Question

What type of agriculture is characterized by the burning of cleared vegetation to add nutrients back into the soil before sowing?

• A. Intensive Subsistence Agriculture
• B. Shifting Cultivation (Slash and Burn)
• C. Plantation Agriculture
• D. Mediterranean Agriculture

Hint:

Remember:

• Slash and Burn $\rightarrow$ Shifting Cultivation
• Ash from burnt vegetation increases soil fertility temporarily
• Also called Jhum cultivation in Northeast India

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept: Shifting cultivation is a primitive farming method practiced mainly in tropical forest regions. In this method, vegetation is cut and burned to clear land for cultivation. The ashes produced after burning act as natural manure and increase soil fertility temporarily.

Step 1: Understand the process described in the question. The question mentions:

• Clearing vegetation
• Burning the vegetation
• Adding nutrients back into the soil

This process is known as the Slash and Burn technique.

Step 2: Identify the type of agriculture using this method. The Slash and Burn method is associated with: \[ \text{Shifting Cultivation} \] In this system:

• Farmers cultivate land for a few years
• Soil fertility decreases over time
• Farmers shift to another area and repeat the process

Step 3: Eliminate the incorrect options.

• Intensive subsistence agriculture uses intensive labor and irrigation.
• Plantation agriculture focuses on commercial crops.
• Mediterranean agriculture is practiced in Mediterranean climatic regions.

None of these involve slash-and-burn practices. Therefore, the correct answer is Shifting Cultivation. \[ \boxed{\text{Shifting Cultivation (Slash and Burn)}} \]