Amazonian homegardens: Their ethnohistory and potential contribution to agroforestry development

Miller, Robert Pritchard; Penn, James W.; Leeuwen, J. van

doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-4948-4_4

Cited by 29 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Homegardens were found throughout the Amazon by the time of the arrival of the Europeans (Miller et al 2006). The Jesuit friar Carvajal reported the presence of fruit and nut trees in abundance and intimately associated with habitations at several locations mentioned in his accounts of his trip down the Solimões and Amazonas in 1541/1542 (Carvajal 1894).…”

Section: Conclusion: Ade Shape Past and Present Crop Diversitymentioning

confidence: 98%

Crop Diversity on Anthropogenic Dark Earths in Central Amazonia

et al. 2011

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A recent archaeological survey demonstrates that one of the most durable of all forms of pre-Columbian landscape transformation, Amazonian Dark Earths (ADE; soils formed by pre-Columbian settlement), are widespread along the course of the Madeira River, Central Amazonia, Brazil. We hypothesize that processes of crop cultivation and management by human populations today in landscapes that were intensively transformed during the preColumbian period will diverge from those in environments where human agency has not left such a heavy footprint. In order to test this hypothesis, we compare bitter manioc fields, homegardens and secondary forests on ADE with those on non-anthropogenic soils along the lower and middle Madeira River. We demonstrate that crop species and landrace populations diverge on anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic soils as a result of the interaction between human selection and management, soil physical and chemical properties, and plant responses over time. Hence, crop species selection and abundance and therefore agrobiodiversity is contingent on anthropogenic soils in Central Amazonia.

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Section: Conclusion: Ade Shape Past and Present Crop Diversitymentioning

confidence: 98%

Crop Diversity on Anthropogenic Dark Earths in Central Amazonia

et al. 2011

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“…Although Central Amazonia is considered to have been a center of plant domestication in prehistoric times, with widespread cultivation of fruit trees (Lathrap 1977;Clement 1999;Miller et al 2006), scant information is available concerning agroforestry practices in the savannas of Roraima, either in prehistory or in historical times. Nevertheless, the practice of establishing homegardens around dwellings in the savanna is widespread in the region, as observed by three of the authors in a survey of 9 indigenous lands in the region, as well as in other lands that were visited (Miller et al 2008).…”

Section: Characteristics Of Indigenous Homegardens In the Savannas Ofmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Homegardens have attracted a great deal of attention from researchers, who have shown that their importance is not limited to food security, and secondarily, to household income, but also includes their use as a laboratory for farmer experimentation and a starting point for more extensive agroforestry systems (Coomes and Ban 2004;Miller et al 2006;Yamada and Osaqui 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Islands of fertility: Soil improvement under indigenous homegardens in the savannas of Roraima, Brazil

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Alfaia

Miller³

et al. 2010

Agroforest Syst

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Homegardens are a common feature of indigenous dwellings in the savannas of Roraima, northern Brazil. In order to evaluate the effect of homegardens on soils, samples were taken in 5 sites each in the categories new homegardens (0-10-years old), established homegardens (15-35-years old) and old homegardens (more than 40-years old) and in adjacent savanna in Araçá Indigenous Land, Roraima, Brazil. For comparison, samples were also taken in forest islands located nearby, on a different soil type, under 10-year-old forest fallows and high forest. P and K showed the greatest increases over time in homegarden soils, in comparison with levels found in adjacent savanna and under forest. Ca and Mg also increased in comparison to adjacent savanna, but levels were less than found in forest soils, most likely due to the different parent material. Zn and Fe also showed increases in homegarden soils over time. Cu and Mn levels showed little relation to homegarden age, suggesting greater effects of factors of soil formation than anthropogenic influences. Values for pH were slightly higher in homegardens than in adjacent savanna, while Al was lower, although these changes were poorly fit by regression models. Soil organic matter increased over time under homegardens, but still was lower than levels found under fallows and forest. Soil fertility improvement under indigenous homegardens can be attributed mainly to deposition of residues around dwellings, although further investigation is needed on the role of trees in accessing nutrient pools at greater depths in savanna soils.

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“…Although homegardens in urban centers may provide income, in rural areas they are important chiefly for household subsistence in the Amazon region. They are also the focus of experimentation with new tree species and cultivation techniques (Kumar and Nair 2004;Miller et al 2006). Therefore, homegardens reveal much of the cultural history of places and of management decisions by individual holders (Winklerprins 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biodiversity of the urban homegardens of São Luís city, Northeastern Brazil

et al. 2009

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There is a widely held notion that the increasing trend of urbanization accelerates loss of biodiversity and displaces native species. This study assessed the validity of this notion in the city of São Luís the capital of the state of Maranhão in the northeastern Brazil. The specific objectives of the study were to (1) assess plant and animal diversity of urban homegardens, (2) compare the diversity of homegardens in terms of origin of these species (exotic or indigenous to Brazil). We conducted a biodiversity survey in 40 randomly selected 'quintais' (hereafter called homegardens) from ten locations in the city of São Luis. We evaluated the species richness and diversity of various use categories of plant and animal species indigenous to Brazil as well as exotic species. A total of 186 species of plants in 68 families were recorded in the sampled homegradens. A total of 63 fruit tree species representing 34% of all tree species were found. Of these species, those indigenous to Brazil accounted for 58% of the cases, and this was significantly higher than the exotic species. Most of the species (60%) were indigenous to Brazil (wild and semi-wild domesticates), while the rest (40%) were exotic. A total of 42 species of vertebrates (mainly reptiles, birds and mammals) were also found in the homegardens, of which 47% were indigenous to Brazil. Some of the plant and animal species found in the homegardens are endangered species in their native habitats, suggesting that homegardens could provide a unique opportunity for their conservation and sustainable use. These species continue to play a vital role in the socioeconomic and ecological landscape of the city.

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Amazonian homegardens: Their ethnohistory and potential contribution to agroforestry development

Cited by 29 publications

References 29 publications

Crop Diversity on Anthropogenic Dark Earths in Central Amazonia

Crop Diversity on Anthropogenic Dark Earths in Central Amazonia

Islands of fertility: Soil improvement under indigenous homegardens in the savannas of Roraima, Brazil

Biodiversity of the urban homegardens of São Luís city, Northeastern Brazil

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