AP Human Geography : Agriculture, Food Production, & Rural Land Use

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Human Geography

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Example Questions

Example Question #41 : Agriculture, Food Production, & Rural Land Use

Slash-and-burn agriculture is best described as a form of __________.

Possible Answers:

intensive cultivation

capital-intensive cultivation

extensive cultivation

labor-intensive cultivation

shifting cultivation

Correct answer:

shifting cultivation

Explanation:

“Slash-and-burn” agriculture involves burning a portion of forest so that the soil there can be used for agricultural purposes. The community then uses this land for a short time, possibly a few years, and then moves on to a new area, which is, in turn, burned for agricultural use. This practice of agriculture is defined by a constant process of moving from one plot of land to another and is known as “shifting cultivation.”

Example Question #1 : Wetland Destruction

Which of the following is not a consequence of wetland destruction?

Possible Answers:

Increased resistance to storms and flooding.

Decreased resistance to storms and flooding.

Decreased biodiversity.

Loss of natural water filtration systems.

Correct answer:

Increased resistance to storms and flooding.

Explanation:

Wetlands provide many services.  They filter water to make it cleaner, they absorb water from storms and decrease the probability of flooding in the surrounding area. They also tend to give a home to many different organisms. Destruction of wetlands impedes all of these services. Therefore, the correct answer must be  "increased resistance to storms and flooding." 

Example Question #41 : Agriculture, Food Production, & Rural Land Use

The primary advantage of slash-and-burn agriculture is that __________.

Possible Answers:

it allows for extremely profitable cultivation in tropical climates

it allows for extremely profitable cultivation in temperate climates

it is environmentally friendly and sufficiently profitable

it allows for sustainable farming in relatively small tropical societies

All of these answers are correct.

Correct answer:

it allows for sustainable farming in relatively small tropical societies

Explanation:

The primary advantage of “slash-and-burn” agriculture is that it allows for somewhat sustainable farming in relatively small tropical societies. The soil in many tropical climates is relatively weak in nutrients and so must be constantly recycled. Through a controlled system of “slash-and-burn” agriculture tropical soil is given enough time to recover and tropical vegetation is allowed the opportunity to regrow.

Example Question #41 : Agriculture, Food Production, & Rural Land Use

Goats, sheep, and camels all originated in __________.

Possible Answers:

Southwest Asia

Southeast Asia

Eastern Europe

North Africa

Western Europe

Correct answer:

Southwest Asia

Explanation:

Goats, sheep, and camels all originated in southwest Asia and are one part of the reason why many of the earliest agricultural societies and human civilizations arose in this part of the world. Throughout the history of civilization goats and sheep have been important for sustaining and clothing human populations, and camels have been vital to facilitating trade and long-distance travel.

Example Question #1 : Major Agricultural Production Regions

Most wheat and corn in the United States is produced in __________.

Possible Answers:

The Great Plains

The Northeast

The Mid-Atlantic

The West Coast

The Deep South

Correct answer:

The Great Plains

Explanation:

America is a very large and significant producer of wheat and corn. American wheat exports, for example, account for a quarter of the world’s supply of wheat. Wheat is a vital crop to maintaining the human population in its current numbers. Most of these important crops are grown in the “Great Plains” states such as Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, and parts of Texas.

Example Question #2 : Major Agricultural Production Regions

In which of these regions did bananas originate?

Possible Answers:

Eastern Europe

Southeast Asia

Central America

North Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa

Correct answer:

Southeast Asia

Explanation:

Although now grown in tropical climates around the world, particularly in Central America, bananas originated in Southeast Asia. Bananas are one of the most widely consumed foods in the world and are a staple of diets in regions as diverse as the Andean mountains, the jungles of southeast Asia, and the urban areas of the developed world.

Example Question #1 : Major Agricultural Production Regions

In which of these continents could the Pampas be found?

Possible Answers:

Africa

North America

Europe

Oceania

South America

Correct answer:

South America

Explanation:

The “Pampas” is a region of South America encompassing most of Uruguay, the southernmost state of Brazil, and large swathes of Argentina. Its importance is derived from its great fertility. It is a lowland region that is highly suitable for large-scale agriculture.

Example Question #3 : Major Bioclimatic Zones

In which of these parts of the world did potatoes originate?

Possible Answers:

The Andean mountains of South America

The lowlands of northwest Europe

The fertile plains of the Ganges in India

The rolling steppes of Central Asia

The Rocky mountains of the United States

Correct answer:

The Andean mountains of South America

Explanation:

Potatoes first originated in the Andean mountain region of South America (a region that includes the modern-day countries of Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Bolivia). They have long been a staple of the diet of people in this region, but in the 1500s they were brought back to Europe and became a staple of a diverse group of people’s diets around the world. Potatoes are uniquely malleable in terms of where and when they can be grown and have famously sustained whole nations in the past few hundred years.

Example Question #43 : Agriculture, Food Production, & Rural Land Use

Which of these American states is best suited to tropical agriculture?

Possible Answers:

California

New Mexico

Florida

Texas

Alabama

Correct answer:

Florida

Explanation:

Florida is the only state in America that can be said to have a tropical climate. The climate and terrain of South Florida is so unique in the United States that it is traditionally classed as its own separate category of agriculture. Florida is best suited to the growing of tropical crops, such as oranges. Texas has a varied climate, split largely between subtropical and arid desert regions. California ranges all the way from hot desert to subarctic to Mediterranean, but never gets to tropical. New Mexico has a semi-arid to arid climate. Alabama has a humid subtropical climate.

Example Question #3 : Major Agricultural Production Regions

In which of these parts of the world did corn originate?

Possible Answers:

Western Europe

Central America

Eastern Europe

The Middle East

South America

Correct answer:

Central America

Explanation:

Corn first originated in Central America, in modern-day Mexico, roughly seven thousand years ago. From there it diffused northwards into modern-day United States, and then eventually around the world. Corn is a crop that is highly dependent on human intervention in order to survive and flourish.

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