ABSTRACT
This chapter presents information on the agricultural systems found among the floodplain inhabitants of the Northeastern Peruvian Amazon, and the feasibility of adopting local techniques for the agricultural development of the regional riparian zone. The discussion is restricted to the explanation of the structure of floodplain farming and to the presentation of preliminary findings on the energetics of local agricultural systems. Most of the rural inhabitants of the Peruvian Amazon live in villages or caserios. Although Amazon floodplains occupy less than two percent of the basin’s area, the combination of good cropland, rich aquatic fauna, and ease of transportation and communication, served to concentrate people on the strips of land. The inhabitants recognize three broad floral associations within the floodplain: the flood forest, the aguajal, and the chicozal-gramalotal. The ribereno economy traditionally has been based on fanning and exploitation of the floodplain biotopes.
