unit 5

Question 1

agraculture

Answer 1

The deliberate modification of Earth’s surface through cultivation of plants and raising of animals for food or economic gain.

Question 2

Climate regions (low latitude)

Answer 2

Low-altitude regions are near sea level in the tropics, where it is hot year-round with frequent rainfall and long growing seasons. Common crops include bananas, sugarcane, rice, cocoa, and some coffee. These crops grow well because they need constant warmth and lots of moisture, which tropical lowlands provide.

Question 3

Climate regions (high latitude)

Answer 3

High-altitude regions are mountainous areas with cool temperatures and short growing seasons. Only hardy, cold-tolerant crops succeed here. Common examples include potatoes, barley, quinoa, and oats. These crops grow well because they can survive colder conditions and mature quickly.

Question 4

Climate regions (mid latitude)

Answer 4

Mid-altitude regions occur at moderate elevations with milder temperatures and moderate rainfall. Conditions are cooler than the lowlands but still good for farming. Typical crops include corn (maize), beans, wheat, high-quality arabica coffee, and fruits like apples and peaches. These crops thrive because the climate is balanced — not too hot or too cold.

Question 5

Mediterranean agriculture

Answer 5

Farming system in warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters focusing on crops like olives, grapes, and citrus.

Question 6

Subsistence Agriculture

Answer 6

Farming in which food is produced mainly for the farmer’s family consumption rather than for sale.

Question 7

Commercial agriculture

Answer 7

Farming in which products are grown primarily for sale and profit.

Question 8

Bid-Rent Theory

Answer 8

A theory explaining how land users compete for land closest to markets, with the highest bidder getting the most accessible land.

Question 9

Metes and bounds

Answer 9

A land survey system using natural features and landmarks to define property boundaries.

Question 10

Long-lot survey system

Answer 10

Land divided into long, narrow strips perpendicular to a river.

Question 11

Township and Range system

Answer 11

A grid-based land survey system dividing land into square townships and sections.

Question 12

Clustered Settlement

Answer 12

A rural settlement pattern where homes are grouped closely together.

Question 13

Dispersed Settlement

Answer 13

A rural settlement pattern where homes and farms are spread out over a large area.

Question 14

Linear Settlement

Answer 14

A settlement pattern where buildings are arranged along a road, river, or valley.

Question 15

Intensive agriculture

Answer 15

Farming that uses a large amount of labor and/or capital per unit of land to maximize yield usualy in high population situations.

Question 16

Monocropping

Answer 16

The practice of growing the same crop on the same land year after year, usualy as a result of colonization.

Question 17

Double Cropping

Answer 17

Growing two crops on the same field in the same year.

Question 18

Monoculture

Answer 18

The cultivation of a single crop species over a large area.

Question 19

Crop Rotation

Answer 19

The practice of alternating different crops on the same field to maintain soil fertility.

Question 20

Plantation Agriculture

Answer 20

Large-scale commercial farming in tropical climates specializing in one cash crop.

Question 21

Market gardening

Answer 21

The small-scale production of fruits, vegetables, and flowers for sale in nearby markets.

Question 22

Truck Farming

Answer 22

Commercial gardening and fruit farming where produce is shipped long distances to markets (first ring).

Question 23

Mixed crop and livestock systems

Answer 23

Farming that grows crops and raises animals together on the same farm.

Question 24

Extensive agriculture

Answer 24

Farming that uses large areas of land with relatively low inputs of labor per acre.

Question 25

Organic farming

Answer 25

Agriculture that avoids synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

Question 26

Shifting Cultivation

Answer 26

Subsistence farming where land is cleared, farmed briefly, then abandoned for a new plot.

Question 27

Slash-and-Burn Agriculture

Answer 27

A form of shifting cultivation where vegetation is cut and burned to clear land.

Question 28

Pastoral nomadism / pastoral herding

Answer 28

Raising livestock while moving seasonally to find grazing land.

Question 29

Transhumance

Answer 29

Seasonal movement of livestock between highland and lowland pastures.

Question 30

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)

Answer 30

Large industrial facilities where animals are confined and fed to maximize production.

Question 31

Domestication

Answer 31

The process of adapting wild plants and animals for human use.

Question 32

Foragers

Answer 32

People who obtain food by hunting, gathering, and fishing rather than farming.

Question 33

Agricultural hearth

Answer 33

A geographic area where agriculture first developed.

Question 34

Fertile Crescent

Answer 34

A region in Southwest Asia where some of the earliest agriculture began.

Question 35

Columbian Exchange

Answer 35

The transfer of plants, animals, people, and diseases between the Americas and the Old World after 1492.

Question 36

First Agricultural Revolution (Neolithic)

Answer 36

The shift from hunting and gathering to farming about 10,000 years ago (hearts, Neolithic Revolution, and subsistence agriculture).

Question 37

Second Agricultural Revolution

Answer 37

Improvements in mechanical farming during the 1700s–1800s that increased food production (Industrial Revolution, enclosure movement, and commercial agriculture).

Question 38

Enclosure System

Answer 38

The consolidation of small farms into larger, fenced fields in England.

Question 39

Third Agricultural Revolution

Answer 39

The modern period of agricultural advances using machinery, chemicals, and biotechnology (intensive agriculture, agribusiness, and globalization of agriculture).

Question 40

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Answer 40

Organisms whose DNA has been altered using biotechnology.

Question 41

Green Revolution

Answer 41

The spread of high-yield seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation in the mid-1900s that boosted food production in developing countries (sustainability debates, soil degradation, water use, and economic inequality between farmers)..

Question 42

Infrastructure

Answer 42

The basic physical systems that support agriculture and economic activity.

