How does agricultural density relate to agricultural intensity?

• A. Higher density often indicates labor-intensive, intensive subsistence farming; lower density correlates with extensive or commercial farming
• B. Higher density means more land per farmer
• C. Density is unrelated to intensity
• D. Higher density always means mechanized farming

Answer: (B)

Agricultural density is the number of farmers per unit of arable land, so it tracks how many people are working on a given area. When population pressure is high, land is divided into many small plots and farming relies on a lot of labor to produce enough food, which is characteristic of intensive subsistence farming. In contrast, when density is low, farms tend to be larger and can be run with less labor per unit of land or with more capital and technology, which fits extensive or commercial farming. So, higher density aligns with labor-intensive, intensive subsistence practices, while lower density aligns with extensive or commercial farming.