Agricultural Systems and Tropical Climates

Vocabulary flashcards covering agricultural cultivation methods (monoculture vs. mixed cropping) and the characteristics of the alternating wet and dry tropical climate zone.

Monoculture

The large-scale agricultural cultivation of a single plant species, commonly operated on plantations from which the majority of products originate.

Advantages of Monoculture

Efficient use of machinery and simplified marketing on the world market.

Disadvantages of Monoculture

High fertilizer use due to one-sided nutrient depletion and high pesticide use due to the rapid reproduction of pests.

Mixed Cropping (Mischkulturen)

An alternative cultivation method to monoculture in which various plant species are grown together in a confined space.

Tropical Mixed Cropping Structure

A common tropical farming combination consisting of low-shade trees (such as mango or cacao) planted alongside perennials (such as bananas or coffee) and ground-level vegetables.

Alternating Wet and Dry Tropical Climate

A tropical climate characterized by the alternating cycle of rainy and dry seasons (exemplified by Zinder, Niger).

Influence of Equator Distance on Tropical Seasons

The greater the distance from the equator, the more the tropical climate is characterized by the alternation of rainy and dry seasons.

Influence of Equator Distance on the Rainy Season

The greater the distance from the equator, the shorter and lower in precipitation the rainy season becomes.

Savanna

The vegetation zone characteristic of the alternating wet and dry tropical climate.