Abstract
Flood recession agriculture is a common practice in many regions of the world on river floodplains, lake margins, and other wetlands where water levels rise and fall predictably. As water levels recede, wetted and nutrient-rich soils are exploited for their high agricultural productivity, with crops harvested before rains return inundating the landscape once again generally on a seasonal basis. The importance of flood recession agriculture may be substantial in arid and semi-arid areas with intermittent rains. It is significant in supporting subsistence needs, but may be compromised by damming and other schemes that perturb natural catchment hydrology. Flood recession agriculture reflects a ‘knowledge’ economy, local practices and crop choices closely linked to the unique topography, hydrology and other characteristics of flood recession areas.
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Everard, M. (2018). Flood Recession Agriculture: Case Studies. In: Finlayson, C.M., et al. The Wetland Book. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9659-3_197
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9659-3_197
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