Japanese Journal of Southeast Asian Studies
Online ISSN : 2424-1377
Print ISSN : 0563-8682
ISSN-L : 0563-8682
Volume 24, Issue 2
Displaying 1-7 of 7 articles from this issue
Special Focus
Problem Soils in Southeast Asia
  • Supiandi Sabiham, Hisao Furukawa
    1986 Volume 24 Issue 2 Pages 113-132
    Published: December 31, 1986
    Released on J-STAGE: February 28, 2018
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Pollen diagrams have been prepared of three sections of peat soil deposits from different localities on the coastal swampy land of Jambi in order to study the vegetational change from the basal clay to the present-day forest. The age of peat soil deposits was determined by 14C dating of peat layers.
    emsp;The existence of arboreal and non-arboreal pollen types in the main portion of the peat soil deposits in the study area indicates the change from fern association in the bottom layer to the swamp forest in the upper layer. However, the floral composition of these soils indicates a difference in environment between the center zone and the zone transitional to the coastal zone. In the center zone of the Kumpeh area, the peat swamp was inundated by fresh water in all layers, which are characterized by an abundance of ferns in the bottom layer, by many kinds of arboreal pollen types in the upper layer, and by a uniform pollen type between these layers. In the center zone of the Tanjung area, the peat swamp was inundated by fresh water in the upper layer and brackish water in the bottom layer. In the zone transitional to the coastal zone the peat swamp was inundated by brackish water in all layers. The floral composition of peat soil inundated by brackish water is mostly derived from mangrove vegetation.
     Peat accumulation in the study area is thought to be related to water inundation during the transgression period.
    Download PDF (1463K)
  • Sompob Wongsomsak
    1986 Volume 24 Issue 2 Pages 133-153
    Published: December 31, 1986
    Released on J-STAGE: February 28, 2018
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Northeast Thailand covers an area of 170,230km2. This vast area should be agriculturally valuable, but actually its agricultural production per unit area is lower than those of other regions of the country. Low soil fertility, poor soil materials, uncertainty of climate and natural disasters are the main factors reported to reduce agricultural productivity.
     One prevalent natural disaster in this region is salinity. Saline land is usually barren, for crops cannot tolerate the high salt content of the sub-soil or, sometimes, the surface soil. Certain weeds are tolerant to salinity and are used as salt-indicators: these include nam phee, nam dang, yeak, phla, and mor. Every year the acreage of saline soils is increasing and causing major problems for farmers in managing the land.
     During April and May 1984,saline areas in the central and northern part of Northeast Thailand were investigated. These were classified into three major types on the basis of their topographic and geologic settings: hill, valley, and basin.
     A major source of salt wherever it is exposed or lies close to the surface is the Rock Salt Member of the Maha Sarakham Formation, which consists mainly of rock salts. There are, however, other potential salt-sources that were formerly classified as salt-free strata. These are the Upper Clastic Member of the Maha Sarakham Formation and the Plio-Pleistocene Formation, which have recently been reported to contain traces of salts such as gypsum, sulfate, and carbonate, which replace halite.
     The mechanism of salinization in this region is short-distance interflow of brine in source layers together with capillary rise. Interflow is of short distance because many of the scattered hillocks of the region are underlain by the Maha Sarakham Formation, while the Plio-Pleistocene Formation is also found in small sub-basins. Furthermore, broad, flat, low-lying topographies like the Phimai Plain and the Thung Kula Ronghai are still wrongly classified as alluvial plains, whereas in fact they are Plio-Pleistocene surfaces with alluvial patches and scattered patches of Maha Sarakham Formation. Salt that is weathered and eroded from salt-sources is transported either by surface water or by groundwater to low-lying lands. Whenever the ground surface is dry enough, salt precipitates from saturated brined surface water or rises from saturated brined groundwater.
    Download PDF (1451K)
  • Their Characteristics, Genesis, Amelioration and Utilization
    Tasnee Attanandana, Sorasith Vacharotayan
    1986 Volume 24 Issue 2 Pages 154-180
    Published: December 31, 1986
    Released on J-STAGE: February 28, 2018
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    This paper reviews the characteristics, occurrence, distribution, amelioration and utilization of acid sulfate soils. Emphasis is placed on acid sulfate soils in Thailand and related areas to which references could be found. Data on amelioration relate to rice cultivation, while discussions of management and utilization extend to other crops and fish ponds.
    Download PDF (1933K)
Article
Note
  • Eriko Aoki
    1986 Volume 24 Issue 2 Pages 197-223
    Published: December 31, 1986
    Released on J-STAGE: February 28, 2018
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    This paper aims to describe the native theory of mystic power in central Flores, eastern Indonesia. All the data here derive from my fieldwork in the western part of the Lionese-speaking area. In Lio, mystic power is said to be related, in one way or another, to sexual intercourse and the genitalia.
     To analyze the native concept, I deal with not only myths and rituals but also linguistic data such as verbal abuse, obscene tales and several genres of popular songs which might, at first glance, seem to be secondary to the reproduction of society and culture, but which offer much information on the native concept embedded in the reality which the people take for granted.
     I elucidate the symbolic and sociological construction as well as the dynamics of the west Lionese folk theory of mystic power and the concept of man and woman. My contention is that the west Lionese folk theory of mystic power is parallel to their sexual image and behaviour and is interlocked with the concept of gender.
    Download PDF (2417K)
Field Report etc.
feedback
Top