The Forest Frontier

Competitive pressures on land, the destruction of natural vegetation, the environmental and social impact of mining and hydro-electric power companies, conflicts between indigenous groups - these consequences of environmental change in the southern Amazonian states are compounded by a pioneering Brazilian spirit to colonise the whole of the national territory. Demographic and economic forces are now driving the problems associated with development up from south to the north. By analysing current land developments, deforestation and pasture substitution, colonisation schemes and spontaneous settlement, The Forest Frontier presents an overview of the intrinsic environmental and socio-economic resources of Roraima, the most northerly of the Brazilian Amazon states. Relatively untouched but on the brink of development, 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. The state recently experienced the greatest gold rush this century which has heightened concern, for both its people and the environment . 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 to come.