On the Interchange of Subsistence Agriculture and Rainforest: An Indonesian Case

The rainforest role as agent in maintaining the ecosystem balance is constantly under threat. Forest
conversions have occurred in all over the world on a very rapid progress. Most of the conversion associated with rural
farmers practicing subsistence farming. Part of slash and burning farming system particularly in South Sulawesi has
been shifted to land clearing for cereal and state crops (ie. Cocoa) by the rural farmers. This study conducted to trace
the rate of forested land conversion into subsistence farming and the driving factors behind this process. The multi
temporal Image analysis together with field survey been conducted to find out the rate of conversion and the
perception of the rural farmers on land conversion. The study shows that the basic need for survival and the desire to
get better life style has driving the people to further convert the forested area into farming land and some of the
converted land was abandoned back to forested land