| AGRI-LAND USE MODE (ALUM) refers to a pattern of different kinds of agri-land, which is shaped by people using natural land for several primary products in a certain area. ALUM is a structure of the earth's surface impacted by people as a result of human activity and it reciprocates with people's requirements and ideas of land use. This thesis focuses on the relationship between ALUM and agri-culture. Agri-culture shows the characteristics of interaction between the means of livelihood and ecological environment, and ALUM is an objective and observable carrier of this interaction.ALUM has clearly discernible regional differences based on the limits of natural conditions. The geographical scope of this thesis is Southern Yunnan. Because of the cuts made by the Lancang (Mekong) and Honghe (Red) rivers and their tributaries, its vertical characteristics are especially prominent, forming obvious three-dimensional climatic characteristics. The mountain region agriculture is a sloping field form of agriculture. Because of the special characteristics of the terrain in sloping style agriculture, portions of land are widely dispersed, and soil erosion is serious. ALUM has great significance for the ecology and environmental protection of the region, thus the introduction of an understanding of "ALUM" into the land usage in mountainous regions has a definite theoretical and practical significance.This thesis is organized onto four chapters. The first chapter serves as a general narrative, introducing the concepts associated with ALUM, and the types and distribution of ALUM in Southern Yunnan.Chapter Two discusses the characteristics and variation of different kinds of ALUM before 1956 (before the Land Reform in minority ethnic areasin Southwestern China), and the relationship between ALUM and agri-cultural types. There were mainly two kinds of ALUM before 1956 in Southern Yunnan: "dry land + woodland" (DL+WL) and "paddy field + dry land + woodland"(PF+DL+WL). The former included two subtypes: woodland supremacy mode (WLS) and dry land supremacy mode (DLS1). The latter included three subtypes: dry land supremacy mode (DLS2), mountain paddy field supremacy mode (MPFS) and flatland paddy field supremacy mode (FPFS). Among these, DLS (includes DLS1 and DLS2), MPFS and FPFS were the main modes before 1956. An ALUM is in concert with an economy and culture system (DL+WL is mainly slash and burn agri-culture, while PF+DL+WL is hoe and plough agri-culture. Both are self-sufficiency agri-culture).Chapter Three discusses the course and distinctive changes in ALUM as well as economic and cultural meanings after the Land Reform in Southern Yunnan. From the Land Reform in 1956 to the Contracted Responsibility System with Remuneration Linked to Output (CRSRLO) in about 1981, ALUM in Southern Yunnan experienced two major changes. In the area of DL+WL, paddy fields expanded and have become increasingly important; while in the area of PF+DL+WL, including MPFS and FPFS, there has mainly only been a quantitative change, namely woodlands have withered away with dry lands and paddy fields have rapidly expanded. After CRSRLO, ALUM in Southern Yunnan has continued to experience profound changes. Extension of economic woodland, which was in its initial stage before 1949, has been leading the change. PF+DL+WL has been improving into PF+EWL+DL+WL (EWL梕conomic woodland). The ALUM in some villages has changed into PF+EWL+WL or PF+EWL. ALUM from the Land Reform to CRSRLO reflected self-sufficiency agri-culture and after CRSRLO it has reflected export-oriented agri-culture.Chapter Four discusses how the minority nationalities haveaccommodated to the change. It is the view of this thesis that from 1949 to now the idea of land use in Southern Yunnan has been going through three stages; worship, conquer, and sustainable land use, each of which is fundamentally different from the other. Worship land use has the view that land has not only economic and ecological value but also emotional value. Conquer land use only focuse...
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