Introduction: Management and conservation of terrestrial resources

Abstract

There is a vast amount of land on the Amazon floodplain that requires different strategies for conservation and management than do upland environments. Because of their relative fertility and position close to fluvial avenues of trade, many higher parts of the várzea have been farmed and much of the original vegetation disturbed. The chapters in this section explore the histories of deforestation and use in several várzea sites, as well as the ecological complexity and resilience of várzea mosaics, and the flexibility and adaptability of patterns of use. They also discuss instances where expansion of markets for local products have enhanced efforts to conserve forests and manage resources in a sustainable manner, with varying consequences for local livelihoods. All three chapters provide new primary data as well as a thorough analysis of the existing literature and constitute a contribution to the understanding of human impacts on the floodplain and the value of local knowledge and tradition in helping to conserve várzea resources.