Shaking the Ground of Shifting Cultivation

Download or read book Shaking the Ground of Shifting Cultivation written by and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 15 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Dramatic fires and smoke haze, destruction of tropical forests, and concerns over biodiversity loss have focused world attention on slash-and-burn practices in tropical regions. Slash-and-burn has most commonly been associated with the practices of small farmers and shifting cultivators, and has been identified as a major cause of tropical deforestation. ... In recent times, however, the simplistic equation of shifting cultivation as a cause of deforestation is being questioned as more complex understandings of forest destruction are acknowledged. At the same time, agencies are recognising that many groups, not just small farmers, employ slash-and-burn practices. The causes of harmful and widespread smoke haze and biodiversity loss may be more a result of clearing for plantation agriculture and other large-scale uses, than due to shifting cultivation practices. Hence, slash-and-burn may be a problem more directly related to global agriculture than to the unecological practices of smallholders"--Introduction.