Indigenous people

The Congo Basin encompasses an enormous region of Central Africa. Up to the present day, the area has a more or less continuous forest cover and is rich in biodiversity. The lowland forest of the Congo Basin for instance, is the most species-rich forest in Africa. In particular species groups of the region, endemism is high.

This book offers an innovative and refreshing look at forest conservation in Palawan Island, the Philippines, where the indigenous Batak peoples make a living from shifting cultivation and collection of non-timber forest products. Through a systematic comparison of Batak practices with those of lowland Filippino migrants, the author demonstrates how the traditions and beliefs of the Batak can help to conserve one of the world's most precious resources, forests.