Final answer:
Slash-and-burn agriculture, also known as swidden or milpa farming, involves clearing land by cutting and burning vegetation. The resulting ash serves as fertilizer, enriching nutrient-poor soils for a temporary period, which is a cycle part of shifting cultivation.
Step-by-step explanation:
A form of cultivation based on the technique of clearing uncultivated land, burning the brush, and then planting crops is known as slash-and-burn agriculture. This method involves removing trees and vegetation, allowing them to dry, burning them, and using the ashes as fertilizer for the soil, which becomes more fertile and suitable for farming. Often associated with shifting cultivation, this practice allows land to remain fallow for several years so it can regenerate before being cultivated again.
The slash-and-burn technique is common in rainforest areas where soil nutrients are quickly leached by excessive rainfall. By burning the vegetation, farmers can temporarily enrich the nutrient-poor soils. However, due to rapid nutrient depletion, this method requires a cycle of moving from one plot of land to another, making it a land extensive form of farming with high caloric efficiency as it requires minimal labor. This practice is contrasted with more labor-intensive forms of agriculture such as wet rice farming, which can support larger populations.