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Shifting Cultivation
[Date]
Today I will:
- Be introduced to the main characteristics of shifting
cultivation
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What is in the Rural Higher Unit?
There are three different types of farming studied in the
Rural Unit.
1. Shifting Cultivation
2. Intensive Peasant Farming
3. Extensive Commercial Farming
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For Shifting Cultivation (Amazon Rainforest) you must:
- Know the main features of the system.
- Be able to describe the changes to the system and the effect this
has had on the people and landscape.
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One of the most primitive form of farming found on the
earth, Shifting Agriculture still supports over 300 million
people.
This type of farming has probably existed for over 10,000 years
and was once very widespread – even found in stone-age
Europe.
Largely replaced by fixed farming, it is now in danger of
disappearing altogether. It is now found mainly in equatorial
rainforest areas.
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There are many tribes that live in the Amazon
rainforest. They have different cultures and traditions
that are passed down for all Amazon tribes.
For example: Yanomami tribes are the largest tribe in the
Amazon today
Remote Tribe: BBC
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Shifting Cultivation is a farming
system which takes place in
rainforests across the world.
Shifting = Moving
Cultivation = Farming
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1
2
3
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Questions 8, 9, 10 and 11 on page 267 of the Higher Textbook
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The main features/characteristics of shifting cultivation (Amazon
Rainforest).
Think what happens
here, what does it
look like…
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Case Study: Amazon Rainforest
Shifting cultivation is primarily found in the Amazon [1]. It is extensive [1]
peasant farming – the system only supports low densities of population [1]. It
is subsistence in nature (enough to feed the local community with little or
nothing left as surplus to sell) [1]. Natural vegetation is cleared by felling and
burning – ‘Slash and Burn’ technique [1]. They then use the ash from the tree
burning to fertilise the soil. Fruit trees already growing (e.g. avocado) are left
as a source of food [1]. A mixture of crops are planted in the clearing (e.g.
yams, beans, manioc), using very little cultivation (no artificial fertiliser used)
[2]. Crops needing most nutrients are planted first e.g. maize and soya [1]. As
soil fertility falls less demanding crops are grown e.g. manioc. Once yields are
low due to the soil becoming exhausted the clearing is then abandoned [1].
Natural vegetation is left to recolonise i.e. 'fallowing‘ [1].