As the swidden ages, litterfall from the standing plants would add to the
nutrient content of the soils beneath these trees, and would protect seedlings
from direct heating, and lower the soil surface temperature and soil evaporation.
This could conceivably favor the germination and establishment of
valuable seeds over seeds of regrowth plants elsewhere in the swidden. The
net effect would be to increase the presence of valuable species in forest
regeneration during fallow succession.