Final answer:
Agricultural expansion, cattle ranching, industrial activities, and infrastructure development are identified by anthropologists as significant causes of deforestation in ancient Middle Eastern and Central American societies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Anthropologists believe that a significant cause of deforestation in ancient Middle Eastern and Central American societies was related to agricultural practices and the expansion of human settlements. As human populations grew, the demand for land to cultivate crops and raise livestock increased, leading to widespread forest clearing. Additionally, the construction of roads and other infrastructure facilitated further deforestation by providing access to previously remote forest areas for logging, hunting, and colonization. Policies and economic incentives by governments and international consumers also played a role in propelling deforestation through tax cuts and incentives for cattle ranchers and cash cropping.
Large-scale agriculture operated by corporations and wealthy landowners, particularly cattle ranching and industrial farming of crops such as soy, has been identified as a primary direct cause of deforestation in more recent times, as seen in the Brazilian Amazon. Additionally, industrial activities such as logging, mining, and petroleum development have indirectly contributed to the degradation of forests by encouraging the construction of forest roads, which in turn allows access for further exploitation.