Recovery of secondary forests on swidden cultivation fallows in Laos

Sovu,; Tigabu, Mulualem; Savadogo, Patrice; Odén, Per Christer; Xayvongsa, Lamphoune

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2009.09.030

Cited by 36 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 41 publications

(51 reference statements)

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“…However, as these census data were used to develop global inventories of harvested crop area [20] and cropland extent [21] applied as major input for MIRCA2000, these statistics cannot be used for validation purposes in a strict sense, but show nevertheless the consistency between input data used to develop MIRCA2000 and results derived from the dataset. Furthermore there is also evidence from the literature that shifting cultivation or slash-and-burn farming is practiced in many subtropical or tropical regions that have low cropping intensity and large fallow extent in MIRCA2000 [12][13][14][27][28][29][30][31]. Therefore the general pattern of cropping intensity presented in this study is reasonable, but there is a need to verify it by using independent information, e.g.…”

Section: Comparison To Independent Datamentioning

confidence: 68%

Global Patterns of Cropland Use Intensity

2010

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This study presents a global scale analysis of cropping intensity, crop duration and fallow land extent computed by using the global dataset on monthly irrigated and rainfed crop areas MIRCA2000. MIRCA2000 was mainly derived from census data and crop calendars from literature. Global cropland extent was 16 million km 2 around the year 2000 of which 4.4 million km 2 (28%) was fallow, resulting in an average cropping intensity of 0.82 for total cropland extent and of 1.13 when excluding fallow land. The lowest cropping intensities related to total cropland extent were found for Southern Africa (0.45), Central America (0.49) and Middle Africa (0.54), while highest cropping intensities were computed for Eastern Asia (1.04) and Southern Asia (1.0). In remote or arid regions where shifting cultivation is practiced, fallow periods last 3-10 years or even longer. In contrast, crops are harvested two or more times per year in highly populated, often irrigated tropical or subtropical lowlands where multi-cropping systems are common. This indicates that intensification of agricultural land use is a strategy that may be able to significantly improve global food security. There exist large uncertainties regarding extent of cropland, harvested crop area and therefore cropping intensity at larger scales. Satellite imagery and remote sensing techniques provide opportunities for decreasing these uncertainties and to improve the MIRCA2000 inventory.

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Section: Comparison To Independent Datamentioning

confidence: 68%

Global Patterns of Cropland Use Intensity

2010

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“…In these Lao low land areas, infrastructure is better developed and little forest remains to be cleared. Slash-and-burn agriculture or shifting cultivations are widely practiced and important food production systems for the minority ethnic groups in Lao upper lands (Inoue et [9]). Shifting cultivators rely completely on the availability of the upper farming land and forests for their income and self-subsistence due to their poverty.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest Cover Changes in Lao Tropical Forests: Physical and Socio-Economic Factors are the Most Important Drivers

Phompila

Lewis

Ostendorf

et al. 2017

Land

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Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) has been experiencing significant forest depletion since the 1980s, but there is little evidence to demonstrate the major causes and underlying drivers for the forest cover changes. In this study, we investigated the relationship between forest cover decrease and increase in the south of Lao PDR between 2006 and 2012 and selected physical and socio-economic factors. We used a map of forest cover changes derived from analysis of Landsat ETM+ imagery in 2006 and 2012, together with socio-economic and physical environmental data from the national authorities. The study area has experienced noticeable forest cover changes: both forest decreases and increases were unevenly distributed throughout the region. Logistic regression models were used to test relationships between forest cover decrease or increase and selected physical and socio-economic factors. Forest clearance was associated strongly with elevation, distance to main roads and shifting cultivation practices. Meanwhile, forest cover increase was more likely to correlate with rubber plantations. Native forest and shifting cultivation lands were vulnerable to being converted into rubber plantations. This research provides much-needed information on which to base forestry policy and decision making to minimize and prevent current deforestation, as well as manage potential risks in the future.

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“…In the humid tropics, extensive tropical secondary forests have been established by the swidden-fallow system (Coomes et al, 2000). Sovu et al (2009) studied the species composition, structure, and diversity of secondary forests recovered on abandoned swidden cultivation fields in the lowlands of Laos in relation to 1-km distance from natural forest, fallow length, and crop-fallow rotation cycle. However, at the provincial or higher levels, the relationship between the swidden cycle and fallow forest recovery remains poorly understood.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%