Shifting from Simple to Complex Agroforestry Systems: An Example for Buffer Zone Management from Kerinci (Sumatra, Indonesia)

Abstract:

KERINCI IS a densely populated valley surrounded by a national park in western central Sumatra, Indonesia. Indigenous agroforestry systems include important cash crops like coffee (Coffea canephora var.robusta) and cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmani), and range from alternate cycles of cash crop monocultures or simple associations, to multispecies and multi-storey gardens; these may include as many as 100 common useful species, comprising many fruit trees and indigenous timber species.

After analysing the trends of forest conversion and its causes in the area of Kerinci Seblat National Park, a case study of one particular village is presented in order to describe the evolution of cyclic agroforestry systems (ladang) into complex agroforestry systems (pelak). The composition, structure and management of the various systems have been studied through interviews, botanical surveys and the method of profile diagrams.

It is suggested that locally developed complex agroforestry systems evolve partly in response to changes in land availability and labour constraints. Finally the interest of such systems when designing projected buffer zones and their development in relation to new market incentives are discussed.[]

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Y. Aumeeruddy and B. Sansonnens, “Shifting from Simple to Complex Agroforestry Systems: An Example for Buffer Zone Management from Kerinci (Sumatra, Indonesia)”, Agroforestry Systems, 28, 2, (1994): 113-141.

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