#AP Human Geography: Agriculture Study Guide 🧑‍🌾

Hey there! Let's get you prepped for the AP Human Geography exam with a super focused review of agriculture. We'll break down the key concepts, make connections, and get you feeling confident. Let's go!

#🌍 Physical Geography & Agriculture: The Foundation

• Climate: Determines what crops can grow (e.g., hot & dry = cotton, cold & wet = potatoes).
• Soil: Fertility and type affect crop yields.
• Topography: Flat land is easier for farming than mountains.
• Water: Availability for irrigation is crucial.

#How They Connect 🔗

• Physical geography sets the potential for agriculture.
• Agricultural practices are the human response to that potential.
• For example, dry regions might use irrigation, while hilly areas might support grazing.

#🚜 Intensive Farming: High Input, High Output

Intensive farming aims to maximize yields using high levels of inputs (chemicals, fertilizers, irrigation). It's all about getting the most out of each piece of land.

• Goal: High production, low cost.
• Common in: Densely populated areas with high food demand.
• Inputs: Chemical fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, high-yield crops.

#Key Intensive Practices:

1. Monoculture: Growing a single crop over a large area. ⚠️ Risky due to pest/disease vulnerability.

   

   Caption: A large monoculture corn field in Iowa.

2. Irrigation: Artificially supplying water to crops.

3. Chemical Fertilizers: Enhance soil fertility, boosting yields.

4. Pesticides: Control pests, but can harm non-target species and the environment.

5. Factory Farming: Confining large numbers of animals in small spaces. 🐄🐔🐷

   

   Caption: A factory farm where pigs are raised in close quarters.

#Mixed Crop/Livestock Systems

• Crops and livestock on the same land. 🔄

• More sustainable than monoculture.

• Animals provide manure, crops provide feed.

• Example: Small family farms with diverse crops and animals.

  

  Caption: A mixed crop and livestock farm in the UK.

#Plantation Agriculture

• Large-scale monoculture of export crops (coffee, cocoa, bananas). 🌴

• High use of chemical inputs and mechanization.

• Often has negative impacts on the environment and local communities.

  

  Caption: A large banana plantation in Costa Rica.

#🏞️ Extensive Farming: Low Input, Large Area

Extensive farming uses less input (labor, capital, chemicals) over large land areas. It's all about working with nature, not against it.

• Goal: Production with minimal inputs.
• Common in: Areas with low population density and abundant land.
• Relies on: Natural resources like sunlight and rainfall.

#Key Extensive Practices:

1. Nomadic Herding: Moving livestock in search of pasture. 🐑🐐

   

   Caption: Nomadic herders moving their livestock in Mongolia.

2. Ranching: Raising livestock on large areas of land.

3. Shifting Cultivation: Clearing land, farming for a few years, then moving on. ♻️

   

   Caption: Slash and burn agriculture in a tropical region.

#🎯 Final Exam Focus

#High-Priority Topics

• Intensive vs. Extensive Farming: Know the differences and examples.
• Environmental Impacts: Understand the consequences of different practices.
• Physical Geography's Role: How climate, soil, and topography influence agriculture.
• Specific Farming Types: Be ready to discuss monoculture, mixed systems, plantation agriculture, nomadic herding, ranching, and shifting cultivation.

#Common Question Types

• Multiple Choice: Expect questions that test your understanding of definitions and examples.
• Short Answer: Be prepared to explain the relationships between physical geography and agriculture.
• Free Response: Practice writing about the advantages and disadvantages of different farming systems.

#Last-Minute Tips

• Time Management: Don't spend too long on any one question.
• Read Carefully: Pay attention to the wording of each question.
• Connect Concepts: Show how different ideas relate to each other.
• Stay Calm: You've got this! 💪

#📝 Practice Questions

Practice Question

#Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following is a characteristic of intensive farming practices? (a) Low input of labor and capital (b) Large land holdings (c) High use of chemical fertilizers (d) Reliance on natural rainfall (e) Low crop yields

2. Plantation agriculture is most commonly associated with which of the following? (a) Subsistence farming (b) Mixed crop/livestock systems (c) Large-scale monoculture of export crops (d) Nomadic herding (e) Shifting cultivation

3. Which of the following best describes the relationship between physical geography and agriculture? (a) Physical geography has no impact on agriculture. (b) Agriculture determines the physical features of a region. (c) Physical geography sets the potential for agriculture, while agricultural practices are the human response to that potential. (d) Agriculture is only influenced by economic factors. (e) Physical geography is only relevant to extensive farming practices.

#Free Response Question

Question:

Discuss the environmental and economic impacts of both intensive and extensive farming practices. Be sure to include specific examples of each type of farming and how they relate to these impacts. (7 points)

Scoring Breakdown:

• 1 point: Correctly defines intensive farming and provides one example.
• 1 point: Correctly defines extensive farming and provides one example.
• 2 points: Discusses two environmental impacts of intensive farming (e.g., water pollution, soil degradation).
• 1 point: Discusses one environmental impact of extensive farming (e.g., deforestation, soil erosion).
• 1 point: Discusses one economic impact of intensive farming (e.g., high yields, low cost).
• 1 point: Discusses one economic impact of extensive farming (e.g., lower yields, lower input costs).

That's it! You've reviewed the key concepts of agriculture. You're ready to ace the exam!