AP Human Geography Flashcards: Agricultural Origins And Diffusions

What this deck covers

This deck focuses on Agricultural Origins And Diffusions, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for AP Human Geography.

How to use these flashcards

Work through these flashcards in short sessions. Try to answer each prompt before flipping the card, then revisit any cards you miss until the explanation feels automatic.

Flashcard 1: What agricultural practice is characterized by large-scale grain production?

Answer: Commercial grain farming. Uses mechanization and large farms to produce grain for global markets.

Flashcard 2: What is the primary goal of sustainable agriculture?

Answer: To meet current food needs without compromising future generations. Balances environmental protection with economic viability for long-term success.

Flashcard 3: Where did the Green Revolution primarily take place?

Answer: Developing countries, notably India and Mexico. Targeted regions with food security issues and potential for increased yields.

Flashcard 4: Identify the primary factor behind the shift to industrial agriculture.

Answer: Technological advancements. Mechanization and scientific methods replaced traditional farming practices.

Flashcard 5: What is an example of a perennial crop?

Answer: Apple trees. Lives for multiple years, providing ongoing harvests without replanting.

Flashcard 6: Name a key crop domesticated in Mesoamerica.

Answer: Maize (corn). Became a staple crop that supported large populations in the Americas.

Flashcard 7: State the primary agricultural technique in shifting cultivation.

Answer: Slash-and-burn agriculture. Involves clearing forest, farming briefly, then moving to allow regeneration.

Flashcard 8: What is the primary purpose of subsistence agriculture?

Answer: To produce food primarily for the farmer's family. Focuses on survival rather than profit, common in developing regions.

Flashcard 9: What is an example of a perennial crop?

Answer: Apple trees. Lives for multiple years, providing ongoing harvests without replanting.

Flashcard 10: Identify the primary factor behind the shift to industrial agriculture.

Answer: Technological advancements. Mechanization and scientific methods replaced traditional farming practices.

Flashcard 11: What is a 'cash crop'?

Answer: A crop grown for sale rather than for the farmer's own use. Generates income rather than providing direct sustenance for farmers.

Flashcard 12: What is the primary use of agribusiness?

Answer: Commercial agriculture involving large-scale operations and corporations. Integrates farming with business practices to maximize efficiency and profit.

Flashcard 13: What is the main crop associated with plantation agriculture?

Answer: Cash crops like sugarcane, coffee, or cotton. Large-scale monoculture operations designed for export to global markets.

Flashcard 14: Which revolution introduced high-yield crop varieties?

Answer: The Green Revolution. Dramatically increased food production through improved seeds and technology.

Flashcard 15: What is monoculture?

Answer: The cultivation of a single crop in a given area. Increases efficiency but reduces biodiversity and resilience to disease.

Flashcard 16: Which animal was first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent?

Answer: Sheep. Provided wool, meat, and milk, making it valuable for early agricultural communities.

Flashcard 17: Identify a characteristic of organic farming.

Answer: No synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Relies on natural processes and biodiversity to maintain soil health.

Flashcard 18: What is the definition of agriculture?

Answer: The cultivation of crops and the raising of livestock for sustenance or economic gain. Forms the foundation of human civilization by providing food security.

Flashcard 19: What does the term 'agricultural diffusion' refer to?

Answer: The spread of agricultural practices from one region to another. Occurs through migration, trade, and cultural exchange between societies.

Flashcard 20: Which crop is associated with the Columbian Exchange?

Answer: Potato. Transformed European diets and agriculture after being brought from the Americas.

Flashcard 21: Identify a reason for the decline in small-scale farming.

Answer: Increased competition from large agribusinesses. Economic pressures force many small farmers out of business.

Flashcard 22: Identify the region where the Neolithic Revolution began.

Answer: The Fertile Crescent. Located in modern-day Middle East, where agriculture first developed around 10,000 BCE.

Flashcard 23: Which type of agriculture is most common in tropical rainforests?

Answer: Shifting cultivation. Adapted to forest environments where permanent clearing is not sustainable.

Flashcard 24: Name an environmental concern of intensive agriculture.

Answer: Soil degradation. Results from overuse of chemical inputs and intensive cultivation methods.

Flashcard 25: What agricultural practice is characterized by large-scale grain production?

Answer: Commercial grain farming. Uses mechanization and large farms to produce grain for global markets.

Flashcard 26: Identify a staple crop in sub-Saharan Africa.

Answer: Sorghum. Drought-resistant grain adapted to semi-arid conditions of the region.

Flashcard 27: Identify a characteristic of organic farming.

Answer: No synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Relies on natural processes and biodiversity to maintain soil health.

Flashcard 28: What is an example of a genetically modified crop?

Answer: Bt corn. Engineered to produce insecticide, reducing need for chemical pesticides.

Flashcard 29: What is the main characteristic of dry farming?

