Questions and Answers
What is the Columbian Exchange?
What are commodity chains?
A network or process where firms gather resources, process them, and distribute finished goods.
What is crop rotation?
The practice of rotating use of different fields from crop to crop each year.
What is the significance of double/multi cropping?
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What are economies of scale?
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What are factory farms?
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What is fair trade?
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What is genetically modified food?
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What is the Green Revolution?
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What is industrial agriculture?
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What is ridge tillage?
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What was the Second Agricultural Revolution?
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What is the Tragedy of the Commons?
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What is an aquifer?
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What is biotechnology?
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What does Ester Boserup's theory state?
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What is a debt-for-nature swap?
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What is deforestation?
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What is desertification?
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Study Notes
Columbian Exchange
- Facilitated exchange of plants, animals, and diseases between Europe and the Americas during the late 15th century.
- Example of crop diffusion through colonialism, conquest, and trade.
Commodity Chains
- Network where firms gather resources, process them, and distribute finished goods.
- Agribusiness employs all economic sectors to deliver food to consumers.
Crop Rotation
- Rotating different crops in fields each year to prevent soil exhaustion.
- Increases agricultural yield and promotes self-fertilization, key aspect of the Second Agricultural Revolution.
Double/Multi Cropping
- Practice of harvesting two or more times a year from the same fields.
- Example: Vietnamese rice paddies achieving three rice yields annually through irrigation.
Economies of Scale
- Cost savings achieved per unit due to increased production levels.
- Agribusiness benefits by producing crops and goods cheaper than traditional farming, leveraging large-scale operations.
Factory Farms
- Intensive, capital-driven method of raising animals in controlled environments for meat, dairy, or eggs.
- Concerns over the inhumane conditions and health implications of confined animal practices.
Fair Trade
- Trade model ensuring producers in developing countries receive fair prices above the usual market rate.
- Significant impact on Central and South American farmers through fair trade coffee and chocolate initiatives.
Genetically Modified Food
- Crops genetically altered via recombinant DNA technology for higher yields and reduced chemical use.
- Example: Incorporating salmon DNA into tomato DNA to enhance frost resistance.
Green Revolution (Third)
- Spread of high-yielding crop varieties and agricultural techniques to less developed countries.
- Introduction of commercial agriculture and genetically modified organisms, notably miracle rice and wheat.
Industrial Agriculture
- Integration of farming with production, storage, processing, distribution, marketing, and retailing.
- Advances mechanization and input innovation such as GMOs and pesticides.
Ridge Tillage
- Agricultural method of planting on soil ridges resulting from tilling.
- Helps conserve soil and control weeds, especially when cover crops are utilized.
Second Agricultural Revolution
- Agricultural advancements from the Middle Ages through the 1800s in Europe.
- Innovations included crop rotation, field drainage, mechanization, and fertilization.
Tragedy of the Commons
- Concept where individual self-interest leads to depletion of shared limited resources.
- Highlights the rationale for establishing private property and enclosure laws.
Aquifer
- Underground water storage system crucial for irrigation.
- Aquifers are being depleted faster than their natural replenishment rates due to excessive irrigation demands.
Biotechnology
- Application of science and technology to living organisms and their components.
- Tackles problems like climate and distance, but may introduce new issues such as health risks and "super pests."
Ester Boserup
- Theorist stating that population growth necessitates a shift from extensive to intensive agriculture practices.
- Suggests that human innovation will find solutions to food supply issues as populations expand, exemplified by the Green Revolution.
Debt-for-nature Swap
- Financial mechanism forgiving part of a developing country's debt in exchange for commitments to reduce deforestation.
- Example: Implemented through the Tropical Forest Conservation Act of 1998.
Deforestation
- Complete clearing of forested areas typically for agriculture.
- Increases with population growth and industrialization; may decline as societies stabilize and develop.
Desertification
- Process of land degradation in semiarid regions primarily caused by human activities like over-cultivation and deforestation.
- Notably affects areas such as the Sahel region near the Sahara Desert.
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Test your knowledge of key concepts from Unit 5 of AP Human Geography with these flashcards. Learn about critical topics such as the Columbian Exchange and commodity chains that have shaped agricultural practices and global trade. Perfect for exam preparation and deepening your understanding of human geography.