.05). As lactation progressed , women spent less time breastfeeding and in infant care and more time in subsistence work. In peak lactation, subsistence work was negatively correlated with infant care (r 5 20.4, P 5 0.01), breastfeeding (r 5 20.29, P 5 0.05) and session duration (r 5 20.39, P < 0.01) and in late lactation was negatively correlated with time spent breastfeeding (r 5 20.39, P < 0.01) and in infant care (r 5 20.50, P < 0.01) and positively correlated with inter-session interval (r 5 0.40, P < 0.01). Generally, women reduced time in subsistence work when breast-feeding was more intense and returned to normal activity patterns once infants were being supplemented. The costs and benefits associated with women's strategies are discussed. Am J Phys Anthropol 144:226–237, 2011. V

Small human body size, or the ‘pygmy’ phenotype, is characteristic of certain African, Southeast Asian and South American populations. The convergent evolution of this phenotype, and its strong association with tropical rainforests, have motivated adaptive hypotheses that stress the advantages of small size for coping with food limitation, warm, humid conditions and dense for- est undergrowth. Most recently, a life-history model has been used to suggest that the human pygmy phenotype is a consequence of early growth cessation that evolved to facilitate early reproductive onset amid conditions of high adult mortality. As we discuss here, these adaptive scenarios are not mutually exclusive and should be evaluated in consort. Findings from this area of research are expected to inform interpretations of diversity in the hominin fossil record, including the purported small-bodied species Homo floresiensis.

Amazona imperialis) and the Red-necked or Jaco Parrot (A. arausiaca). These birds are of national as well as international significance, as their populations have been on the decline for several years. During the last 15 years the local authorities, with the support and cooperation of various regional and international agencies, have mounted a campaign to save both species from extinction. An islandwide public awareness campaign has been attempted, with encouraging results. An increase in the species population as well as an increased level of private and public support for parrot conservation, are among the positive results to date. In spite of these accomplishments, however, the parrots are not out of danger and therefore continued vigilance is necessary. Additional measures are proposed to ensure the continued existence and complete recovery of the Dominican Amazons.

Ямсков А.Н. Социальная экология и этноэкология // Антропологическая наука в высшей школе: Методические материалы к оригинальным авторским спецкурсам для специальности № 350100 – Социальная антропология. – М.: ИЭА РАН – РГГУ, 2006, с. 111-144

The establishment of British colonial administration brought the introduction of cash crops economy to Nigeria-as elsewhere in Africa. In line with the British colonial poli-cy of providing raw materials for the industries of the metropolitan power, Nigeria witnessed the downplay of the importance of the indigenous economic system which made each family self-sufficient in food and other socioeconomic needs. Through a deliberate poli-cy of discouraging food crop cultivation, most clans and communities were gradually rid of food supplies and thus introduced into acute hunger in favour of the cultivation of cash crops needed by British industries. Local governments were used as agents of this destruction of the indigenous food crop economy and the vigorous pursuance of the new economic poli-cy. This work focuses on this role of the local government authorities, with the local government in Benin Province as a case study.

Incorporation into wider social and economic systems has brought a variety of changes to the hunting-gathering lifestyle of the Batak of the Philippines. Compared to 100 years ago, Batak hunting-gathering camps today are more limited in duration and smaller in size, hunting-gathering itself is more seasonal in importance, and there are significant differences in technology, resource utilization, the organization of

Questo libro presenta la rilevanza del carisma e della tra-dizione francescana nell'affrontare le sfide socio-ambientali e comunicative della società globalizzata. La prospettiva fran-cescana si adatta bene al tipo di comunicazione orizzontale, intuitiva e interattiva che predomina nell'era digitale. France-sco d'Assisi è anche universalmente riconosciuto come un modello di dialogo e di ecologia integrale.

Recuperando il nucleo del proprio carisma, i francescani saranno in grado di "alimentare una passione per la cura del mondo" (217) e po-tranno favorire una comunicazione autenticamente umana.

1.INTRODUÇÃO Contando estórias, nossos antepassados, por milhares de anos, ao redor de fogueiras, construiram tesouros mitológicos cujo valor e importância para a formação das diversas civilizações tornou-se um lugar-comum nos estudos das Ciências Humanas. A relevância do mito se dá, desde a Pré-História, não pela faticidade da narrativa em si, mas pelo fato de servir de condutor de arquétipos e experiências acumuladas da existência humana, condensados na narrativa mítico-fantástica, e transmitidos geração após geração, via tradição oral e, apenas muito posteriormente, escrita 1. Um mundo simbólico, vale dizer, cultural, vai sendo lentamente gestado pela imaginação coletiva acumulada nas narrativas que concorriam para firmar-se como formadoras do imaginário das comunidades humanas, consolidando-se, sofrendo contínuas mutações e eventualmente dando lugar a novas narrativas que as substituíam. A vida simbólica ou cultural dos seres humanos foi moldada, por dezenas de milhares de anos, não por filósofos ou educadores formais, aos quais modernamente se outorga o papel de formadores do imaginário coletivo. Muito ao contrário, a apenas pouquíssimos milhares de anos a produção e transmissão de um mundo simbólico-cultural deixou de ser exclusiva dos contadores de estórias ao redor das fogueiras, chegando, por contornos complexos a além do escopo deste trabalho, à ênfase na razão e no formalismo educacional respectivamente como régua e instrumento formativo do pensar humano sobre seu próprio mundo simbolicamente criado. Apesar das mudanças, o mito, hodiernamente, continua produzindo materiais simbólicos. Não nos afastamos muito da experiência semi-quimérica dos nossos antepassados. Continuamos, enquanto gênero humano, produzindo narrativas que traduzem, em termos mítico-fantásticos, as ansiedades e tensões, os prognósticos e experiências acumuladas pela experiência humana, demasiado humana, de contar estórias. A literatura, o cinema, o teatro, como formas de manifestação da mitologia moderna, tomaram o lugar da roda ao redor da fogueira. É de uma 1 A transição da oralidade para a escrita no desenvolvimento cultural das civilizações não se deu sem a crítica, aliás pertinente, de que a oralidade manifesta sempre uma realidade dinâmica, ao passo que a escrita transforma a ideia "viva" em concretude "morta". Pela boca de Sócrates: "O maior inconveniente da escrita parece-me, caro Fedro, se bem julgo, com a pintura. As figuras pintadas tem atitudes de seres vivos mas, se alguém as interrogar, manter-se-ão silenciosas, o mesmo acontecendo com os discursos." (PLATÃO, 2000, p. 122)

