The Talun-Kebun system, a modified shifting cultivation, in West Java

The talun is a man-made forest consisting of a mixture of economic tree species, usually with an undergrowth of a mixture of annual plants. It has a multistorey structure and gives good protection to the soil against the erosive forces of rain, as well as being a genetic resource. The talun is privately owned and on the average a family has 1 to 2 hectares.

In the talun a shifting cultivation is practised by rotating a garden, called the kebun, which is planted with a mixture of cash crops. The cycle of the rotation is about 8 years. The opening for the kebun is created by harvesting the trees and bamboo by clear or selective cutting and heavy pruning. Hence, the talun-kebun system is essentially shifting cultivation in a man-made forest. Because of the high economic returns, it is capable of carrying a high population density on a sustainable basis.

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