Much attention has been given to human activities in tropical regions during the past half century. Tropical dry forests occupy a roughly equivalent proportion of the earth's surface as do tropical rain forests, and like the tropical rain forests, they are decreasing dramatically in area. Shifting cultivation, the principal subsistence agricultural activity in tropical forests, has been less well studied in tropical dry forests than it has been in the tropical rain forests. This doctoral dissertation project will investigate the shifting cultivation system as it operates in diverse environmental settings within the tropical dry forests of Guerrero, Mexico. Specific attention will be given to cultigen diversity, fallow characteristics, environmental impacts, and the sustainability of the production strategies. Field research will include observation of cultivation activities and biophysical conditions and processes. Quantitative assessment of changes in the cultivation system in recent decades also will be used provide a basis for testing hypotheses about the form, timing, and location of shifting cultivation. This project will generate valuable information about tropical dry forest ecosystems that have been affected by the practice of agriculture. The information will contribute to fundamental understanding of the relationships between environmental, cultural, and economic conditions. The project will provide information relevant to addressing some of the major problems associated with agriculture encountered by developing countries. It also will provide an excellent opportunity for a promising young scholar to continue to develop independent research skills.
