Agricultural Production Regions (College Board AP® Human Geography): Flashcards
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Define agricultural production regions.
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Cards in this collection (49)
Define agricultural production regions.
Agricultural production regions are areas of the world where specific types of agriculture are dominant.
Which factors influence agricultural production regions?
They are influenced by climate, soil type and quality, available technology, and local economic systems and cultural norms.
Define monoculture.
Monoculture refers to planting only one crop in a field at any given time.
Define monocropping.
Monocropping refers to the planting of only one crop year after year, and is a more extreme form of monoculture in which crops are never rotated.
What are the negative consequences of monocropping?
Monocropping can cause soil degradation, loss of biodiversity, and an increased risk of plant death from pests or viruses.
True or False?
Subsistence agriculture is most common in more developed countries.
False.
Subsistence agriculture is most common in less developed countries (LDCs), is labor intensive, and is characterized by small farms.
Define bid-rent theory.
Bid-rent theory argues that the price and demand for land change as the distance from the central business district (CBD) increases.
Under bid-rent theory, why is land near the city center used for intensive agriculture?
Land closer to the city center is more expensive, so it is used for intensive practices on smaller plots suited to perishable products.
Give two examples of intensive agricultural practices found near the city center.
Intensive practices near the city center include truck farming, dairy farming, and market gardening.
Give two examples of extensive agricultural practices found further from the city center.
Extensive practices further from the city center include ranching and grain farming.
agriculture is farming primarily for the farmer's self, family, or community, with little or no surplus produced for trade.
Subsistence agriculture is farming primarily for the farmer's self, family, or community, with little or no surplus produced for trade.
What two strategies can address the negative effects of monocropping?
Crop rotation and intercropping are potential strategies for addressing the negative effects of monocropping.
Define the spatial organization of agriculture.
The spatial organization of agriculture refers to the way different agricultural practices are distributed across the Earth's surface.
Define agribusiness.
Agribusiness is the system of commercial agriculture that links other industries, such as transportation, processing, distribution, and marketing, to agricultural production.
What characterizes large-scale commercial farming?
It produces crops for sale and profit, relies on mechanized rather than human labor, and consolidates operations on large farms.
Define commodity chain.
A commodity chain includes all of the activities involved in the creation of a product, including design, production of raw materials, manufacturing and assembly, and distribution.
Define economies of scale.
Economies of scale are the decrease in production costs that result from producing large numbers of an item.
What contributes to economies of scale?
Bulk purchasing of supplies, specialized labor, and efficient use of machinery contribute to economies of scale.
Which technologies have led to more large-scale commercial farming?
Improvements in irrigation, mechanization, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have led to more large-scale commercial farming.
agriculture is primarily found in tropical Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Plantation agriculture is primarily found in tropical Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
True or False?
Increased agricultural technology raises the carrying capacity of an area.
True.
Increased production due to technology also increases the carrying capacity of an area.
Where is ranching most commonly found?
Ranching is most common in the western United States, parts of South America such as the Pampas of Argentina, and Australia.
Which crops are grown in Mediterranean agricultural zones?
Crops like grapes, citrus, olives, and figs are grown in Mediterranean agricultural zones.
How has globalization affected commercial agriculture?
Globalization has increased global demand for many products, leading to increases in commercial agriculture.
Define the von Thünen model.
The von Thünen model describes the pattern of agricultural land use surrounding a town, village, or city, determined by transportation costs and distance from the market.
Who was Johann Heinrich von Thünen?
Johann Heinrich von Thünen was a 19th-century German economist.
What lies at the center of the von Thünen model?
At the center of the von Thünen model is the town or urban center.
What is located in the first ring, closest to the town?
The first ring contains market gardening and dairy farming, which are the most perishable and require the most human labor.
What is located in the second ring of the von Thünen model?
The second ring contains forests that provide wood for fuel.
What is located in the third ring of the von Thünen model?
The third ring contains crops like wheat and grass that require larger plots of land and less human labor.
What is located in the fourth ring of the von Thünen model?
The fourth ring contains ranching and livestock, which require extensive plots of land and little human labor.
In the von Thünen model, intensive farming is closest to the town and farming is furthest away.
In the von Thünen model, intensive farming is closest to the town and extensive farming is furthest away.
Which theory does the von Thünen model draw on to explain land cost?
The von Thünen model draws on bid-rent theory to explain the cost of land in relation to distance from the market.
True or False?
For the von Thünen model to work, the land must be flat and uniform.
True.
For the model to work, the land must be flat and uniform, farmers must have equal access to transportation, and the climate must be equal.
State one critique of the von Thünen model.
Critics argue the model failed to consider government policies, social customs, and physical differences in land type.
Why is the von Thünen model less relevant today?
It is less relevant today because more efficient transportation and refrigeration reduce the importance of distance and perishability.
Give a major exception to the von Thünen model.
A major exception is specialty farming such as citrus production in Florida, which lies far from the market center despite being perishable.
Define the global supply chain.
The global supply chain connects a crop's production to its storage, transport, processing, packaging, and sale in locations around the world.
Define an export commodity.
An export commodity is a product sent from one country to another for sale on the global market.
Define export-oriented agriculture.
Export-oriented agriculture is the focus on the production of agricultural products for sale on the global market.
Why can reliance on exports pose problems for a country's economy?
The country becomes vulnerable to price fluctuations in the global market and lacks diversification in its economy.
Give three examples of agricultural export commodities.
Examples include tea from Sri Lanka, sugar from Cuba, and coffee from Haiti.
Define global food distribution.
Global food distribution refers to the systems that facilitate the movement of agricultural products from the location of their production to the location of their consumption.
Which transportation infrastructure does global food distribution rely on?
It relies on trucking, shipping, and air freight that move food across long distances.
Food is unevenly distributed due to economic differences between more developed countries and countries.
Food is unevenly distributed due to economic differences between more developed countries and less developed countries.
True or False?
Individuals in MDCs consume a disproportionately large amount of world food production.
True.
Individuals living in MDCs have greater access to food and consume a disproportionately large amount of world food production.
Which countries often become dependent on the export of agricultural products?
Less developed countries (LDCs) often become dependent on the export of agricultural products, often grown using plantation agriculture.
What governs the tariffs, trade, and safety standards that affect agricultural distribution?
Trade agreements between countries and international treaties govern tariffs, trade, and safety standards affecting the movement of agricultural products.
What determines global food prices and patterns of distribution?
Global supply and demand determine food prices and patterns of distribution.
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