Sikor, Thomas U. of California, Berkeley Vietnam's economic reforms have produced effects on land use practices that differ by the ecological conditions under which they occur. Villages located in more heterogeneous landscapes show a tendency toward more varied land use patterns than those which exist on flat land where wet rice agriculture is dominant. The research will investigate how village land endowments shape local responses to reform, as evidenced by changing peasant land use practices. It is hypothesized that the dynamics of land use are impacted by changes in local level tenure and credit institutions. The research will be carried out through data collection and the comparative study of four villages in Northern Viet Nam. It will provide an empirical and theoretical understanding of the ways in which natural conditions are impacted by national policy and in turn also shape local responses to national policy.
