Fragile Lands of Latin America Strategies for ... - PART - USAID

Agricultural Systems on the Peruvian Floodplain
Table 6
Annual Available Farmland at San Jorge
Restinga aka swidden agroforest cycle
Swidden use: 30 months
Agroforest use: 120 months
(600 ha)(= mo)/120 mo =
Restinga baja (inland levees)
Swidden use: 12 months
Fallow: 60 months
(900 ha)(12 mo)/60 mo =
Restinga baja (along the river)
Barreal and playa
Total
Area (ha)
to approximately 27.4 ha. per year. This allows the bulk of the restingas
altas to be left in monte or fallows.
Environmental Changes
In addition to farming, riberefio livelihood has traditionally been
based on the exploitation of a variety of floodforest products. As
agriculture was performed on a small scale, and floral exploitation
cycles for exports were ephemeral, disturbance of the flood forest was
selective but minor. In contrast, the current activities may bring about
long-lasting changes on the floodplain biota.
With the rapid urban migration of riberefios, especially to Iquitos,
rural traditions and culinary tastes have been transferred to the city.
In order to supply these low-income consumers with "homeland" cui-
sine, riberefios devote an increasing proportion of their time to collect
forest products that range from fruits, nuts, vines, and barks, to thatch-
ing and construction materials. Timber extraction, under contract to
Iquitos and Pucallpa saw mills and plywood plants, is also on the rise
as new technologies and machines enable the use of ever greater number
of species. Desirable trees like mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) and
tropical cedar (Cedrella spp.) for cabinetry and canoe-making can no
longer be found within a 2-3 km zone from the river, and along other
water bodies that allow access to the main stream.
The removal of flora .and fauna is also greatly facilitated by the
breakdown of culturally-encoded resource conservation practices. Belief
in forest and aquatic super natural beings like yacu maman, shapshico,
and sacha runa, or spirits that once served to moderate the use of