The traditional way of life in the equatorial rainforests depended very much on the flora and fauna of the area. A common type of farming was "shifting cultivation".

Despite appearances, the rainforest soils are not very fertile. The heavy rainfall leaches out the important nutrients from the soil and sometimes the whole topsoil itself can be eroded by the tropical downpours. The native people realised this and so would clear an area of forest, plant crops such as manioc and cassava, and after 3 or 4 years when the soil was losing its fertility would move on to a new patch of forest, which would be cleared and cultivated. This is a sustainable style of land use as the slow growing rainforest vegetation would get a chance to re-grow. The indigenous people would also hunt, fish and gather fruit and nuts.

Recently, there has been recent change in this area. Large areas of rainforest have been cleared to make room for cattle ranching, mining, settlements, reservoirs, roads and airstrips. The trees are cut down as timber as the tropical hardwoods are much in demand. The removal of the natural vegetation has had a number of effects. The soil, already fragile gets damaged and eroded. The climate of the area becomes drier with the loss of the vegetation acting as a "sponge" to hold on to the moisture. The soil runs off into rivers and lakes casing navigation problems.

Both the burning of the trees and their reduced number increases the concentration of carbon dioxide. The extra carbon dioxide is believed to contribute to global warming, which in turn is blamed for the rise in sea level.