Final answer:
Horticulture, or subsistence agriculture, is an environmentally sustainable form of cultivation characterized by extensive cultivation and fallow periods for land recovery. It involves modest production and a strong knowledge of the land, typically not generating the surplus necessary to support a non-farming population. This farming method is crucial for understanding the development of early human settlements and agricultural practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
Horticulture, also referred to as subsistence agriculture, is a form of plant cultivation practiced by societies that rely mostly on human labor rather than intensive farming methods such as plows or irrigation systems. This mode of subsistence is characterized by extensive or shifting cultivation where plots of land are farmed for some time before being left to lie fallow, allowing the land to naturally regain its fertility. Unlike intensive agriculture which can mass-produce commodities and support a larger non-farming population, horticulture usually generates a modest surplus that may be stored for community use or sold in local markets.
The Kayapó people, for example, practice a form of flexible horticulture in the eastern Amazonian rainforest, which includes slash-and-burn techniques, alongside gathering, hunting, and some animal domestication. This carefully manages the resources of the rainforest, ensuring sustainability. Horticulture can deplete soil nutrients over time; hence, plots are rotated and left to regenerate, promoting the use of organic fertilization and pest control methods.
From an anthropological perspective, the development of horticulture is believed to have been a precursor to the development of agriculture, which allowed for the establishment of more permanent settlements such as villages, towns, and cities. It involves a deeper connection to the environment and requires intricate knowledge and social organization to utilize the available resources efficiently.