Shifting cultivation, also known as slash-and-burn agriculture, is a traditional agricultural system in which farmers clear a piece of land by cutting down trees and then burning the vegetation. The ashes from the fire fertilize the soil, and the farmers plant crops in the cleared area. After a few years, the soil becomes depleted of nutrients, and the farmers move to a new area and repeat the process.
Shifting cultivation is a sustainable agricultural system when it is practiced in a way that allows the land to recover between uses. However, when it is practiced too frequently, it can lead to deforestation, soil erosion, and loss of biodiversity.
The following are the characteristics of shifting cultivation:
- Clearing of forest land: Farmers clear a piece of land by cutting down trees and then burning the vegetation.
- Burning of vegetation: The ashes from the fire fertilize the soil, and the farmers plant crops in the cleared area.
- Short cultivation periods: After a few years, the soil becomes depleted of nutrients, and the farmers move to a new area and repeat the process.
Shifting cultivation is a traditional agricultural system that has been practiced for centuries in many parts of the world. It is a sustainable agricultural system when it is practiced in a way that allows the land to recover between uses. However, when it is practiced too frequently, it can lead to deforestation, soil erosion, and loss of biodiversity.