Revisão Acesso aberto Produção Nacional

The impacts of shifting cultivation on tropical forest soil: a review

2013; MUSEU PARAENSE EMÍLIO GOELDI; Volume: 8; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1590/s1981-81222013000300013

ISSN

2178-2547

Autores

Alexandre Antunes Ribeiro Filho, Cristina Adams, Rui Sérgio Sereni Murrieta,

Tópico(s)

Amazonian Archaeology and Ethnohistory

Resumo

The sustainability of shifting cultivation is presently a topic of debate in scientific and institutional communities; however, there is no current consensus. To address this debate, we performed a search of the pertinent literature that was published during the last 30 years on the impact of shifting agriculture on tropical soils. This search revealed that the nature of the impact depends on the shifting cultivation system (SCS) phase (conversion, cultivation, or fallow) and on the soil properties (physical, chemical, and biological). We also suggest soil quality indicators for evaluating this agricultural practice in tropical forests, which may be used as a basis for analyses on the tendencies of conservation and degradation of impacted soils. Future research should improve the choices of these indicators, relying mostly on practical criteria, so they can be used by shifting cultivators.

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