Local resource use systems in the tropics: Taking pressure off the forests

By focusing research on indigenous and local agroecosystems, much information can be gained for the development of resource-conserving, ecologically sound land-use strategies that promote the sustained-yield management of land already cleared in tropical regions. By keeping the farmers on the land they already have, pressure can be taken off the limited forest reserves that still exist. A research approach that looks at the agricultural ecosystem (agroecosystem) will allow an agro-ecological focus, in order to examine impacts on the land in the context of nutrient cycles, crop and non-crop population dynamics, energetics, and other ecological concepts. Examples of such studies are presented from tropical Mexico and Costa Rica, including the corn/bean/squash multiple-crop agroecosystem, the tropical home garden agroforestry system with a diverse mixture of trees, shrubs, herbs, and vines, and an experimental bench-terrace-cropping system with mixed vegetables planted on the flat surfaces and a high organic-matter-producing grass on the slopes. The importance of the sustainability of the natural resource sector linked to the sustainability of the agricultural sector is stressed as an integral part of tropical forest preservation strategies of the future. (author).