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stagn wrote (edited )

You cannot say you are defending the forest while setting fire to it to plant rice.
It is still a form of agriculture, a healthy forest needs more than 100 years to grow. A century-old tree has nothing to do with a tree that is cut down or burnt every 10 years.

Anyway, better fire than tractors . I think a fire is much less damaging than a tractor,
After a few fires I have seen forests survive and grow beautifully, when I see a tractor it never ends well...

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Majrelende OP wrote (edited )

You are right. It is a biased video, and they are not defending forests, but rather woodlands. That is an enormous difference. In my view all kinds of ecosystems native (loosely) to a land should be given a chance to flourish, but not at the expense of others; swidden should not destroy swaths of old growth forest, but it might still have a place in the landscape.

Of course, the valleys are the most productive places in general for food, but it seems these people and those like them moved into the hills because the state encroaches in the valleys, but historically has not had the same influence on the hills.

Beavers are often similar to humans in their impact on the land, although on a somewhat smaller scale, so we can look to them. They will dam an area, cut down or drown the trees and encourage aquatic plants, and then abandon it when the resources are drained, but they have much benefit insects, birds, mammals, sun- and wet-loving herbaceous plants and mushrooms. Elder here are found almost exclusively growing on their dams in the wild. They catch and deepen the soil, allow the germination and growth of coniferous trees (who in turn are very beneficial to ectomycorrhizal fungi), and soak water into the mountains.

I don't know as much about swiddening because valley plough farming is the only form of agriculture here, but it probably is forming biochar and creating habitat for herbaceous plants, certain fungi, and all the animals who depend on them. Then as they grow, I would guess that plants who favour woodlands as opposed to forests find their place there. In my region such areas would be filled with many wild fruit trees, grapes, herbaceous plants and grasses, as well as other trees who appreciate coppicing. It would also support birds and insects who like open areas.

So while the video made swiddening out to be something it isn't quite, it probably isn't the worst either.

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