FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS

Community Forestry Note 8

Local technical knowledge and natural resource management in the humid tropics

by Katherine Warner



Table of Contents

PREFACE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
CHAPTER 1. LOCAL TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE, SHIFTING CULTIVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Introduction
Local technical knowledge and natural resource management
Shifting cultivation


CHAPTER 2. SHIFTING CULTIVATION AS A RESOURCE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR THE TROPICS
Swidden and tropical soils
Mobility and forest maintenance
Variation in swidden systems
Maintenance of the agroecosystem
Agroecosystem dynamics: the development of a local farming system


CHAPTER 3. THE SWIDDEN/FALLOW SYSTEM
Overview: variation and similarity
The swidden/fallow cycle
Resource management: hunting and fishing components of the agroecosystem


CHAPTER 4. CONCLUSIONS
Sustainability
New strategies
The role of government and donor agencies


BIBLIOGRAPHY

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© FAO 1991