A TRADITIONAL AGROFORESTRY LANDSCAPE ON FERGUSSON ISLAND, PAPUA NEW GUINEA by Alix J. Flavelle B.A. Biology/Philosophy, University of Victoria, 1983 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in The Faculty of Graduate Studies (Department of Forest Resources Management) We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard The University of British Columbia September 1991 Q Alix J. Flavelle 1991 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the head of my department or by his or her representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Department of \-Qyz<>\ QeoQQ/tizf McUn&^wei^J' The University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada Date DE-6 (2/88) ABSTRACT A study of a traditional land use system was conducted at Nade, Fergusson Island, in Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. An ethnobotanical inventory of useful and culturally significant plants, and a series of transects and vegetation profiles were used to identify, and map the distribution of, 15 different plant communities in the Nade landscape. Interviews were conducted with local gardeners about land use decision-making, land tenure, and ecological knowledge. The land use strategy practiced at Nade can be characterized as a polyphase agroforestry system. A spectrum of management techniques are used in the different phases, including the selecting, ignoring, transplanting and/or planting of wild, semi-domesticated, and domesticated tree species. A variety of subsistence products are available throughout the year, from the range of vegetation types. The distribution of successional phases in the landscape was found to depend on topography and soil conditions which vary within the subsistence territory of Nade. Overlying the environmentally determined pattern of the shifting mosaic are the social factors; land use decision-making based on the traditional system of susu land and plant tenure, labour-saving strategies, and agricultural tradition. The study provides baseline data for monitoring changes in the culturally modified landscapes of Fergusson Island. This in turn can be used to facilitate a land-use planning process with local people. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ii Table of Contents iii List of Figures vi List of Tables vii List of Maps viii List of Appendices ix Acknowledgements '. x Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION 1 Chapter 2. APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF TRADITIONAL RAINFOREST MANAGEMENT AND AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS: A SURVEY 5 2.1 Approaches to the study of traditional land use systems in tropical rainforest 5 2.2 Characterization of traditional agroforestry systems 6 2.2.1 Polyculture and monoculture 6 2.2.2 Polyculture and polyvariety 8 2.2.3 Polyphase agroforestry systems 8 2.2.4 Characterizing horticultural techniques 9 2.3 Traditional exploitation of Melanesian forest ecosystems 11 2.3.1 Agroforestry systems of Melanesia 13 2.3.2 Human impacts on the Melanesian environment 13 Chapter 3. METHODOLOGY 15 3.1 .Foundational Questions 15 3.2 Methodology 16 3.2.1 Ethnobotanical inventory 18 3.2.2 Maps and transects 19 3.2.3 Vegetation profiles 19 3.2.4 Garden diagrams 20 3.2.5 Interview techniques 20 3.2.6 Land tenure 21 3.2.7 Schedule of research activities 21 Chapter 4. A BIOPHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF FERGUSSON ISLAND 23 4.1 Location 23 4.2 Geology and geomorphology 23 4.3 Soils 24 4.4 Climate 24 4.5 Biogeography and ecology 24 Chapter 5. THE HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT 28 5.1 The Massim 28 5.2 European influence 30 5.3 The establishment of Nade 31 5.4 Nade social organization 32 5.5 Exchange - the Massim perspective on land and food 33 Chapter 6. PLANT INVENTORY 36 6.1 The importance of plants in the Nade subsistence economy 36 6.2 Plants cultivated in the swiddens 38 6.3 Multi-use plants 38 6.4 Food plants 39 6.5 Construction plants 40 6.6 Fibre plants 40 6.7 Medicinal plants and magic plants 41 6.8 Ornamental plants 43 6.9 Plants of ecological significance 43 Chapter 7. CLASSIFICATION, DISTRIBUTION, AND MANAGEMENT OF SUCCESSIONAL PHASES IN THE NADE LANDSCAPE 46 7.1 Classification of successional phases in the Nade cultural landscape ... 46 7.2 The influence of environmental parameters in the Nade landscape 65 7.3 The influence of management techniques on the Nade landscape 67 7.4 The agroforestry landscape at Nade.; 72 Chapter 8. THE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF LAND: CUSTOMARY LAND TENURE, AND LAND USE DECISION-MAKING.... 