The book reviews the literature on the ecological succession of plants
on fallowed swiddens in tropical forests. Patterns of ecological
succession in tropical forests are insufficiently understood, partly
because results are scattered through a large number of case studies
reported in academic articles. So far, no publication has attempted to
bring these different case studies together to identify common patters
and trends. The goal of the book is to review the different case
studies, and identify common patterns of ecological succession in
fallowed swiddens, as well as to pinpoint the factors that cause
ecological succession in some areas to differ from those in other areas.
The book is organised in four different sections: forest structure,
forest diversity, species composition, and the factors that contribute
to differences in forest recovery rates (the number of times the field
was burned, the length of fallow period, the type of soil, and the type
of forest). This book is an important contribution to tropical forestry
and shifting cultivation. Deforestation and forest degradation are the
largest sources of CO2, and shifting cultivation is one of the main
culprits. For this (and other economic and political) reason governments
attempt to curtail shifting cultivation by shortening the years the
fields can be left fallow, or outright outlawing the farming practice.
Yet, there is insufficient understanding of the processes of ecological
succession in fallows, which raises the questions as to whether the
policy fulfils its objectives.
