Which outcome occurred when ancient Mesopotamian canal sedimentation reduced water flow to distant fields?

💡 Explanation

When canals silted up, reduced water flow resulted in decreased leaching of salts upwards through the soil layers, causing increased soil salinity because capillary action accumulated salts faster than rainfall could remove them. Therefore soil salinity increased, rather than pest issues, altering farming patterns, or tool production which depend on other limiting factors.

• Which outcome occurred when repeated cycles of draining and reflooding degraded soil salinity in ancient Mesopotamian agriculture?
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