Abstract
Whereas a natural ecosystem is stochastically created by mechanism of natural selection, an agroecosystem is systematically fashioned by farmers in response to specificperceived ecological and economic constraints. In this paper, I employ a geographical information systems (GIS) based analysis to examine the beliefs of forest garden owners in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, regarding ecological factors involved in maximizing durian fruit (Durio zibethinus) production. Factors that I tested included individual tree characteristics (age, size, color), microsite factors (on or off ridge, near stream, slope, proximity to rock outcrops, in dry or swampy site), species associations (with other types of trees, spacing to nearest large tree), and the overall position of the garden (on flat land or hill, distance to natural forest). I first conclude that respondents generally had accurate perceptions as to how ecological factors influence durian production. I then briefly discuss how the findings of this study could be used to improve existing and future durian gardens. Finally, I discuss the potential for studying slow-growing agroforestry systems using cross-sectional data collected from plots owned and managed by individual house-holds through the use of a GIS and statistical control.
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