Plantation Ecologies

 This concept examines the power associated with plants. 

Plants are treated as agential beings concerning the human agenda. Plantations are used for political reasons to impose supremacy over the native lands. 

Examples discussed are:

Sandalwoods: 


Treated as goods to generate the economy. 

Shapes political dynamics by building a network while marketing. 

Either the person with resources or the person with great income is considered to be powerful. 



Tangerines/Oranges: (Tsheylu)


Fruits such as tangerines are a great income source for people in the southern part of Bhutan. Not only do they sell inside Bhutan, but they also trade across different countries such as India and Bangladesh. 

People owning most trees of Tsheylu are the stakeholders of the community; they are considered rich due to the income they generate through trading it. 

Power in this case is achieved through income/wealth. 



Plant + Climate = Migration 

Climate change not only causes migration of people but also migration of plant species from various areas to another. 

Although tangerines in the southeastern part of Bhutan were the main income source for most of the families in the region, due to climate change, such as untimely rainfall, disrupted fruiting in plants, leading to plantations of areca nuts replacing tangerines. 



Plants migrate: Plants seen in lower altitudes are sometimes found in higher altitudes. This represents how plants react to climate change, often seeking cooler lands and more favorable conditions. While some may migrate successfully, some face challenges, leading to a reduction in their distribution and abundance. 

Due to the migration of plants, it could also sometimes lead to the migration of people to places with greater resources. 

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