Tropical forest management and silvicultural practices by small farmers in the Brazilian Amazon: Recent farm-level evidence from Rondônia

This paper examines forest management and silvicultural practices of small colonist landholders in the western Brazilian Amazon state of Rondônia. Although recent colonists in the Amazon are widely acknowledged as key agents of tropical forest conversion, relatively little is known of their uses of primary and secondary forest patches and the degree to which these farmers plant trees as part of their land use strategies. Based on longitudinal survey data drawn from three different colonist settlements in 1992 and 2002, this paper explores the range of small farmer's uses of forests and fallows that may indicate future trends in forest management. We also examine the links between forest extraction and tree planting and the factors that may influence these practices. We found that nearly 40% of the farmers surveyed regularly extract useful products from their forests. We examine the types and quantities of timber and non-timber forest products extracted by small farmers over this 10-year study period, and reasons given by them for managing or not managing their forest patches. Forest extractor households were characterized as having a smaller percentage of their land deforested and small cattle herds. In addition, we found that roughly 30% of the small farmers surveyed planted trees on their farms during this 10-year study period. Results of statistical analysis (ANOVA and chi square contingency tests) to identify factors that correlate with tree planting behavior indicate that tree planters own larger plots, reside longer on those plots, have a larger number of working age household members, and secure land titles. They were also more likely to participate in social organizations. We conclude that despite ongoing deforestation processes in the region, natural forest use is an important subsistence activity for many small farmers and that many farmers are planting and managing tree species for both short-term products and as long-term investments. (CAB Abstract)