In some areas this has probably foreclosed on the option of adopting established secondary forest swiddening in its stead. In the established swiddening areas, secondary forest is maintained, as are pockets of primary forest. A certain amount of environmental complexity has thus been maintained. In pioneer areas, bush forest is more common, as are grasslands. Water supply is a common problem in such areas.
Environment is more simplified.
Among the Karen, social interaction with the nearby North Thai farmers is common and is also a principal source of wage labour opportunities. Language acquisition, however, is not as high as might be expected, given this interaction. Among pioneer groups, acculturation is highly variable, some families and villages having entered Thailand quite recently. This is understandable in terms of the different economic adaptations. It should be stressed, however, that most integral swidden groups, whether established or pioneer, tend to be culturally conservative.