Economic and Ecological Approaches to Land Fragmentation

In Defense of a Much-Maligned Phenomenon

Bibliographic Data

ID2296205
AuthorsJ W Bentley (0000-0002-4101-8843, corresponding author)
Year1987
Volume16
Issue1
Pages31-67
Publication date1987-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAnnual Review of Anthropology (BOOK_SERIES)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0084-6570 • E-ISSN: 1545-4290
PublisherAnnual Reviews (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1146/annurev.an.16.100187.000335
OpenAlexW2178702810
LanguageEN
Citations received69
References cited12

Land fragmentation, also known as pulverization (Clout 1972: 106), morcellement (De Vries 1974: 11-12), parcellization (Roche 1956), and scattering (Farmer 1960), is type of land ownership pattern where single farm consists of numerous discrete parcels, often scattered over a wide area (Binns 1950: 5). Another phenomenon, also known as land fragmenta tion, is division of land into small farms (Clout 1972a: 41; Jacoby 1971: 265). In this paper I discwis former. Fragmentation is described by agricultural policymakers as the blackest of evils, to be prevented by legislative action as one would attempt to prevent prostitution or blackmail (Farmer 1960: 225; cf CEC 1982: 4 1-42; Marsh & Swanney 1980: Ch. 3). Economists, on other hand, have suggested that land fragmentation is adaptive under certain circumstances but becomes nonadaptive as technology and relative factor costs change (McClosky 1975a,b; O. Johnson 1970). Europeanist geographers, especially those who incorporate historical mate rial into their work, tend to agree with economists. They see fragmenta tion as outdated. The size, shape, and distribution of Europe's fields are of medieval origin, and not well-suited to twentieth century machines and labor costs (Thorpe 1951 ; Houston 1953; Clout 1972 a,b; 1984; Schmook 1976; C. Smith 1978; O'Flanagan 1980; Grigg 1983). Non-Europeanist geographers (with anthropologists) usually stress adaptive, functional role of land

Biology · Economic geography · Epistemology · Fragmentation (computing · Geography · Phenomenon · Agricultural Economics and Policy · Ecology · Land Rights and Reforms · Land Use and Ecosystem Services

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