Slash and burn - stock photo

A slash and burn garden carved out of tropical rainforest beside a river in Papua province, Indonesia. A typical Melanesian garden with vegetation cleared by axe and bush-knife on steep sunny slopes, with cut plants burnt and logs left to rot. Garden vegetables commonly include sweet potato, taro, yam and sweet corn. This form of shifting agriculture is widespread throughout Melanesia, particularly amongst forest-dwelling tribes on New Guinea island.