AP Human Geography Unit 5 Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is the Columbian Exchange?

The process of converting debt for nature.

The trade of plants, animals, and diseases between Europe and the Americas. (correct)

A network process of resource gathering and distribution.

A farming technique involving field rotation.

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?

It allows for two or more harvests a year from the same fields. Signup and view all the answers

What are economies of scale?

Savings in cost per unit due to increasing the level of production. Signup and view all the answers

What are factory farms?

Techniques of capital intensive animal-raising in an artificial environment. Signup and view all the answers

What is fair trade?

Trade where fair prices are paid to producers in developing countries. Signup and view all the answers

What is genetically modified food?

Food plants whose genetic characteristics have been altered through recombinant DNA technology. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Green Revolution?

The diffusion of higher yielding crops and agricultural techniques to developing countries. Signup and view all the answers

What is industrial agriculture?

A process where farming is integrated with production, storage, processing, and retailing. Signup and view all the answers

What is ridge tillage?

Planting on the ridge created by tilling. Signup and view all the answers

What was the Second Agricultural Revolution?

Improvements made during the middle ages through the 1800s in Europe. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Tragedy of the Commons?

A situation where individuals deplete a shared limited resource. Signup and view all the answers

What is an aquifer?

Natural storage of underground water. Signup and view all the answers

What is biotechnology?

Application of science and technology to living organisms and their products. Signup and view all the answers

What does Ester Boserup's theory state?

Population growth forces a conversion from extensive to intensive agriculture. Signup and view all the answers

What is a debt-for-nature swap?

Financial transactions where a portion of a developing nation's foreign debt is forgiven in exchange for reducing deforestation. Signup and view all the answers

What is deforestation?

The complete felling and clearing of a forest for agriculture. Signup and view all the answers

What is desertification?

Degradation of land in semiarid areas due to human actions. Signup and view all the answers

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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Description

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.