The Forest Frontier: Settlement and Change in Brazilian Roraima (Routledge Library Editions: Forestry)

Originally published in 1994, this book analysed land developments, deforestation and pasture substitution, colonisation schemes and spontaneous settlement during the latter part of the 20th Century. In so doing, The Forest Frontier presents an overview of the intrinsic environmental and socio-economic resources of the Roraima, the most northerly of the Brazilian Amazon states. Roraima is of special environmental interest because of its extensive savannas and varied forests – the home of some of the largest and most diverse groups of indigenous Indians. This critical assessment of the nature and pace of agricultural advance into Roraima examines the range of strategies which have been proposed to cope with the inevitable development. With the conflict between preserving the natural environment and development still major issues for Brazil, this book remains as relevant now as when it was first published.

Peter A. Furley