Question 43

Dual Agricultural Economy

Answer 43

The coexistence of large commercial farms and small subsistence farms in the same country.

Question 44

Agribusiness

Answer 44

Large-scale commercial agriculture run by corporations.

Question 45

Hybrid crops

Answer 45

Crops bred by combining different varieties to improve yield or resistance.

Question 46

Vertical Integration

Answer 46

When a single company controls multiple stages of food production and distribution.

Question 47

Commodity chain

Answer 47

The sequence of processes involved in producing and distributing a product.

Question 48

Farm Subsidies

Answer 48

Government payments to farmers to support agricultural production.

Question 49

Tariffs

Answer 49

Taxes placed on imported goods to protect domestic producers.

Question 50

Von Thünen model

Answer 50

A model that explains agricultural land use based on distance from a central market.

Question 51

Global supply chains

Answer 51

Worldwide networks that produce and distribute food and goods.

Question 52

Cash crop

Answer 52

A crop grown primarily for sale rather than for personal consumption.

Question 53

Fair trade

Answer 53

A system that ensures farmers receive fair prices and ethical working conditions.

Question 54

Sustainable Agriculture

Answer 54

Farming practices that protect the environment and maintain productivity long term.

Question 55

Agricultural landscapes

Answer 55

The visible human imprint on the land from agricultural activity.

Question 56

Agroecosystem

Answer 56

An ecosystem managed for agriculture, including crops, soil, and organisms.

Question 57

Deforestation

Answer 57

The clearing of forests for agriculture or development.

Question 58

Terracing

Answer 58

Creating stepped fields on hillsides to reduce erosion and retain water.

Question 59

Aquaculture

Answer 59

The farming of fish and other aquatic organisms.

Question 60

Reservoir

Answer 60

An artificial lake used to store water.

Question 61

Aquifer

Answer 61

An underground layer of rock that holds groundwater.

Question 62

Wetlands

Answer 62

Land areas saturated with water that support unique ecosystems.

Question 63

Desertification

Answer 63

The degradation of land in arid areas into desert-like conditions.

Question 64

Biodiversity

Answer 64

The variety of plant and animal species in an area.

Question 65

Salinization

Answer 65

The buildup of salt in soil, often from irrigation.

Question 66

Debt-for-nature swaps

Answer 66

Agreements where part of a country’s debt is forgiven in exchange for environmental protection.

Question 67

Biotechnology

Answer 67

The use of living organisms or genetic engineering in agriculture.

Question 68

Agricultural biodiversity

Answer 68

The variety of crops and livestock used in farming.

Question 69

Precision agriculture

Answer 69

Using GPS and technology to manage crops efficiently.

Question 70

Value-added crops

Answer 70

Raw agricultural products that are processed to increase value.

Question 71

Food security

Answer 71

Reliable access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food.

Question 72

Food insecurity

Answer 72

Lack of consistent access to enough food for an active life.

Question 73

Suburbanization

Answer 73

The movement of people and development from cities into surrounding suburbs.

Question 74

Food deserts

Answer 74

Areas with limited access to affordable, nutritious food.

Question 75

Economies of scale

Answer 75

Cost advantages gained when production is increased.

Question 76

Fertile Crescent

Answer 76

The Fertile Crescent in Southwest Asia was an early agricultural hearth. Farmers domesticated wheat, barley, lentils, sheep, and goats. Fertile soil and a Mediterranean climate made farming possible. Agriculture later diffused into Europe, North Africa, and South Asia.

Question 77

Plant Hearth — Wheat

Answer 77

Wheat was first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent of Southwest Asia. The region’s Mediterranean climate and fertile soils supported early grain farming. Wheat later diffused widely into Europe, North Africa, and South Asia.

Question 78

Plant Hearth — Rice

Answer 78

Rice was domesticated in East Asia, especially along the Yangtze River in China. Warm temperatures and abundant water made wet rice cultivation possible. Rice later spread throughout East, Southeast, and South Asia.

Question 79

Plant Hearth — Maize (Corn)

Answer 79

Maize was first domesticated in Mesoamerica (southern Mexico). It became the staple crop of many American civilizations. Maize later diffused throughout North and South America and eventually worldwide.

Question 80

Plant Hearth — Potatoes

Answer 80

Potatoes were domesticated in the Andean Highlands of South America (modern Peru region). The cool, high-altitude climate suited potato farming. Potatoes later spread to Europe and became a global staple.

Question 81

Plant Hearth — Sorghum

Answer 81

Sorghum was domesticated in the Sahel region of Sub-Saharan Africa. It is well adapted to hot, dry climates and seasonal rainfall. Sorghum later spread across Africa and parts of Asia.

Question 82

Von Thünen Model — Ring 1

Answer 82

Closest ring with highly perishable products like vegetables, fruits, and milk. Farming is intensive and often includes truck farming. Located near the city to reduce spoilage and transport costs. Key terms: intensive agriculture, perishability, truck farming.

Question 83

Von Thünen Model — Ring 2

Answer 83

Traditionally contained forests for firewood and timber because wood was heavy and costly to transport. Less common today due to modern energy and shipping. Key terms: bulky goods, transportation cost, model limitation.

Question 84

Von Thünen Model — Ring 3

Answer 84

Includes less perishable crops like wheat and corn. Farms are larger and more mechanized than inner rings. This is commercial, more extensive farming. Key terms: extensive agriculture, mechanization, lower land rent.

Question 85

Von Thünen Model — Ring 4

Answer 85

Outermost ring with livestock grazing on large, cheap land areas. Animals can walk to market, reducing transport costs. This is extensive agriculture. Key terms: ranching, extensive agriculture, low population density.