AP Human Geography Flashcards: Introduction To Agriculture

What this deck covers

This deck focuses on Introduction To Agriculture, 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 is agribusiness?

Answer: Integration of various steps of food production. Includes farming, processing, distribution, and retail operations.

Flashcard 2: Identify the main goal of integrated pest management (IPM).

Answer: To minimize pest damage with minimal environmental impact. Combines biological, cultural, and chemical controls strategically.

Flashcard 3: Define precision livestock farming.

Answer: Technology-based management of livestock farming. Uses sensors and automation to monitor animal health and behavior.

Flashcard 4: Identify the main goal of conservation tillage.

Answer: Reduce soil erosion and water loss. Minimizes soil disturbance while maintaining crop residue cover.

Flashcard 5: What is vertical farming?

Answer: Growing crops in stacked layers or vertically inclined surfaces. Maximizes production in limited urban space using technology.

Flashcard 6: What is vertical farming?

Answer: Growing crops in stacked layers or vertically inclined surfaces. Maximizes production in limited urban space using technology.

Flashcard 7: What is agroforestry?

Answer: Integrating trees and shrubs into crop and livestock systems. Creates beneficial interactions between trees and agricultural systems.

Flashcard 8: What is the primary characteristic of plantation agriculture?

Answer: Large-scale monoculture for export crops. Typically found in tropical regions producing cash crops like coffee or sugar.

Flashcard 9: Define monoculture.

Answer: Cultivation of a single crop in a given area. Increases efficiency but reduces genetic diversity and increases pest risk.

Flashcard 10: Identify the main characteristic of a pastoral society.

Answer: Economy based primarily on animal husbandry. Mobile lifestyle following seasonal grazing patterns for livestock.

Flashcard 11: Define polyculture.

Answer: Cultivating multiple crops in the same space. Promotes biodiversity and natural ecosystem balance.

Flashcard 12: What distinguishes organic farming from conventional farming?

Answer: Use of natural inputs and no synthetic chemicals. Relies on crop rotation, composting, and biological pest control.

Flashcard 13: Define aquaculture.

Answer: Raising aquatic organisms for food. Includes fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants in controlled environments.

Flashcard 14: What is the primary characteristic of plantation agriculture?

Answer: Large-scale monoculture for export crops. Typically found in tropical regions producing cash crops like coffee or sugar.

Flashcard 15: What is the primary focus of regenerative agriculture?

Answer: Restoring soil health and ecosystem biodiversity. Goes beyond sustainability to actively improve environmental conditions.

Flashcard 16: What is a GMO (Genetically Modified Organism)?

Answer: An organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering. Created to enhance desired traits like pest resistance or nutrition.

Flashcard 17: Define shifting cultivation.

Answer: A farming method involving moving fields periodically. Allows soil to recover while farmers move to new plots.

Flashcard 18: What is arable land?

Answer: Land suitable for growing crops. Distinguished from pasture land which is used for grazing.

Flashcard 19: What is hydroponics?

Answer: Growing plants without soil, using nutrient solutions. Allows precise control of nutrients and growing conditions.

Flashcard 20: Identify the main characteristic of a pastoral society.

Answer: Economy based primarily on animal husbandry. Mobile lifestyle following seasonal grazing patterns for livestock.

Flashcard 21: What is tillage?

Answer: The preparation of land for growing crops. Includes plowing, harrowing, and other soil preparation methods.

Flashcard 22: Define urban agriculture.

Answer: Growing food within city or urban areas. Includes rooftop gardens, vertical farms, and community gardens.

Flashcard 23: Identify the main benefit of crop diversification.

Answer: Reduces risk and increases resilience to pests and diseases. Multiple crops provide insurance against crop failure.

Flashcard 24: Identify the main purpose of slash-and-burn agriculture.

Answer: To clear land and enrich soil with ash. Traditional method used in tropical forests for temporary cultivation.

Flashcard 25: What is the primary advantage of no-till farming?

Answer: Preserves soil structure and reduces erosion. Maintains soil moisture and organic matter while reducing costs.

Flashcard 26: Which agricultural practice involves transhumance?

Answer: Seasonal movement of livestock between grazing areas. Pastoral nomads move herds seasonally for better grazing.

Flashcard 27: Define intercropping.

Answer: Growing multiple crops in proximity. Maximizes land use and can provide natural pest control.

Flashcard 28: Identify the main characteristic of dryland farming.

Answer: Farming relying on rainfall rather than irrigation. Practiced in regions with limited water resources.

Flashcard 29: Define aquaculture.

Answer: Raising aquatic organisms for food. Includes fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants in controlled environments.

Flashcard 30: What is crop rotation?

Answer: Alternating crops to maintain soil fertility. Prevents soil depletion and breaks pest cycles naturally.

Flashcard 31: What is subsistence agriculture?

Answer: Agriculture for self-sufficiency, not for sale. Farmers grow only what they need to feed their families.

Flashcard 32: Define precision livestock farming.

Answer: Technology-based management of livestock farming. Uses sensors and automation to monitor animal health and behavior.

Flashcard 33: Identify the main goal of sustainable agriculture.

Answer: To maintain environmental health and productivity. Balances economic viability with ecological preservation for future generations.

Flashcard 34: What is permaculture?

Answer: Design system for sustainable agriculture modeled on natural ecosystems. Emphasizes permanent, self-sustaining agricultural systems.

Flashcard 35: Identify the primary crop of the Green Revolution.

Answer: High-yield varieties of rice and wheat. Increased food production but required fertilizers and pesticides.

Flashcard 36: What is arable land?

Answer: Land suitable for growing crops. Distinguished from pasture land which is used for grazing.

Flashcard 37: Identify the main feature of pastoral nomadism.

Answer: Herding livestock seasonally over large areas. Practiced in arid regions where permanent settlement is difficult.

Flashcard 38: What is a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)?

Answer: A system where consumers subscribe to receive seasonal produce directly from farmers. Provides direct farmer-to-consumer relationship and shared risk.

Flashcard 39: What is the primary advantage of no-till farming?

Answer: Preserves soil structure and reduces erosion. Maintains soil moisture and organic matter while reducing costs.

Flashcard 40: Define shifting cultivation.

Answer: A farming method involving moving fields periodically. Allows soil to recover while farmers move to new plots.

Flashcard 41: What is intensive subsistence agriculture?

Answer: High labor input for maximum yield on small land. Common in densely populated areas like East Asia.