Final answer:
Determining if cattle raising is more land-intensive than wheat cultivation varies by region. In the United States, with vast arable lands, cattle raising is land-intensive, whereas in densely populated countries with scarce land, cattle are raised using less land through labor-intensive methods.
Step-by-step explanation:
Whether raising cattle is more land-intensive compared to wheat cultivation depends on the regional context. In the United States, where there is an abundance of arable land, livestock farming typically utilizes more land compared to the land used for wheat because less profitable agricultural land uses are nearly impossible. This is evident in places with limited rainfall or unfavorable topography for crops; for example, cattle ranching is common in the dry parts of the Great Plains or hilly Appalachia.
However, in more populated countries where land is scarce and expensive, cattle are often raised using less land and more labor than would be used for planting wheat in the US. This is due to the different production possibilities shaped by the quantity of labor, quality of labor, physical capital, and technology. For example, countries with an ample water supply might be more suited to rice cultivation rather than extensive cattle grazing.
Therefore, calling cattle raising land-intensive is context-dependent. In extensive farmland regions like the US, cattle ranching is indeed land-intensive, but in densely populated areas with limited land, innovative and labor-intensive methods lead to less land use for cattle raising when compared to the land required for crops like wheat.