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What are the different types of extensive subsistence agriculture?

1) Shifting cultivation (slash-and-burn, milpa, swidden)
2) Nomadic herding
3) Pastoralism

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Extensive subsistence agriculture includes shifting cultivation (slash-and-burn), nomadic herding, and pastoralism, primarily practiced in climates and regions where soil and conditions are not conducive for intensive crop cultivation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The different types of extensive subsistence agriculture include shifting cultivation (also known as slash-and-burn, swidden, or milpa), nomadic herding, and pastoralism. Shifting cultivation is a practice mainly utilized in equatorial rainforest climates where the soil is poor and can only support small populations. This method involves clearing the land of vegetation, often through slashing and burning, to make space for agriculture.

Nomadic herding and pastoralism are predominant in regions not suitable for crop agriculture due to factors like insufficient rainfall or extreme cold. These practices involve the movement of herders with their animals, such as cattle, sheep, or reindeer, in search of new grazing lands to prevent overgrazing and land degradation. Because these modes of agriculture support fewer people and require larger land areas, they are generally considered to be the most land-extensive forms of agriculture.

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