The total area of better-preserved natural forest, which is situated on the back of the village, is 469 Chinese mu. The vegetation is monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest. The appearance of forest is in good order and the vegetation is in a high density. To conserve water source as well as conserve water and soil is the major objective of natural forest.

Since 1994, villagers have planted rubber forest about 656 Chinese mu. The large part of the rubber forest is in no crown closure and soil erosion is serious. In addition, villagers plant 53 Chinese mu firewood forest around the village to solve the shortage of fuel.

The village hasn't tap water. Water is drawn into each family with bamboo tube. Paddy field lies in the ravine of the foot of the hill, where there is no irrigation and water conservancy installations. In every dry season, villagers spend a lot of labour force on constructing temporary irrigation canals and ditches.

There is no fishpond in the village. There are a lot of small fish in the brook, which is a half-kilometre away from the village. In October and November of each year, villagers catch fish in the brook. As a result of fishing without control, less and less there are fish in the brook. Now, each family can catch fish about 10 kilograms every year.

In 1998, there are 53 buffaloes, 138 pigs and 497 poultry in the village.

The total area of rotational cultivation land is 188 Chinese mu. Because the rotation period is short, it is difficult for forest to return to normal. The forestland appears degradation condition. With the development of Planting Project, the rotational cultivation land may be cultivated to be dry land.

The total area of paddy field is 79 Chinese mu with a total production of 23383 kilograms. The breeds of planted paddy rice are crossbreed and "201".

Since 1994, 656 Chinese mu rubber trees have been planted. The large part of them are in no crown closure. Rubber trees have been planted along contour line where there is no ground litter and soil erosion is very serious with bad biological diversity.

The total area of sugarcane is 172 Chinese mu with a total production of 619.9 tons.

The total area of peanut is 30 Chinese mu with a total production of 1250 kilograms.

25 Chinese mu amomum fruit has been planted under the natural forest inside the nature reserve. The total production is 90 kilograms.

Now, except for 548 Chinese mu paddy field and natural forest, all lands appear degradation condition. Most serious degradation is given expression to the sugarcane land, which is located at the hillside and the foot of the hill. Because villagers have cultivated along the slope for a long time without applying fertiliser as well as serious soil erosion every rainy season, the fertility of soil drops and the growth of the sugarcane is poor. Even like this, water and soil conservation measures don't applied when villagers plant rubber trees, so a large number of water and fertiliser has lost before rubber forest is formed. Because rotational period is short (less than five years), it is difficult for soil to return good condition. In shifting field, Eupartorium odoratum and Imperata cylindrica, which are the indicators of soil degradation, have grown.

The total area of forest is 522 Chinese mu (not include rubber forest). While the consumption of firewood is eighty cube meter per year, which means the growth quality of forest is less than the consumption of forest. So resources can not be used sustainably.

Man-made rubber forest is single-layer forest with serious erosion and bad continuity.

The gradient of dry land (including shifting field) is bigger. Meanwhile, the backward in technique and poor application of agricultural technology results in soil degradation.

The local government has planned to build a dam at the water source to develop planting and deal with farm irrigation. But, because of the lack of fund, it is impossible to carry out now.

There are 20 families and 102 persons in the village. All villagers are Yao Nationality. Among them, there are 54 male and 48 female. Most of families have three generations, five to six persons are general in a family. In 1986, there are 98 persons in the village. Comparing with present condition, population growth is slow. However, many families want to have three children. It can be predicted that population will obviously increase in the future.

Yao nationality often pays more attention to boys than girls. To have a boy results in the birth out of control serious. Man controls the family. as for as social division of labour is concerned, men lay particular stress on physical labour, while women on household chores. Meanwhile, they do other farm works together.

Yao nationality villagers live in the mountain area. They are mainly engaged in upland agriculture of slash and burn agriculture following the rotation system. The production of upland crops is low and unsteady. The shortage of grains certainly leads to expand the planting area and shorten rotation period, which do great damage to the environment.

Because of low average paddy area, mountain inhabitants often expand the planting area for increasing average income, which inevitably destroys forest and environment.

The village has a lessens-given point. Fourteen kilometres away from the village, there is a complete primary school in Daguang administrational village. The pupils have to go to the middle school of Mengman Township after graduating from primary school.

The enrolled rate of the children suited to go to school is 100%. Among the 102 villagers, one person has senior degree (go out to work), five persons have junior degree, sixty-one persons have primary degree, eighteen persons go to school and eighteen persons are illiteracy.

A TV satellite receiver, which provides more education opportunities, has been installed in the village recently. Villagers' consciousness of paying attention to education has developed a lot. As a result, they encourage their children to read more books.

