Temporal-Spatial Distribution of Swidden Agriculturists’ Daily Activities in Central Laos

The authors conducted three time-allocation surveys in a Mangkhong ethnic minority village in Central Laos, where swidden cultivation, fishing, hunting, and gathering are the main subsistence of the residents. In the surveys, three types of data were collected using the recall method to collect information on daily activities, a GPS logger and accelerometer to collect the spatial information, and energy consumption of daily activities. The results of the data analysis clarified the temporal-spatial pattern of daily activities, such as labor division between male and female adults in working-time allocation and activity space and it’s gender difference. Furthermore, from the balance of time allocation between various subsistence of swidden agriculturalists in Central Laos, where development is progressing at a rapid pace, the authors tried to provide important clues for understanding the changes in land use and subsistence in the target area.