by the construction of the dam. These numbers will have a vast and far reaching implication on population growth in the area which has the very real potential to put even more pressure on the fragile forest infrastructure and ever decreasing natural resource base, escalating concerns of flooding and deforestation in particular. Botany and agriculture The resource patterns of the Kayapo are non-destructive to the resource base but require a very large area of land. The Kayapo people use shifting cultivation, a type of farming where land is cultivated for a few years, after which the people move to a new area. New farmland is cleared and the old farm is allowed to lie fallow and replenish itself. The particular type of shifting agriculture employed most frequently by the Kayapo is the slash and burn technique. This process allows forested areas to be cut down and burned in order for cultivation of the lands to take place. These “new fields” “peak in production of principal domesticated crops in two or three years but continue to reproduce for many years; e.g., sweet potatoes for four to five years, yams and taro for five to six years, manioc for four to six years, and papaya for five or more years”. Old fields are important for their concentration of medicinal plants. With the spread of indigenous groups, trail-side plantings and “forest fields” were also used for cultivating crops. Trails systems were extensive in the area and were used for transporting and growing crops along their margins. The field system was done by utilizing either naturally occurring or man made clearings in the forest for crop cultivation which required little maintenance afterward. The Kayapo also cultivated “war gardens” which were hidden plots used as a resource in times of food scarcity. The Kayapo use approximately 250 different food plants and 650 different medicinal plants that they find around their village. They also have trade agreements with The Body Shop. See also Raoni Metuktire, Kayapo chief and environmentalist Terra preta, dark, fertile artificial soil found in the Amazon Basin References External link Xingu peoples Uncontacted peoples Indigenous peoples in Brazil Indigenous peoples of the Amazon