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Tiger: Geographical Distribution And Historical Changes Of The Chinese Tiger Humanities And Influencing Factors

Posted on:2011-10-06Degree:DoctorType:Dissertation
Country:ChinaCandidate:Z H CaoFull Text:PDF
GTID:1110330332970545Subject:Historical geography
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
Through a thorough literature review of tigers, this study tries to restore tigers' historical migration in Chinese different areas such as their past living conditions, the variation of their distribution in different times and areas. Considering the change of natural environments and human activities, the research discusses the conflicts between the tigers and human which are caused by some human dimension such as land explorations, daily living necessities, tiger-driving commercial interests etc. Furthermore, the consequence of government's action on controlling tigers is examined and a developing process of the relationship between the tigers and human is presented.The dissertation takes on different topics exploring tiger resources and the change of the relationship between the tigers and human in six geographical areas in China, they are, Xinjiang,the southern part of Shaanxi,Fujian,Jiangxi,Hunan and the northeast part of China. The paper outlines the usages of tiger productions and its trading and combs up the different features of continuous tiger-hunting activities in Chinese history.Four parts of the paper will be given in the following.The first part including one chapter is the introduction, which mainly presents the aim of the research,the structure of the paper,the previous researches and the methodology. The study is aimed to find out the evolution from the ancient animal to modern ones so that animal's indicating significance to environment and the relationship between animal and human can be made clear. In addition, the research will enrich the exploring contents in some subjects, such as historical geography,animal geography and environmental change etc.The second part is about special topics on tiger's migrations in different areas in history, including chapter2 to chapter7.The chapter 2 is about the research on the Tarim tiger which is difficult and mystic because they have disappeared from Xinjiang area and not any individual specimen was kept to nowadays. This paper analyzed most records from varieties Chinese historical literatures and travel books written by explorers from all over the world, and also referenced related known research. And the paper concluded that Tarim tigers have determinately distributed at Xinjiang area since 10,000-15,000 years ago up to the later historical period, along the both sides of Tianshan Mountain especially along the Tarim River. From 1899-1916, the quantity of the tigers began to decrease mostly, until 1916, they nearly vanished. And local people's activities such as hunting and cultivation accelerated the changing of the river way, expanding of the desert, and the decreasing of the water, forest and wild animals, which influenced the living environment of tiger resulted their decreasing even disappearing over the Xinjiang area. And the increasing of the Carnivorous ants was another possible factor influenced the tigers' reproduce.Chapter 3 investigate the influence that human socio-economic activities affected on tiger resources in southern Shaanxi during Ming and Qing dynasties, focusing on the conflicts between people and tiger. The materials we mainly used are the historical local records and inscriptions on tablets. By categorizing and analyzing the historical records, we found that immigration and their development activities are the main factors that resulted tiger's fade away in this region. The materials indicate that as immigrants swarming into and beginning development, the conflicts between people and tigers emerged. Since the last stage of Ming to the middle period of Qing, which is the climax of human activities, the conflicts became more and more acute because of the general and full-scale development activities, especially the estrepement and denudation, which resulted series of governmental tiger-hunting activities which was one important reason resulted tiger resources decreased. And then staggered fadeaway appeared on whole tiger recourses before and after the period of Emperor of Qianlong and Jiaqing of Qing dynasty.Chapter4-6 include special topics on Fujian,Jiangx,Hunan three areas in the southern part on China, restoring the changes of tiger's distribution in different times and areas and their numbers, and focusing on four-ranked tiger disasters in terms of its time-and-area features,its seriousness,its causes and relevant measures. The conclusion can be drawn that in the periods of human civilization the decreasing number and area distributions of tigers is caused by human hunting. In the southern part of China tigers lived not only in mountains and forests but also in the plain because of the good plants,waters and food. Therefore, tiger disasters were serious in that area and people began to take actions to hunt them. The most intense conflicts between people and tigers existed in Ming and Qing dynasties which were a crisis for tiger living.Chapter7 examines tiger migrations in the eastern part of China, discussing their distributions and the reasons, exploring tiger-hunting activities, the usage of tiger productions and why they can survive until now. However, in recent period tigers of this area are facing a serious living challenge.The third part studies human influences on tiger historical migrations, including chapter8-9.Chapter8 is about using tiger resources and trading in Chinese history, discussing its medical usage and eating history, and outlining the developing process of the trading of its productions. Chapter9 points out that tiger-hunting has continued from the history until 1970s. In Ming and Qing dynasties the first great tiger-hunting caused the tigers migrated from the plain and low mountains to the high ones, but these activities didn't destroy their races and numbers. The activity of getting rid of animal in 1950s to 1970s was a real disaster to tigers. The fourth part is a conclusion presenting the significance of this research in terms of filling up the researches into Xinjiang tigers and their trading, enriching the knowledge about the living place choice of tigers and their living habits, and giving tiger-hunting term.Finally, the study points out the extreme influence of human factors in the change of historical environments, which can provide historical lessons for the migration researches of special animals and near-dying -out ones.
Keywords/Search Tags:China, tigers, geographical distribution, historical change, human dimension
PDF Full Text Request
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