Dominate 2025 AP World History – Unleash Your Inner History Buff!

Agricultural diffusion played a significant role in shaping population dynamics in Central and South America. With the introduction and spread of new agricultural practices and crops, communities were able to enhance food production, which directly supported population growth. As agricultural techniques improved, such as the development of irrigation and the domestication of key crops like maize, potatoes, and cassava, food surpluses became more common. This abundance of food allowed more people to be sustained in a given area, leading to higher birth rates and a decrease in mortality rates due to better nutrition.

The slow increment in population growth reflects how agricultural advancements often take time to have a noticeable effect on demographics. As societies adapted to agricultural lifestyles and settled into more permanent communities, they established a more stable food supply, fostering conditions conducive to population increases over generations. This gradual growth paved the way for the development of complex societies and civilizations in the region, further contributing to demographic changes.