AP Human Geography Flashcards: Spatial Organization Of Agriculture

What this deck covers

This deck focuses on Spatial Organization Of 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: State one advantage of mixed crop and livestock farming.

Answer: Spreads the risk of crop failure. Diversification reduces dependence on single crop success.

Flashcard 2: What characterizes urban agriculture?

Answer: Growing food within or around cities. Reduces transportation costs and increases food access.

Flashcard 3: What is polyculture?

Answer: Cultivating multiple crops in the same space. Increases biodiversity and natural pest control.

Flashcard 4: What is polyculture?

Answer: Cultivating multiple crops in the same space. Increases biodiversity and natural pest control.

Flashcard 5: What is the primary characteristic of pastoral nomadism?

Answer: Herding domesticated animals in dry climates. Mobile lifestyle adapted to arid and semi-arid regions.

Flashcard 6: Which crop is predominantly grown in intensive subsistence farming?

Answer: Rice. Staple crop supporting dense populations in Asia.

Flashcard 7: What is terrace farming?

Answer: Creating stepped levels on a hillside for farming. Ancient technique still used in mountainous regions.

Flashcard 8: State the primary goal of precision agriculture.

Answer: Optimize field-level management with technology. Uses GPS and sensors for targeted resource application.

Flashcard 9: What does the term 'agribusiness' refer to?

Answer: Integration of agriculture with other sectors of the economy. Encompasses entire food supply chain from farm to consumer.

Flashcard 10: What is the primary purpose of plantation agriculture?

Answer: Production of cash crops for export. Large-scale monoculture for international trade.

Flashcard 11: What is intercropping?

Answer: Growing two or more crops in proximity. Efficient use of space and complementary plant relationships.

Flashcard 12: What is aquaculture?

Answer: Breeding, raising, and harvesting fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants. Addresses growing demand for seafood worldwide.

Flashcard 13: What is the primary focus of permaculture?

Answer: Designing agricultural landscapes that mimic natural ecosystems. Creates self-sustaining agricultural systems through design.

Flashcard 14: What does 'crop rotation' involve?

Answer: Alternating the species of crops grown on a piece of land. Maintains soil nutrients and breaks pest cycles.

Flashcard 15: Identify a disadvantage of the Green Revolution.

Answer: Increased use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Environmental costs of intensive chemical agriculture.

Flashcard 16: What crop is typically found in the innermost ring of the Von Thünen Model?

Answer: Dairy and intensive farming. High-value, perishable products need proximity to market.

Flashcard 17: What is aquaculture?

Answer: Breeding, raising, and harvesting fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants. Addresses growing demand for seafood worldwide.

Flashcard 18: Identify a benefit of intercropping.

Answer: Improves soil fertility and reduces pests. Plants can support each other's growth needs.

Flashcard 19: State the primary purpose of terrace farming.

Answer: Prevent soil erosion on hilly terrain. Maximizes usable land area on steep slopes.

Flashcard 20: What is the Green Revolution?

Answer: Increase in agricultural production via improved technology. Dramatically increased global food production since 1960s.

Flashcard 21: What is the main purpose of contour plowing?

Answer: Reduce soil erosion by plowing parallel to contours. Follows natural land contours to prevent runoff.

Flashcard 22: Define 'land tenure'.

Answer: The rights individuals or communities have to land. Affects agricultural investment and productivity decisions.

Flashcard 23: State the primary purpose of terrace farming.

Answer: Prevent soil erosion on hilly terrain. Maximizes usable land area on steep slopes.

Flashcard 24: What is the primary benefit of agroforestry?

Answer: Enhances biodiversity and soil quality. Trees provide multiple ecosystem services to farms.

Flashcard 25: What is terrace farming?

Answer: Creating stepped levels on a hillside for farming. Ancient technique still used in mountainous regions.

Flashcard 26: What is the primary focus of permaculture?

Answer: Designing agricultural landscapes that mimic natural ecosystems. Creates self-sustaining agricultural systems through design.

Flashcard 27: What does 'agroforestry' involve?

Answer: Integrating trees and shrubs into farming systems. Combines forestry with agricultural practices sustainably.

Flashcard 28: Identify a key feature of industrial agriculture.

Answer: Large-scale, mechanized production. Capital-intensive system focused on efficiency and scale.

Flashcard 29: Identify the main feature of intensive subsistence agriculture.

Answer: High labor input for high yield per land unit. Maximizes output from small plots in densely populated areas.

Flashcard 30: Identify a key environmental impact of monoculture.

Answer: Reduction in biodiversity. Creates vulnerability to pests and diseases.

Flashcard 31: Identify a key feature of industrial agriculture.

Answer: Large-scale, mechanized production. Capital-intensive system focused on efficiency and scale.

Flashcard 32: Identify the model used to explain agricultural land use around a market.

Answer: Von Thünen Model. Classic concentric ring model based on transportation costs.

Flashcard 33: Define 'land tenure'.

Answer: The rights individuals or communities have to land. Affects agricultural investment and productivity decisions.

Flashcard 34: Identify the primary concern of organic farming.

Answer: Avoidance of synthetic chemicals in agriculture. Promotes natural methods to maintain soil health.

Flashcard 35: Define 'food desert'.

Answer: Area with limited access to affordable and nutritious food. Often found in low-income urban neighborhoods.

Flashcard 36: Which factor primarily determines land use intensity in the Von Thünen Model?

Answer: Distance from the market. Transportation costs increase with distance from market.

Flashcard 37: What does 'food sovereignty' aim to achieve?

Answer: Communities control over the way food is produced. Emphasizes local control over global food systems.

Flashcard 38: What is the main goal of sustainable agriculture?

Answer: Meet current needs without compromising future resources. Balances environmental protection with economic viability.

Flashcard 39: Identify the main feature of intensive subsistence agriculture.

Answer: High labor input for high yield per land unit. Maximizes output from small plots in densely populated areas.

Flashcard 40: What is the primary focus of agricultural geography?

Answer: Study of spatial patterns and processes in agriculture. Examines where agricultural activities occur and why.

Flashcard 41: Which type of farming is characterized by high inputs and outputs per unit area?

Answer: Intensive farming. Maximizes productivity through technology and labor.

Flashcard 42: Identify the practice of shifting cultivation.

Answer: Clearing land, farming it, then moving to a new area. Allows soil to recover nutrients naturally over time.

Flashcard 43: What does 'agroforestry' involve?

Answer: Integrating trees and shrubs into farming systems. Combines forestry with agricultural practices sustainably.

Flashcard 44: Define 'fallow' in agricultural terms.

Answer: Leaving land unseeded for a period to restore fertility. Natural method of soil fertility restoration.

Flashcard 45: What is the primary focus of agricultural geography?

Answer: Study of spatial patterns and processes in agriculture. Examines where agricultural activities occur and why.

Flashcard 46: What does 'food sovereignty' aim to achieve?

Answer: Communities control over the way food is produced. Emphasizes local control over global food systems.

Flashcard 47: Define commercial agriculture.

Answer: Farming primarily for sale, not direct consumption. Market-oriented production for economic profit.

Flashcard 48: What is the primary benefit of agroforestry?

Answer: Enhances biodiversity and soil quality. Trees provide multiple ecosystem services to farms.

Flashcard 49: What is subsistence agriculture?

Answer: Farming to meet the needs of the farmer's family. Focuses on household food security rather than profit.

Flashcard 50: What is monoculture?

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

Flashcard 51: What is intercropping?

Answer: Growing two or more crops in proximity. Efficient use of space and complementary plant relationships.