Final answer:
The table shows a decline in crop land in China and the Middle East but an increase in Europe between 1200 and 1300, with a slight decrease in India, reflective of changes in agricultural land use due to the efficient spread of rice cultivation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The table illustrates that there was a decline in the total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops in China from 55.2 million hectares in 1200 to 44.2 million hectares in 1300, and a similar decline in the Middle East from 7.8 million hectares to 6.1 million hectares within the same period. However, the table shows an increase in Europe from 71.1 million hectares to 87.4 million hectares. Conversely, India saw a relatively small decrease from 43.5 million hectares to 40.8 million hectares.
Given the spread of rice cultivation during this time, these changes indicate adjustments in agricultural practices and land usage, where rice cultivation, a crop that produces more food per acre and allows for multiple harvests in a year, likely influenced these patterns. The increased prevalence of rice cultivation, with its higher yields and the possibility for more crop cycles per year, could have supported an increased population while using slightly less land in regions suitable for rice farming.