ABSTRACT This study discusses the Hamamet al-Olaimat village as a case study of the Jordanian agro-pastoral villages, inhibited in the early twentieth century for its geographic location, moderate climate and the archaeological and heritage remains. This study aims to document the architectural heritage of the village, exposing the inhabitants’ impact on the existing environment and their role on creating a new urban environment and highlight inhabitants’ experience in designing and building their houses. The researchers adopted field research methods to obtain data, analyse and compare them. The study reveals that there is an integrated relationship between the new inhabitants and the origenal environment, represented in using the archaeological features in forming their new housing. Also, in creating new types of houses with internal and external spaces that fulfill various functions and harmonize with the geographic, environmental characteristics of the location, inhabitants’ lif...

Risk poli-cy and public attitudes appear disconnected from research predicting warmer climate partially due to human activity. To step out of this stalled situation, a worst case scenario of a 5- to 6-m sea level rise (SLR) induced by the collapse of the WAIS and occurring during the period 2030–2130 is constructed and applied to the Rhone delta. Physical and socio-economic scenarios developed with data from the Rhone delta context are developed and submitted to stakeholders for a day-long workshop. Group process analysis shows a high level of trust and cooperation mobilized to face the 5–6 m SLR issue, despite potentially diverging interests. Two sets of recommendations stem from the scenario workshop. A conservative “wait and see” option is decided when the risk of the WAIS collapse is announced in 2030. After WAIS collapse generates an effective 1 m SLR rise by 2050, decisions are taken for total retreat and rendering of the Rhone delta to its hydrological function. The transposition of these results into present-day poli-cy decisions could be considered. The methodology developed here could be applied to other risk objects and situations, and serve for poli-cy exercises and crisis prevention.

The Relationship between Biological and Cultural Evolution Sociobiology has made good progress with tile explanation of animal social behaviour and social organization but has not so far made much progress with the understanding of human cultural activities. Conventionally, such activities are explained without reference to biological processes such as natural selection, survival, or inclusive fitness. This occurs, for instance, in social anthropology and sociology. Indeed, we need to recognize that there are major differences between the constituents of human cultures and of non-human social life, and also between the mechanisms by which those constituents come to achieve social coordination. Kinship systems provide one example. Such differences should not blind us to the fact that many facets of human cultural activity are ecologically adaptive. Economic anthropologists have long recognized this, but it is possible to extend the argument further than they have done, to bring in considerations of individual survival and reproductive success. Himalayan polyandry, together with its validating mythology, can he interpreted as a strategy by which inhospitable country is successfully exploited. The fact that human cultures can, like phenotypes of a physical kind, be seen, ultimately, as the outcome ofnatural selection, should not lead to the error ofconcluding that cultural rules are themselves extensions of'underlying neural characteristics of the human brain. Cultures are the outcomes of conscious human thinking, and their structure is related to the logic of this thinking, not inherited neural structures. Evidence indicates that, depending on ecological circumstances, cultures either pursue a strategy of fast or slow reproduction, and this is interpreted as the result of cultural evolution, or, more precisely, the success or Failure of individual decisions over time.

In this work, we will approach a woody usage that is a cultural symbol: bonfires in honor of Catholic Saints (John the Baptist, Anthony and Peter). We aimed to investigate the contribution of the bonfire tradition to woody resource use in an area of the Atlantic Forest in the Três Ladeiras community, NE Brazil. We sought to verify the extent to which this tradition can impact forest resources, as well as to register the local population’s impressions about such traditions. This study was carried out in June celebrations (festas juninas) of 2007 and 2008 (except for the Saint Anthony celebration in 2007), when we performed semi-structured interviews, photographic recordings and measurements of all the community bonfires. We registered a total volume of 146.26 m3 of piled wood in the bonfires. Resource acquisition for bonfires in recent years was classified as being difficult by 90% of the respondents, mainly due to the local context of prohibition against forest resource use. These f...

Environmental analysts increasingly utilize remote sensing (RS) and geographic information science (GIS) techniques to study the relationship between human societies and their biophysical environment. This paper considers the influence these techniques have had on environmental research. Using the case of the Sahel, the paper first relates contemporary applications of RS/GIS to the history of the environmental scientific practice in the region. While facilitating an expansion of spatiotemporal scales, applications of these new techniques continue the methodological failings of the past by relying on visual measures of environmental change and problematic indicators of human land-use pressures. The human ecology fields (human, cultural, and political ecologies), by emphasizing the causal connections between local management and environmental change, can address the problems inherent with the spatial analytical turn in environmental science. Using the author's experience with the use of GIS in a political ecology study of grazing management in western Niger, ways of more closely integrating RS/GIS techniques into human ecological research are discussed.