Unit 5: Agriculture

Question 1

sedentary societies

Answer 1

• ppl began living in permanent settlements instead of moving constantly.
• led to the development of villages, towns & early civilizations.
• larger populations required organized leadership & centralized governments.

Question 2

Mechanization

Answer 2

• Replaced human labor in fields with machines.
• Chemical fertilizers replaced animal fertilizers to enhance soil fertility.

Question 3

China is ranked No. 1 by Agricultural Ouput (2009). What main crops does China produce?

Answer 3

• rice
• maize
• wheat

Question 4

India is ranked No. 2 by Agricultural Ouput (2009). What main crops does India produce?

Answer 4

• Rice
• Wheat
• Millets
• Maize
• Pulses

Question 5

U.S is ranked No. 3 by Agricultural Ouput (2009). What main crops does U.S produce?

Answer 5

• corn
• soybeans
• barley
• oats

Question 6

Brazil is ranked No. 4 by Agricultural Ouput (2009). What main crops does Brazil produce?

Answer 6

• coffee
• sugar
• cacao

Question 7

Japan is ranked No. 5 by Agricultural Ouput (2009). What main crops does Japan produce?

Answer 7

• rice
• vegetables
• fruits
• green tea

Question 8

Vertical integration

Answer 8

contracts between farmer & purchasing/processing company

• caused farm outputs to increase by the 1990s

Question 9

Subsistence Agriculture

Answer 9

growing food mainly for personal or local use, not for sale.

Question 9

Where is farming the chief occupation?

Answer 9

• in most of Africa
• Latin America
• South Asia
• East Asia

Question 9

Forms of subsistence agriculture: Intensive Agriculture

Answer 9

farming that maximizes crop output using labor & capital.

• located near urban areas
• ex: large commercial vegetable farms near cities.

Question 10

Forms of subsistence agriculture: Shifting Agriculture

Answer 10

rotating crop fields & using slash-and-burn techniques.

• ex: slash-and-burn (also called swidden agriculture) farming in the Amazon Rainforest.

Question 11

Intensive subsistence agriculture

Answer 11

small-scale farming with heavy inputs of fertilizer & human labor.

• most common in densely populated areas where rice or other staple crops are grown.

Question 12

Extensive agriculture

Answer 12

farming on large land areas w/ minimal labor & capital

• ex: cattle ranching in the U.S & Australia
• China, India & Southeast Asian countries rely on this type of agriculture to double-crop or even triple-crop rice to support their large & rapidly growing populations.

Question 13

Urban Subsistence Farming

Answer 13

growing food in urban gardens for family & community use

• ex: community gardens in urban neighborhoods.
• a rapidly growing activity
• these gardens form an imp. source of sustenance for poor urban families unable to buy adequate food for their families.

Question 14

Rural Land Use + Settlement Patterns: A clustered settlement pattern

Answer 14

a type of rural settlement in which homes + other structures are concentrated in a specific area

• often found near natural resources (e.g., water, fertile land) or economic opportunities (e.g., transportation routes, resource extraction).

Advantages

• more efficient use of resources + infrastructure
• a sense of community + social cohesion.

Disadvantages

• potential for overcrowding
• the conc. of environmental impacts in a specific area

Question 14

Conservation agriculture

Answer 14

a new way of farming based on optimizing crop yields & profits without depleting soil, encouraging erosion & harming the environment.

Methods include:

• reduced use of fossil fuels
• pesticides
• & other pollutants thus keeping the environment safer for the inhabitants, too.

Question 15

Common conservation practices: Grassed waterways

Answer 15

a shallow channel covered with plants (like grass) that helps slow down & guide rainwater to prevent soil erosion and protect the land.