Traditional agroforestry practices of native and Ribereno farmers in the lowland Peruvian Amazon

Recent research on traditional agriculture in the Peruvian Amazon indicates that agroforestry practices are widespread and extremely varied. This article describes five agroforestry systems found in the vicinity of Iquitos, Peru. Although all begin as shifting cultivation fields, they differ greatly in species composition and richness, in intensity and length of management, in economic orientation, and in adaptation to particular ecological conditions. Four of the five systems are found in mestizo communities of the region. The information presented shows that basic traditional swidden-fallow agroforestry practices are adaptable to varying environmental and economic situations (author).