Final answer:
Shifting cultivation is closely associated with deforestation because it involves the clearing and burning of forests to make way for crops, which leads to a reduction in habitats, and contributes to soil erosion and changes in rainfall patterns.
Step-by-step explanation:
Shifting cultivation, often involving slash-and-burn agriculture, is a traditional method of farming in which a forest area is cleared, burned, and used for cultivation until its fertility declines. After a period of use, this land is left fallow to regain its fertility, while the cultivators move on to clear a new area. This practice is a significant cause of deforestation.
While desertification can also be a consequence of extensive slash-and-burn agriculture, because nutrients are quickly lost and soil degradation occurs, as seen in cases where topsoil erodes after abandonment, the immediate effect of shifting cultivation is still primarily deforestation. This is due to the clearing and burning of forests, which accounts for a significant percentage of all deforestation and leads to the reduction in habitats for many species, contributes to the build-up of greenhouse gases, soil erosion, and changes in rainfall patterns.