Answer: Relying on natural rainfall without irrigation. Practiced in regions with limited water resources and seasonal precipitation.

Flashcard 30: Identify a major agricultural hearth in Asia.

Answer: The Yangtze River Valley. One of several independent centers where agriculture developed around 9,000 years ago.

Flashcard 31: What is the significance of the Neolithic Revolution?

Answer: Transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture. Marked humanity's shift to settled life and food production around 10,000 years ago.

Flashcard 32: Which crop is associated with the Columbian Exchange?

Answer: Potato. Transformed European diets and agriculture after being brought from the Americas.

Flashcard 33: What is a common characteristic of subsistence farming?

Answer: Small-scale production. Typically involves family labor on plots smaller than 2 hectares.

Flashcard 34: What is vegetative planting?

Answer: Reproduction of plants by direct cloning from existing plants. Used for crops like bananas and potatoes that don't reproduce well from seeds.

Flashcard 35: Which innovation is most associated with the Second Agricultural Revolution?

Answer: The seed drill. Allowed precise seed placement, improving efficiency and crop yields.

Flashcard 36: Identify a major crop of Mediterranean agriculture.

Answer: Olives. Adapted to hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters of Mediterranean climate.

Flashcard 37: What is the main characteristic of dry farming?

Answer: Relying on natural rainfall without irrigation. Practiced in regions with limited water resources and seasonal precipitation.

Flashcard 38: Identify a characteristic of intensive subsistence farming.

Answer: High labor input per unit of land. Maximizes production from small plots through careful cultivation techniques.

Flashcard 39: Identify a characteristic of intensive subsistence farming.

Answer: High labor input per unit of land. Maximizes production from small plots through careful cultivation techniques.

Flashcard 40: What is pastoral nomadism?

Answer: A form of subsistence agriculture based on herding domesticated animals. Mobile lifestyle follows seasonal patterns to find pasture for livestock.

Flashcard 41: Which revolution introduced high-yield crop varieties?

Answer: The Green Revolution. Dramatically increased food production through improved seeds and technology.

Flashcard 42: Identify a major agricultural hearth in Asia.

Answer: The Yangtze River Valley. One of several independent centers where agriculture developed around 9,000 years ago.

Flashcard 43: What is the significance of the Neolithic Revolution?

Answer: Transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture. Marked humanity's shift to settled life and food production around 10,000 years ago.

Flashcard 44: Where did the Green Revolution primarily take place?

Answer: Developing countries, notably India and Mexico. Targeted regions with food security issues and potential for increased yields.

Flashcard 45: What practice is characterized by rotating crops to restore soil nutrients?

Answer: Crop rotation. Different crops use different nutrients, preventing soil depletion.

Flashcard 46: Identify a primary crop of the Green Revolution.

Answer: Wheat. High-yield varieties dramatically increased food production in developing countries.

Flashcard 47: What is the primary use of agribusiness?

Answer: Commercial agriculture involving large-scale operations and corporations. Integrates farming with business practices to maximize efficiency and profit.

Flashcard 48: What is the definition of agriculture?

Answer: The cultivation of crops and the raising of livestock for sustenance or economic gain. Forms the foundation of human civilization by providing food security.

Flashcard 49: What is transhumance?

Answer: Seasonal migration of livestock between mountains and lowland pastures. Maximizes pasture use by following seasonal precipitation and temperature patterns.

Flashcard 50: What is vegetative planting?

Answer: Reproduction of plants by direct cloning from existing plants. Used for crops like bananas and potatoes that don't reproduce well from seeds.

Flashcard 51: What practice is characterized by rotating crops to restore soil nutrients?

Answer: Crop rotation. Different crops use different nutrients, preventing soil depletion.

Flashcard 52: What is terrace farming?

Answer: Farming on stepped levels built into the sides of hills. Prevents erosion on steep slopes while maximizing cultivable land area.

Flashcard 53: Identify a region where wet rice is predominant.

Answer: Southeast Asia. Climate and terrain ideal for intensive rice cultivation using flooding methods.

Flashcard 54: Name an environmental concern of intensive agriculture.

Answer: Soil degradation. Results from overuse of chemical inputs and intensive cultivation methods.

Flashcard 55: What is pastoral nomadism?

Answer: A form of subsistence agriculture based on herding domesticated animals. Mobile lifestyle follows seasonal patterns to find pasture for livestock.

Flashcard 56: What is transhumance?

Answer: Seasonal migration of livestock between mountains and lowland pastures. Maximizes pasture use by following seasonal precipitation and temperature patterns.

Flashcard 57: Name an effect of the Columbian Exchange on Europe.

Answer: Introduction of new crops like potatoes and maize. These crops provided new nutrition sources and increased agricultural diversity.

Flashcard 58: Which animal was first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent?

Answer: Sheep. Provided wool, meat, and milk, making it valuable for early agricultural communities.