Understanding our Environment

The agricultural revolution also changed the food we eat. The plants we grow and eat today are decended from wild plants. During harvest season, farmers collected seeds from plants that exhibited the qualities they desired. The seeds of plants with large kernels or sweet and nutritious flesh were planted and harvested again, Over the course of many generations, the domesticated plants became very differentfrom their wild ancestors. 

The agricultural revolution allowed human populations to grow at an unprecedented rate. An area of land can support up to 500 times as many people by farming as it can by hunting and gathering. As populations grew, they began to concentrate in smaller areas. These changes placed increased pressure on local environments.