How does shifting cultivation allow Ituri Forest soils to recover?

In the Ituri Forest, shifting cultivation allows soil to recover through a system of plot rotation rather than continuous use. When agriculturalists clear a small area of forest—often using slash-and-burn methods where ash provides temporary fertilization—they cultivate the land only for a short period.12

Once soil fertility declines or the plot becomes overrun with weeds, the cultivators abandon the site. By leaving the area fallow, the land is allowed to revert to its natural vegetation, eventually regenerating into a secondary forest of bush. This process of secondary succession enables the forest to reestablish its normal vegetation over time, provided the clearing remains small and is not permanently deforested. This traditional, sustainable approach avoids the need for synthetic fertilizers and allows the ecosystem to recover its nutrient balance before the site is potentially reused after about a decade.123