The village is located in the flat area of hillside. There is no tap water in the village and lighting obtained through the small hydropower station in the night. The management bureau of Xishuangbanna Nature Reserve helps each family build brick house, which occupies a total area of 200 square meters. The yard occupying about 1 Chinese mu is very spacious. In addition, there are a 20 square meter wooden storehouse to store the crops and a kitchen of 20 square meters.

Villagers use energy-saving stove to cook hog feeding while use "huotang" to prepare food for them.

Each family has a TV set.

They will make efforts to obtain fund to solve the tap water problem, increase the generated energy of the small hydropower station and satisfy with villagers the needs for electricity.

There is no clinic or doctors in the village. The patient has to go to the Mengman Township Hospital to see doctor, which is 14 kilometres away from the village. If the illness is not very serious, they treat it themselves by herbal medicine collected from the forest.

Because of bad traditional customs, there is no any toilet in the village, which threaten villagers' health. Villagers are easily infected by malaria. Most of people in the village have this kind of germ in their bodies. Every year, about fifteen persons fall ill.

With the improvement of living standard and sanitary condition such as drawing tap water, building toilet and curing malaria, the possibility of infection and falling ill will come down greatly.

Nanping Village, Mengman Township, Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture

Located at the boundary of the Shangyong Nature Reserve.
17 kilometres away from the paved road, the road to the village is rough.
The neChinese mut markets town is Mengman Township, 17 kilometres away from the township.
5 kilometres away from the Daguang administrational village

Population: 107, families: 20, all Yao people, male: 51, female: 56; (the data of 1998)
Immigration in: 1, immigration out: none
Birth: 1, death: 1
Population growth rate: 6

Immigrated from the core area of the Shangyong Nature Reserve in 1986.
Culture: The Yao Nationality is a closed people as compared with the other people, but they have learned lots of knowledge and customs from Han Nationality.
Belief: They haven’t special believes.

Irrigated: 50 Chinese mu (at the south to east of village, along with the river, irrigated with the water of Huixiang River), rainfed: 29 Chinese mu (at the west of the village, at the south-west of village, about 3 kilometres)

Hilly land: 289 Chinese mu (at the south of village, 2 or 3 kilometres)

Shifting cultivation field: 165 Chinese mu

Total area of arable land: 533 Chinese mu

Natural forestland: 300 Chinese mu

30 years ago: not very clear

The keeper of the village pluralises the forest ranger who is employed by the natural reserve, his salary is 90 yuan CNY per month.

Firewood forest: 25 Chinese mu;

Rubber forest: 656 Chinese mu

None

Drinking and bathing water: mountain spring water, purified simply and channelled into village

Water for irrigation: river water. Because of the environmental degradation, the water in the river is small than before.

Domestic fish: The villagers don’t raise any fish.

Wild fish: there are more than 3 kinds of fish in the river near their village, but the number of the fish is small than before. The children catch the fish in their spare time for killing time.

Buffaloes: 53

Cattle: none

Pigs: 138

Chicken: 497

The murrain didn’t occur in recent year due to the villagers injected their livestock and poultry with bacterin when they found the animal were sick.

250 Chinese mu of forest collective owned, none forest household owned

Planting rubber at the top of hill.

Planting amomum fruit in the rain forest.

The villagers plant the firewood forest near their village, it can reduce the pressure on the natural forest.

Plant the firewood near the village, enlarge the area of the firewood forest.

Most of the natural forests near the village are state own, the villagers are forbidden to lumber in the forest. They can collect deadwood and a few of herbal medicines.

A lot of deforestation while forest ownership not been identification

No clinic rooms in the village, one health workers. There is one toilet in the primary school only, none in the village.

A primary school in the village. Using ‘putonghua’ (standard Chinese pronunciation) in class.

There is One veterinarian in administrational village, none in natural village.

The villagers purchase the bacterin to inject the livestock or poultry themselves under the direction of the veterinarian.

None.

None

There is a small dynamotor which use the fall of water to generate 5.5 kilowatt electricity in the village. It is can provide normal electricity for the villagers. The villagers can not only light but also see TV programs.

One female clerk in charge of the family birth control in the administrational village.

Nearly equal, but the women is more toilsome than the man.

Mainly by man.

Decided by man.

The paddy and hill fields are difficult to irrigated in dry season.

The science and technology knowledge of the villagers is little, and the educational degree is low.

The firewood will be lack in the future.

Building a large pond to enhance the capacity of electricity generated.

Build water channel to irrigate the paddy.

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