A Study On The Theme Of Environmental History In The Song Dynasty

Taking the environmental history as the main research perspective, this paper aims to investigate the effects and interaction of different regional population and natural environment in Two Song periods. The Song Dynasty played an important role in serving as a link between past and future period of China, in which period the social economy had achieved unprecedented development and the connect relationship between man and the natural environment was more closely. The development of the Song Dynasty was made on the basis of utilization and reformation of the natural environment, meanwhile, the natural environment was also affected. Through the investigation of the interaction relationship between the natural and environment and human, we can enhance understanding and cognition of the song dynasty history.This paper consists of 11 chapters, which are divided into three sections.The first section includes 1-5 chapters, the contents mainly contains the relationship history between the regional population and the natural environment in the downstream area of the Yellow River during the Northern Song Dynasty. In this part, the Northern Song Dynasty Dongjing (Kaifeng) is as a key point of discussion. At that time, the shipment and transport system were carried out and the wealth collected from the local area to center. The capital became the center of consumption and flow of materials and energy. Kaifeng was an enormous consume center city, consume substantial wood and fuel, the government take some targeted measure and strict manage regime relatively for supply wood and fuel, while, substantial consumption about wood and fuel also bring about biggish negative influence as to the environment of supply area. Bianhe river was extremely important as to water transport of grain to Kaifeng city, the government take some effective treatment measures to maintain use Bianhe river permanently, but the water of Bianhe river contain abundant sediment, Bianhe river became suspended river was inevitable. The flood of Yellow River in Song Dynasty was aggravate, and it is an important appearance and impetus as to the environmental deterioration in north of China, people’s livelihood and the ecological environment became worsen because of the flood of the Yellow River made. Although the water conservancy undertaking appeared in fields of this hazard, still not enough to reverse the trend of deterioration of the environment. Exploit northwest border area was unwonted successful case compare with exploit other border area by the Northern Song Dynasty. The government made exploit natural environment and expand border area fell together, and two modes was mutual advancement, has got remarkable achievement. Archers had play important role for exploit land and garrison border area. With the tea-horses trade was generate gradually between Song and Tibet, the Tibetan of living in northwest border area had the custom of drink tea gradually, thus their dependency was enhance to Northern Song Dynasty. Wars can produce gigantic damage to city’s environment. During Jingkang Calamity, Kaifeng city suffered devastate from army of Jin, made city residents and ecological environment in unbalanced and deteriorate state, which was the direct reason of decline of Kaifeng city status.The second section includes the 6-9 chapters, the research contents are mainly about the interaction of regional population and the natural environment in the Southern Song Dynasty. In order to expression more completely, we also appropriate to trace back to the period of the Northern Song dynasty. In this part, the Southern Song Dynasty capital of Lin’an (Hangzhou) is our topic center of discussion. During supply firewood/rice/vegetable/water and other basic living materials to Hangzhou city, the trait about transport and sale of "the four door" could reflect the feature about area and zoology of supply regions. In Southern Dynasty, with the construct and maintain by several government, the West Lake become an ecological scenic spot where have beautiful scenery and appropriate environment, and it was mutuality with Hangzhou city. Liangzhe and Jianghuai regions were one of the ripest and maximum of per unit area yield about agricultural, its also were the primary grain supply area to capitals of North and Southern Dynasty. While, the low-lying paddy fields surrounded disks was spring up in Song Dynasty, and it promoted advance of agriculture and water conservancy in Liangzhe and Jianghuai regions, what is invent by local people and it was an useful model for local people and water environment. In the middle and later periods of Southern Song Dynasty, with overexploitation, some areas had appeared unbalanced situation between human and waters. The emergence and dissemination of terrace is an important manifestation of the mountain agricultural development. The emergence of terrace offered advantage to intensive cultivation in mountains, and provided possibility that paddy field could was generalized in mountains. The terrace also produced far-reaching influence for mountains’ people production and living and ecological environment. The social development in south of the Five Ridges area was tight relevant for transition of wild animal in Song Dynasty, the people of living in south of the Five Ridges take advantage of wild animal and its’ products as an important part of living demand, made their social life more abundant, but suffered the human being activities’ influence, wild animal, especially as to some large animal was hurt prominently, the phenomenon of people up and the beast back was appear in the period.The third section is 10-11 chapters; this part is a summary of the whole paper. Firstly, we discuss the survival situation and the relationship with the ecological environment in Song in clothing, food, shelter and other basic living demands. The starting point of human in dealing with natural environment is Accessing to clothing, food, shelter and investment. By these acquiring actions, we can see the relationship between people in Song Dynasty and their survival environment from the ideological level of metaphysical. Secondly, we discusses the ecological concept in the Song Dynasty intelligentsia (scientists and Writers) and official animal and plant protection policies, laws and regulations, and we summarize the ecological idea and consciousness of the people of song dynasty from the ideological level of metaphysical.Overall, due to the long-term accumulation of historical period, in the Song Dynasty (Northern Song Dynasty), ecological deterioration and excessive consumption problem of the forest resources in the downstream area of northern Yellow River appeared certain degree. These problems can bring great negative impact to the people’s livelihood and social and economic development in this area. But people in the northern area in Song Dynasty also took the initiative actions to transform and adapt the environment. The human in south area of Song Dynasty (mainly explores Southern Song Dynasty) brought development in depth to the natural environment, which provided the material basis for the development of the Song Dynasty, and the interaction between human and environment was further intensified.