Analysis of fertility is critical to any discussion on a community's environmental adaptation. Fertility and mortality schedules together determine the major characteristics of a population closed to migration - such as age distribution and growth rate - that have a direct bearing on household economy and the balance between community size and available resources. In addition, community level fertility data is lacking in Nepal and, although the situation is improving, it is still necessary to accumulate studies from a range of districts.
The article discusses fertility and its determinants within a single village population in Nepal. The author takes a formal demographic look at data from a Tamang village in northern Dhading District. The application of the models indicates that procedures developed for larger population aggregates can be used at the community level, while important suggestions for future research arise from the discussion. The author's procedure is to establish the lack of trends in fertility within this population by examining the fertility of women over the age of 45. This is followed by an analysis of fertility information from all women and an examination of the proximate determinants.
