Study On The Exploitation And Utilization Of Mountain Forest Resources In Southeast ChongQing In Qing Dynasty

During the Qing Dynasty,the southeastern region of Chongqing included two districts and four counties located in the southeastern part of present-day Chongqing,including Qianjiang District,Wulong District,Xiushan County,Youyang County,Shizhu County,and Pengshui County.This area is located in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River,and also at the border of Hunan,Hubei,Chongqing,and Guizhou.It has been high and dangerous since ancient times,with a warm and humid climate,abundant sunshine,and lush vegetation.It contains rich mountain and forest resources,and was widely developed in the Qing Dynasty,especially after the land reform and return to the river.The unique physical geography environment made the southeast of Chongqing in the Qing Dynasty dense forest vegetation and rich mountain forest resources,providing a material basis for the development of mountain forest resources;The improvement of land and water transportation provides transportation support for the development of mountain and forest resources;The immigration wave of "Huguang Filling Sichuan" in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties transported a large number of people to the region,providing labor support for the development of mountain and forest resources.With the support of various conditions,the mountain forest resources in the southeastern region of Chongqing were widely developed in the middle and late Qing Dynasty.It mainly includes three aspects: daily life resource development,economic resource development,and timber resource development.The development of daily life resources mainly involves the development of dietary resources,building materials,fuel,and clothing materials;The development of economic mountain goods includes three stages: collection,domestication and extraction,and sales;The development of timber resources mainly includes three aspects: the development of handicraft raw materials,timber trading,and royal wood mining.The development and utilization of mountain and forest resources have increased the variety of commodity circulation in the local market,spurred the rise and prosperity of rural markets and commercial towns,and promoted the exchange and development of commercial trade between the southeast region of Chongqing and external regions.At the same time,it promotes the diversification of local residents’ dietary structure.The immigration has accelerated the pace of mountain and forest resource development,which in turn has driven the growth of the local population,developed friendly ethnic relations through communication and collision with local indigenous residents,and promoted the harmony of ethnic relations.However,due to the excessive development of mountain and forest resources,the ecological environment in the southeastern region of Chongqing deteriorated in the mid to late Qing Dynasty,mainly manifested in a decrease in forest vegetation and a decline in ecological mechanisms,which in turn led to a series of natural disasters,destruction of wildlife habitats,and a significant decrease in species and quantities.Studying the development and utilization of mountain and forest resources in the southeastern region of Chongqing during the Qing Dynasty can help clarify many social,economic,and environmental issues in the region.It can reveal the basic situation of people’s clothing,food,and housing in the region during the Qing Dynasty,and explore the economic development status and changes in the ecological environment in the region during the Qing Dynasty.At the same time,it can also provide historical reference for the economic development of the southeast region of Chongqing today.