Anthropology Practice Test 2025 – The Comprehensive All-in-One Guide for Exam Success

The cultivation technique most closely associated with horticultural systems is slash-and-burn techniques. This method involves cutting down vegetation in a specific area and then burning it to create temporary fields for planting. The ash from the burned plant material enriches the soil with nutrients, making it fertile for a limited time. This approach is typically used in shifting cultivation, where gardens are rotated, allowing land to recover after a period of cultivation.

Horticultural systems, often practiced by small-scale farmers in subsistence agriculture, rely on manual tools rather than heavy machinery. Slash-and-burn is particularly effective for growing a variety of crops within diverse ecological zones. It underscores the relationship between human practices and environmental management, showcasing how communities adapt their methods to local conditions.

Other cultivation techniques mentioned typically align with more intensive agricultural practices. For instance, the use of draft animals, intensive irrigation, and terracing are common in agricultural systems that require greater investment in land and technology, which marks a shift from the more basic horticultural methods that focus on smaller scale and lower inputs.