A Brief Note On Slash And Burn Agriculture Essay -- Agriculture, Sociolo

Slash and Burn Agriculture is a widely used method of cultivating crops in usually temperate or tropical regions. It is the process which forested land is clear cut and any remaining vegetation is burned, the ash remains contain a nutrient rich top soil that helps fertilize crops. After years of cultivation the fertility of the soil decline and weeds increase, causing the farmers to shift to a new plot. Traditionally the old plot was left uncultivated, reverting itself into a secondary forest of bush and within a decade it could be reused. By the early 21st century the plot is usually maintained in a permanent deforested state, causing farmers to move to new plots and aiding to the destruction of Earth’s resources. Slash and Burn Agriculture is a significant step in history because it leads to more early human settlements and the destruction of natural habitats. Groups of hunters and gathers turned to slash and burn agriculture and domestication of various animals, which provides more nutrition per hectare then hunting and gathering on their own. Thus leading to more deforestation to convert forests into crop fields and pastures as the need for more nutrition grew as the population steadily rose. Early slash and burn agriculture wasn’t done in excessively large areas as it is today, the land was controlled by a family till the resources were exhausted and it was left to refurnish itself over time. Now slash and burn agriculture is particularly destructive. Now the land is being burnt down in excessive amounts; leading the loss of habitat and species, increase of carbon into the atmosphere, soil erosion, water contamination, and landslides. All of which is contributing to the dwindling of earth’s na the creators of the AP World Civilization book by Pearson’s by Peter N. Stearns (Author), Michael B. Adas (Author), Stuart B. Schwartz (Author), Marc Jason Gilbert (Author). II. What is the author’s point of view? The author’s point of view seems unbiased, factual writing depicting a few reasons why early man would leave cave paintings depicting the first conscious historical accounts of human experience. III. What is the intent or purpose behind the document? The intent behind the document is to inform and explain the theories behind why they left cave paintings. IV. Who is the intended audience? The intended audience can range from school students to those who are interested in learning about how Paleolithic cave paintings can teach us about the past; more precisely their culture, way of life, tools used to make the art work, and give us a glimpse into the past.