1. Hunting and Gathering: This is the simplest subsistence strategy, relying on readily available resources in the environment. It requires minimal technology and often involves nomadic lifestyles.
2. Agricultural: This involves the cultivation of crops and domestication of animals. This is a more complex system than hunting and gathering, requiring more labor, planning, and technology.
3. Horticultural: This focuses on the cultivation of plants, often using techniques like tilling, irrigation, and selective breeding. It is more complex than simple agriculture because it involves more sophisticated methods and knowledge of plant life cycles.
4. Pastoral: This focuses on the herding of domesticated animals for food and other resources. It involves a more settled lifestyle than hunting and gathering but requires knowledge of animal husbandry, migration patterns, and resource management.
5. Industrial: This is the most complex system, relying on large-scale production, advanced technology, and specialized labor. It involves intricate networks of production, distribution, and consumption.
Important Note: This order is based on the general level of complexity in terms of technology, organization, and resource management. There is room for debate and variation within each category. For example, some pastoral societies are more complex than others, and early agricultural societies were far less complex than modern industrial ones.