77 8.1 The customary land tenure system 77 8.1.1 The land tenure system 77 8.1.2 The plant tenure system 80 8.1.3 Sources of tenure disputes 81 8.1.4 The resolution of tenure disputes 83 8.2 Vectors of change in the customary tenure system 83 8.3 Sacred limitations on cultivation 86 8.4 Land use decision-making 88 8.5 The cultural influence on the Nade landscape 90 Chapter 9. FOREST RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AT NADE: OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS OF THE TRADITIONAL AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM 93 9.1 The development context in Papua New Guinea 93 9.1.1 Forest development in Papua New Guinea : 93 9.1.2 Customary laws and land tenure 96 9.1.3 Conservation area planning 98 9.2 The potential for ecodevelopment on Fergusson Island 101 9.2.1 Conservation and ecotourism planning 102 9.2.2 Adapting traditional agroforestry 105 Chapter 10. CONCLUSION 111 Footnotes 113 Bibliography 117 Appendices 131 v FIGURES Figure 1. Seasonal plant availability Figure 2. Schematic diagram of transect of study area Figure 3. Schematic diagram of a one year old swidden.garden .... Figure 4. Schematic diagram of a tala swidden garden cluster Figure 5. Schematic profile of hamlet agroforest Figure 6. Schematic profile of mixed sago grove Figure 7. Schematic profile of fallow phase....... Figure 8. Schematic profile of modified lowland forest Figure 9. Schematic profile of modified small-crowned hill forest. LIST OF TABLES Table Bl. Ethnobotanical inventory 132 Table B2. Vernacular list of plants of undeteirnined use 161 Table CI. Summary of swidden garden data 163 Table C2 Summary of Vegetation profiles 166 vii MAPS Map 1. D'Entrecasteaux Islands, Milne Bay Province, South Eastern Papua New Guinea. 1:600,000 4 Map 2. Topographic features and soils. 1:35,000 27 Map 3. Present hamlet locations. 1:35,000 35 Map 4. Distribution of 1989 and 1990 swiddens. 1:35,000 49 Map 5. Distribution of successional phases of the Nade agroforestry 50 landscape. 1:35,000 Map 6. Cultural features of the Nade landscape. 1:35,000. 87 Map 78. MaThep oNadf survee culturay plolt settinglocations: settlement. 1:35,000s and historical sites. 1:10,000 181 Map 9. Distribution of swiddens and successional phases of the Nade landscape. 1:10,000 viii APPENDICES Appendix A. Note on folk classification 131 Appendix B. Ethnobotanical inventory 132 Appendix C. Vegetation profiles and swidden data 163 Appendix D. Study location 181 Appendix E. Questionnaire 182 Appendix F. Map 8 The Nade cultural landscape: settlements, graveyards, and sacred sites. Map 9 Distribution of swidden and successional phases in the Nade agroforestry landscape. Standards used in this text. t When refered to in this thesis, names in the Nade language will be italicized, latin botanical names will be underlined, and common names will appear in regular text. ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The efforts of many people have made this thesis possible. I would first like to thank the people of Nade village on Fergusson Island for their hospitality, and for sharing with me some of their stories, their laughter, their knowledge, and a small segment of their lives. Many people in Papua New Guinea made the field research possible: Lance Hill and Helen Hopkins of the University of Papua New Guinea, Biology Department; Jacob Simet and Oswald Opaivu of the PNG Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies; Ian Fraser, UPNG, Dept. of Law; Karl Karenga and Osia Gideon at the PNG Forest Research Institute; and Sanori Elliot at the Milne Bay Province, Planning Department; William Wapili, Esa'Ala District forest officer. At UBC, I would like to thank Dr. Brent Ingram for his enthusiastic support and for introducing me to the international network of people working in tropical forestry and conservation. Dr. John Barker attempted the impossible task of preparing me for living in and learning about a Melanesian culture, and offered valuable suggestions in my attempt to integrate the disciplines of anthropology and forest management. Dr. Allan Chambers provided consistently wise advice in the research design and the writing of this thesis. I thank Dr. Jack Thirgood for some initial discussion of ideas on social aspects of forestry. I would like to thank the International Development Research Centre for financing the research. Finally, merci bien to my partner Marcel for his patience and his faithful support and encouragement throughout the whole process. x Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION Indigenous societies associated with tropical rainforests have developed various strategies for the exploitation of forest resources, some more successful and sustainable than others. Such strategies are adaptations to the opportunities and constraints of the broad range of tropical habitats. Both the environmental and the cultural diversity in the tropics would suggest that a variety of forest/agricultural land use systems exist. Yet characterization of these systems is often oversimplified and documentation is far from complete.