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Anthropogenic hillslope terraces and swidden agriculture in Jiuzhaigou National Park, northern Sichuan, China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Amanda Henck ,
James Taylor ,
Hongliang Lu ,
Yongxian Li ,
Qingxia Yang ,
Barbara Grub ,
Sara Jo Breslow ,
Alicia Robbins ,
Andrea Elliott  and
Tom Hinckley
...Show all authors
Amanda Henck*
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Box 351310, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
James Taylor
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Box 353100, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
Hongliang Lu
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Yongxian Li
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Qingxia Yang
Affiliation:
Science Department, Jiuzhaigou National Park Management Office, Jiuzhai County, Sichuan, China
Barbara Grub
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Box 353100, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
Sara Jo Breslow
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Box 353100, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
Alicia Robbins
Affiliation:
College of Forest Resources, Box 352100, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
Andrea Elliott
Affiliation:
UW-SU Undergraduate Exchange Program, Advisor, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
Tom Hinckley
Affiliation:
College of Forest Resources, Box 352100, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
Julie Combs
Affiliation:
College of Forest Resources, Box 352100, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
Lauren Urgenson
Affiliation:
College of Forest Resources, Box 352100, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
Sarah Widder
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering, Box 351750, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
Xinxin Hu
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Ziyu Ma
Affiliation:
College of Forest Resources, Box 352100, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
Yaowu Yuan
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Box 351800, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
Daijun Jian
Affiliation:
College of Forest Resources, Box 352100, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
Xun Liao
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Ya Tang
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
*
*Corresponding author.E-mail address:achenck@u.washington.edu (A. Henck).
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Abstract

Small, irregular terraces on hillslopes, or terracettes, are common landscape features throughout west central China. Despite their prevalence, there is limited understanding of the nature of these topographic features, the processes that form them, and the role humans played in their formation. We used an interdisciplinary approach to investigate the geology, ecology, and cultural history of terracette development within Jiuzhaigou National Park, Sichuan Province, China. Terracettes occur on south facing, 20° slopes at 2500 m elevation, which appears to coincide with places people historically preferred to build villages. Ethnographic interviews suggest that traditional swidden agricultural cycles removed tree roots, causing the loess sediments to lose cohesion, slump, and the terrace risers to retreat uphill over time. This evidence is supported by landslide debris at terracette faces. Archaeological analysis of terracette sites reveal remains of rammed spread soil structures, bones, stone tools, and ceramics dating from at least 2200 years before present within a distinct paleosol layer. Radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence dating of terracette sediments ranged in age from between 1500 and 2000 14C yr BP and between 16 and 0.30"ka, respectively. These multiple lines of evidence indicate a long history of human habitation within Jiuzhaigou National Park and taken together, suggest strong links between terracette formation and human-landuse interactions.

Keywords

TerracesTraditional ecological knowledgeJiuzhaigou National ParkHuman-landuse interactionsGeoarchaeologyHillslope geomorphologyTerracettesChina
Type
Original Articles
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 73 , Issue 2 , March 2010 , pp. 201 - 207
Copyright
University of Washington

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