Saving Slash-and-Burn to Save Biodiversity

Several prominent articles have recently revived the debate on how to advance and reconcile two pressing global issues: conservation of biodiversity, and food production for an increasing human population. These discussions contrast a 'land-sparing/intensive agriculture' strategy with a &#...

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Veröffentlicht in:Biotropica 2010-09, Vol.42 (5), p.550-552
Hauptverfasser: Padoch, Christine, Pinedo-Vasquez, Miguel
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Several prominent articles have recently revived the debate on how to advance and reconcile two pressing global issues: conservation of biodiversity, and food production for an increasing human population. These discussions contrast a 'land-sparing/intensive agriculture' strategy with a 'biodiversity-friendly' agriculture approach. We propose that swidden or shifting cultivation should be an important component of the latter approach in the tropics because many swidden systems maintain very high levels of biodiversity while providing livelihood for populations in tropical forest areas worldwide. We suggest further that when many swidden systems are viewed without prejudice and in broader spatial and longer temporal perspectives, the conservationist aspects of the systems become evident.
ISSN:0006-3606
1744-7429
DOI:10.1111/j.1744-7429.2010.00681.x