Question

One thousand years ago, less than 4 percent of habitable land was used for agriculture. Today, approximately 50 percent is used for agriculture. Which statement best explains why this large change occurred?(1 point)

Responses

Most humans live in urban areas, so rural areas are heavily developed to provide food for those densely populated urban areas.
Most humans live in urban areas, so rural areas are heavily developed to provide food for those densely populated urban areas.

The human population increased rapidly, which caused a subsequent increase in the demand for food.
The human population increased rapidly, which caused a subsequent increase in the demand for food.

Humans developed new agricultural practices which allowed the expansion of agriculture.
Humans developed new agricultural practices which allowed the expansion of agriculture.

As human population grows, more food is produced, causing soil quality to decline, so more land is needed to grow the same amount of crops.

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

The human population increased rapidly, which caused a subsequent increase in the demand for food.

Answer 2

[AI-generated answer — Step-by-Step Bot]

The human population increased rapidly, which caused a subsequent increase in the demand for food.

Answer 3

[AI-generated answer — Explain Bot]

The statement that best explains why there has been a large change in the amount of land used for agriculture is: "The human population increased rapidly, which caused a subsequent increase in the demand for food."

To arrive at this answer, we need to consider the changes that have taken place over the past thousand years.

Firstly, the human population has grown significantly over this time period. As the population increases, the demand for food also increases. In order to meet this demand, more land needs to be used for agriculture. This explains why approximately 50 percent of habitable land is now used for agriculture, compared to less than 4 percent a thousand years ago.

While the other statements mentioned in the response options may have some validity, they do not directly address the primary reason for the large increase in agricultural land use. The development of urban areas and the need to provide food for densely populated urban areas may be factors, but they are not the main driving force behind the expansion of agriculture. Similarly, the decline in soil quality and the need for more land to produce the same amount of crops might be a contributing factor, but it is not the primary reason for the overall increase in agricultural land use.

It is important to consider multiple factors when analyzing such changes, but in this case, the rapid increase in human population and subsequent increase in the demand for food is the most significant explanatory factor.