Early successional process of a fallow forest in East Kalimantan, Indonesia

Abstract

We examined the early successional process in a fallow forest following slash-and-burn agriculture in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, to determine the ecological response of tropical secondary forest to human disturbance. Community dynamics and growth of the vegetation were studied during the initial 20 months of succession following the abandonment of slash-and-burn agriculture. The vegetation grew rapidly, and 20 months after the abandonment, plants with diameters ≥ 1 cm at breast height had a community density (number of stems) of 4.1 m^-2 and a basal area of 10.2 cm² m^-2. Populations of some dominant species began to decrease, and replacement of dominant species occurred within 20 months after the abandonment. Weeding of seedlings and sprouts during cultivation affected the composition and growth of the fallow vegetation. The results showed that fallow forests in the tropics have high recuperative potential.