Differentiate shifting cultivation from pastoral nomadism in terms of land use and mobility.

• A. Shifting cultivation clears land for short-term cultivation and then moves on; pastoral nomadism relies on seasonal mobility of livestock without permanent cultivation.
• B. Shifting cultivation uses permanent fields with irrigation
• C. Pastoral nomadism involves fixed settlements and crop production
• D. Both systems require permanent land tenure

Answer: (A)

Shifting cultivation is focused on using land for crops for a short period, then abandoning that patch and moving to a new one so soil fertility can recover. Farmers slash vegetation, burn it, plant for a few years, and then let the area lie fallow while they clear and cultivate a fresh patch elsewhere. The emphasis is on rotating fields rather than keeping a single, permanent farm.

Pastoral nomadism centers on moving people together with their herds to follow seasonal pastures and water sources. Land use is for grazing across a broad area, with camps that are temporary rather than permanent farming fields. There is little to no permanent cultivation involved, and mobility is driven by the needs of the herd rather than by crop cycles.

So the key difference is land use—crop-based shifting plots versus grazing-based, mobile herding—and mobility—seasonal movement of people with crops versus seasonal movement of livestock across landscapes.