台灣蓮業生產空間與經營特性變遷研究－延續水田生態永續經營之途徑

林福瑩(Lin Fu-Ying)

指導教授 ： 鄭勝華

國立臺灣師範大學/文學院/地理學系/碩士(2000年)

摘要

經由人們與環境長期互動下所形塑出來的地理景觀、地方特性，是地理學關注的焦點之一，而泛生於世界各地的蓮花（Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.），不單是自然界古老的水生植物、人們文藝宗教的意象圖騰，亦為農業生產的經濟作物，台灣蓮花產業所表現出來的生產空間與經營特性變遷，是在自然與人文環境的時空歷程交織作用下，對其影響機制的回應。
本文試圖透過生物地理學的角度，以嘉南地區為研究樣區，採問卷調查及田野實察等方法，探討蓮花自300年前引進台灣，至近30年發展為蓮花產業的變遷歷程與經營機制，嘗試驗證台灣水田轉作蓮田的農業生態策略之可行性，以作為延續水田生態永續經營之參考。
台灣蓮花據史可考的引進時間約在17世紀中期以後，由漢人引種於高雄、嘉南一帶，進而擴及全島種植，在「環境適宜」、「歸化歷程」、「政策因素」與「種植特性」等因素的運作下，今日蓮花產業有七成以上集中在嘉南地區八掌溪的南北兩側。在過去，蓮子、蓮藕是少數經濟能力較佳者才消費得起的珍品，隨著國內整體經濟起飛、生活水平提升，蓮產品的消費市場形成，蓮業發展歷程就在1970年代由過去的埤塘野生粗放型態，進入在水田植栽精耕生產的階段，以石蓮、建蓮及大憨蓮為主要生產品種，至1991年後，透過產業文化活動的舉辦，則結合觀光朝休閒農業的方向發展。
以水田為基礎發展的蓮花產業，可以帶來較高的經濟收益，也具備與水田環境最為相近的生態效益，所提供之環境十分適合親水性高的動植物生存，全年共計有63科139種的動植物資源；同時，蓮田年中的經營管理具有「春植、夏收、秋閒、冬忙」之時序特性，以蓮子、蓮藕的採收加工與農村生活緊密扣合，是當地特有的人文景觀，在不同時序農事活動的變化、影響下，水生性及陸生性的動植物亦隨之更替出現，蓮田的整體景觀呈現豐富而多樣的季節性風貌，是為蓮田做觀光休閒經營、提升產業附加價值的最佳資本。
而蓮花產業的最大經營特性，是屬於勞力密集、專業技術性的農產活動。就勞力組合言之，經營規模與工作性質分別是蓮農決定僱工人數及性別的依據，加工生產的機械化比例不高、勞動力質量不足與工資成本的負擔過重，是產業未來發展的隱憂之一；就運銷通路來說，蓮產品仍仰賴蓮農自售為主要方式，其次是販運商、農會收購，長期欠缺統整性的產銷方式，無法提升國內本產蓮子的品質與形象知名度，故難以與低價進口的乾燥蓮子相抗衡，亦為產業未來發展的另一項隱憂。
著眼於蓮花產業的經營特性與面臨之困境，有賴其觀光內涵深度與廣度的拓展，才能讓蓮花產業的經濟永續、蓮農生活的社會永續以及蓮田環境的生態永續，有具體落實的基礎。

關鍵字

生物地理學 ； 時間地理學 ； 蓮花 ； 蓮業生產空間 ； 蓮田景觀資源 ； 蓮業經營特性 ； 產業與生態永續經營

並列摘要

This thesis is intended to investigate, from the biogeographic approach, the cultivation of lotus in Taiwan. It focuses on the development and the management of the “lotus industry” during the past 30 years after the lotus was first introduced into Taiwan 300 years ago. The study is based on both field-work and questionnaire survey with Chia-Nan Plain as the study region. Also aiming at a sustainable management of the paddy fields ecology, it explores the feasibility of an agricultural strategy of transforming the paddy fields to the lotus fields in Taiwan.
From the library research of historical records shows that lotus was introduced into Taiwan by the Han people after mid-17th century. At the beginning, the lotus was planted in Kaohsiung and Tainan areas, and then spread throughout the island. Due to complicated factors of environmental fitness, adaptation process, policy measures and cultivation techniques, over seventy percent of the lotus industry today conglomerates along the alluvial plain of Bazhang river in Chia-Nan region. In the past, lotus seeds and roots were ambrosias affordable only by the rich. Along economic development in Taiwan, a domestic consumption market of the lotus-related products was established for all people. Consequently, wild lotus growth in the ponds has been transformed to cultivation in the paddy fields with considerable care and precise control. The Shilien（石蓮）, Kienlien（建蓮） and Dahanlien（大憨蓮） are the primary species in lotus planting in Chia-Nan region. By 1991, the lotus landscape in this region started to attract tourism, thus the lotus industry has had a new orientation towards leisure agriculture.
The development of paddy-field-based lotus industry can bring higher profit and also holds the ecological benefit almost identical to the environment of paddy field. It is very suitable for aquatic flora and fauna, with a total of 63 families and 139 species. In another aspect, the managements of the lotus field follow the activity sequence in a year: “planting in spring, harvesting in summer, idling in autumn, processing in winter”. Harvesting and processing the lotus seeds and rhizomes and their related products form a close nexus to the rural life in the places of cultivation and have consequently developed a scenery peculiar to these places. As the lotus industry related activities proceed in the year, so do the aquatic and terrestrial flora and fauna inhabit in lotus fields. The affluence and diversity of the ecological system in lotus fields accompanying with the changes of season is the best advantage point of managing lotus fields as scenic spots, which also augments the fringe value of the lotus industry.
The lotus-industry is labor intensive but calls for professional skills. The extent of mechanization is limited. Declined productivity and quality of labor force and the ever increase of wages cost are the worries of the industry for future. In marketing, most lotus farmers pack and sell the products by themselves, with limited participation by farmer’s association and outside wholesale merchants. The lack of an modern, integrated production and marketing system has held back productivity and quality improvement as well as image promotion of the indigenous lotus-related products. As a result, the imported dried lotus seeds from China, which has a low cost basis, is now penetrating the Taiwanese market..
Facing this threatening, the only way to sustain the economic viability of the industry, the social life of lotus farmers, as well as the ecological system in the fields is to broaden and deepen the culture of the tourism in this “lotus hometown” of Taiwan..

並列關鍵字

biogeography ； time-geography ； lotus ； productive space of lotus industry ； landscape resource of lotus field ； management characteristics of lotus industry ； sustainable management of industry and ecology

參考文獻

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