Definition of slash-and-burn adjective of a method of agriculture used in the tropics, in which forest vegetation is felled and burned, the land is cropped for a few years, then the forest is allowed to reinvade.
What is the meaning of slash and burn?
Definition of slash-and-burn 1 : characterized or developed by felling and burning trees to clear land especially for temporary agriculture 2 : extremely ruthless and unsparing slash-and-burn tactics slash-and-burn criticism
What is slash and burn agriculture geography?
Geography of Slash and Burn Agriculture. Slash and burn agriculture is most often practiced in places where open land for farming is not readily available because of dense vegetation.
Why is slash and burn bad for the environment?
If a particular area is the only one that holds a particular species, slashing and burning could result in extinction for that species. Because slash and burn agriculture is often practiced in tropical regions where biodiversity is extremely high, endangerment and extinction may be magnified.
When vegetation has grown again the slash and burn process may occur?
When vegetation has grown again, the slash and burn process may be repeated. Slash and burn agriculture is most often practiced in places where open land for farming is not readily available because of dense vegetation.
What's the meaning of slash-and-burn?
: characterized or developed by felling and burning trees to clear land especially for temporary agriculture. : extremely ruthless and unsparing. slash-and-burn tactics. slash-and-burn criticism.
How do you use the word slash-and-burn in a sentence?
The company rejected a slash-and-burn type restructuring program.
What is slash-and-burn in world history?
Definition of slash-and-burn of a method of agriculture used in the tropics, in which forest vegetation is felled and burned, the land is cropped for a few years, then the forest is allowed to reinvade.
What is another word for slash-and-burn?
Find another word for slash-and-burn. In this page you can discover 3 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for slash-and-burn, like: swidden, intensive-farming and chemical-intensive.
How do you use a slash in a sentence?
Slashes can also be used to note that there is a connection or conflict between two words or phrases in a sentence. Some examples include: The pro-life/pro-choice debate is a hot-button issue for many voters this election. The designer often works in his bonus room/home office.
How do you use burn in a sentence?
There was a patch of raw skin on my back where the sun had burnt it.The house burnt to ashes.I burnt my tongue on some soup last night.He burnt the tips of his fingers.The exhaust valve on my car has burnt out.The crust of the bread is burnt.The first batch of cakes was burnt.More items...•
What is the sentence of slash?
She slashed a path through the underbrush. They slashed their way through the jungle. The company has slashed prices to increase sales. Funding for the program was slashed.
How do you use the word slash?
You should use the slash with care in formal writing.A slash is often used to indicate "or": ... Use a slash for fractions: ... Use a slash to indicate "per" in measurements of speed, prices etc: ... People often use a slash in certain abbreviations: ... A slash is often used in dates to separate day, month and year:More items...
What is slash and burn agriculture and why was it used?
Slash and burn farming is an agricultural technique that involves burning trees, brush, and other foliage to clear land and prepare it for cultivat...
What is the significance of slash and burn farming?
Early uses of slash and burn farming techniques were significant for a few reasons. They allowed civilizations to be settled, populations to be sus...
Are slash and burn practices good or bad?
Slash and burn farming has a few notable purposes and benefits, but it is usually regarded as having a negative social and environmental impact. Th...
What is slash and burning?
Slash and burning is a basic type of agriculture which involves cutting down and burning existing foliage in order to clear land and prepare it for cultivation.
Where is slash and burn practiced?
Though in its historical origins slash and burn was practiced in a variety of climates, including woodlands and grasslands, in modern times, slash and burn is commonly utilized in tropical rainforests and grasslands, like those of the Amazon and Southeast Asia.
How does slash and burn damage landscapes?
Over time, slash and burn techniques tend to damage the landscape, especially when done in large scale. Trees, in particular, are destroyed at a much greater rate than new ones can grow. Also, soil no longer held together by established root systems is eroded away by the elements.
How did humans gain food?
12,000 years ago, the only way humans could gain food was to either hunt animals or gather wild-growing plants. It was a meager living, requiring small groups of people to regularly move so as not to deplete the resources of an area.
Is fertilization more efficient than slash and burn?
Fertilization is a far more efficient method of farming, making it more profitable. Most slash and burn agriculture is subsistence farming, meaning those who practice it only expect to produce enough to support themselves rather than producing a large surplus meant for sale.
Where is slash and burn used?
Slash-and-burn agriculture is often used by tropical-forest root-crop farmers in various parts of the world and by dry-rice cultivators of the forested hill country of Southeast Asia. The ash provides some fertilization, and the plot is relatively free of weeds. After several years of cultivation, fertility declines and weeds increase.
Does slash and burn produce carbon dioxide?
Although traditional practices generally contributed few greenhouse gases because of their scale, modern slash-and-burn techniques are a significant source of carbon dioxide emissions, especially when used to initiate permanent deforestation. In Southeast Asia, slash-and- burn agriculture for oil palm cultivation has been a major source ...
Why is slash and burn important?
Slash and burn allows people to farm in places where it usually is not possible because of dense vegetation, soil infertility, low soil nutrient content, uncontrollable pests, or other reasons .
How long has slash and burn been around?
Humans have practiced this method for about 12,000 years, ever since the transition known as the Neolithic Revolution—the time when humans stopped hunting and gathering and started to stay put and grow crops. Today, between 200 and 500 million people use slash and burn agriculture, roughly 7% of the world’s population.
What is slash and burn agriculture?
Slash and burn agriculture is the process of cutting down the vegetation in a particular plot of land, setting fire to the remaining foliage, and using the ashes to provide nutrients to the soil for the use of planting food crops. The cleared area following slash and burn, also known as swidden, ...
What are the negative aspects of slash and burn?
They include: Deforestation: When practiced by large populations, or when fields are not given sufficient time for vegetation to grow back, there is a temporary or permanent loss of forest cover.
How to slash and burn?
Generally, the following steps are taken in slash and burn agriculture: Prepare the field by cutting down vegetation; plants that provide food or timber may be left standing. The downed vegetation is allowed to dry until just before the rainiest part of the year to ensure an effective burn.
What is the term for clearing a land after a slash and burn?
The cleared area following slash and burn, also known as swidden, is used for a relatively short period of time, and then left alone for a longer period of time so that vegetation can grow again. For this reason, this type of agriculture is also known as shifting cultivation.
What happens if you burn a species?
If a particular area is the only one that holds a particular species, slashing and burning could result in extinction for that species. Because slash and burn agriculture is often practiced in tropical regions where biodiversity is extremely high, endangerment and extinction may be magnified.
What is slash and burn?
1. Relating to an agricultural tactic in which forest or other vegetation cut down to the ground and burned, the land planted and cultivated with crops for a few years, then abandoned to allow the forest grow back.
What company did the union bosses slam for?
UNION bosses last night slammed Hewlett-Packard for taking a " slash and burn " approach to British jobs as nearly 1,000 staff waited for the axe to fall.
Is the Eastern Spider Orchid slash and burn?
The Eastern Spider Orchid population on WHNCR is monitored regularly as part of the study by DSE and does not appear to be detrimentally affected by the slash and burn management.
