Question

The problem with the shifting cultivation is that it requires ______.

Options

• lot of fossil fuel

• lot of inorganic fertilizers

• continual, application of pesticides

• long time for the soil to recover

Answer 1

The problem with the shifting cultivation is that it requires long time for the soil to recover.

Explanation:

In shifting cultivation, a patch of forest land is cleared and used for farming for a few years until the soil fertility declines. Then, cultivation is shifted to a new area, leaving the previously used land fallow for a long time to recover its nutrients and fertility. This long recovery period is necessary because the nutrient levels take significant time to replenish naturally, making shifting cultivation an unsustainable practice if the jhum cycles are short or land availability is limited. Excessive or continuous shifting leads to soil degradation and loss of forest cover.