Question

1. describe the 3 steps involved in shifting cultivation.
2. how does this type of agriculture harm the land?
3. what does the term slash and burn suggest?

Explanation:

For Q23:

Shifting cultivation follows a standard 3-step cycle focused on land use and recovery. First, farmers clear a plot of forested land. Next, they use the plot for crop growing until soil fertility drops. Finally, they abandon the plot to let it regenerate naturally.

For Q24:

This agriculture harms land in key ways: repeated clearing removes vegetation that holds soil, leading to erosion; burning depletes soil nutrients over time; and abandoning plots without proper recovery can turn fertile land into degraded, less productive areas.

For Q25:

The term directly refers to the core practices of this agricultural method: "slash" means cutting down trees and vegetation to clear a plot, and "burn" means setting the cleared debris on fire to create ash that acts as a short-term fertilizer for crops.

Answer:

1. 1. Clear a section of forested land by cutting vegetation.
2. Use the cleared plot to grow crops until soil fertility declines.
3. Abandon the plot and allow it to regrow naturally (fallow period).
4. It causes soil erosion from lost vegetation cover, depletes soil nutrients over repeated cycles, and can lead to long-term land degradation if fallow periods are too short.
5. The term suggests the two core practices of this agricultural method: cutting down (slashing) forest vegetation to clear land, then burning the debris to fertilize the soil for crop growth.