This chapter considers how people are responding dynamically to contemporary rapid social and environmental change in the Congo and Amazon Basin regions. It discusses how the Baka and the Tsimane' peoples of the Congo and Amazon, respectively, have recently adopted and adapted agricultural...

This chapter discusses the effects that land-use changes have on soil microbial diversity, composition and distribution in Amazonian tropical soils. The effects of land-use change on aspects of the soil ecosystem from both a chemical and biological perspective, are also examined. The chapter...

This chapter focuses on the impact of artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) on the Hg contamination of tropical soils, with special attention on how the change in land use (i.e., gold extraction practices) alters the soil processes that affect Hg fate and behaviour. The chapter explains the soil ...

Since the early 20th century, the chief source of latex has been Hevea brasiliensis, though there are several other tropical and subtropical species that yield rubber from their laticifers (latex vessels), small tubes found in the inner bark. As its botanical name suggests, H. brasiliensis is...

Hevea honey and wood are the two supplementary income-generating sources that can raise significant income from rubber plantations. A brief description is given here of the potential of these income sources in rubber plantations. A brief discussion is also given on Hevea wood processing, production ...

This chapter discusses the integration of livestock systems using grassland areas with cropping systems for a more sustainable agricultural system at the regional level for tropical conditions, with an emphasis on peri-urban systems. These concepts are illustrated using three case studies: village...

This chapter examines a number of issues relating to the use of the Amazon River and its tributaries as a tourism resource. After discussing significant ecological and geographical aspects of the Amazon region, the chapter examines development in the major tourism nodes of Manaus and Belém...

In this chapter, some of the current native fruit improvement activities in Amazonia are listed, and two cases that contrast conventional and participatory approaches are examined. The challenges for the next decade are considered. Focus was on Brazilian and Peruvian Amazonia, which constitute most ...

Witches' broom disease, caused by the fungus Crinipellis perniciosa, can reduce cacao yields by 75% and is the main constraint for cacao cultivation in Brazil. In this chapter we review information about the biological control agent Trichoderma stromaticum, from its discovery in the Amazon basin,...

This book contains eleven chapters focusing on the soil biodiversity in one of the key biodiversity hotspots of the world, i.e., the Amazon and nearby regions of Brazil. It covers both the tropical savannah and the rain forests. Also addressed are the patterns of diversity and communities of...