AP Human Geography - Agriculture

Absolutely. Here’s a 100-term AP HUG Unit 5 (Agriculture) flashcard set pulled directly from the study guide, focused on key terms + processes (high-yield for MCQ + FRQs).


🌾 AP Human Geography Unit 5 Flashcards (100 Terms)

1. Agriculture

Definition: Planting/harvesting domesticated plants and raising domesticated animals for food/products.

2. Domestication

Definition: Human control and breeding of plants/animals for food and labor.

3. Domesticated Species

Definition: Plants/animals intentionally raised and modified by humans.

4. Physical Environment

Definition: Natural features (climate, soil, terrain) that shape farming practices.

5. Soil Fertility

Definition: How nutrient-rich soil is, affecting crop productivity.

6. Topography

Definition: Shape and physical features of land (flat, hilly, mountainous).

7. Climate

Definition: Long-term average weather patterns of a region.

8. Weather

Definition: Short-term atmospheric conditions.

9. Tropical Climate

Definition: Hot, wet climate near the equator, good for farming.

10. Dry Climate

Definition: Climate with very low precipitation, difficult for farming.

11. Semi-arid Region

Definition: Region with limited rainfall, farming is risky.

12. Moderate Climate

Definition: Mild temperatures and rainfall, ideal for agriculture.

13. Mediterranean Climate

Definition: Mild wet winters and hot dry summers.

14. Intensive Agriculture

Definition: High labor/capital inputs on small land to maximize yield.

15. Extensive Agriculture

Definition: Low labor/capital inputs over large land areas.

16. Yield

Definition: Amount of food produced per unit of land.

17. Subsistence Agriculture

Definition: Farming to feed the farmer and family.

18. Commercial Agriculture

Definition: Farming to sell for profit.

19. Monocropping

Definition: Growing one crop in a field at one time.

20. Monoculture

Definition: Growing the same crop repeatedly over many years.

21. Market Gardening (Truck Farming)

Definition: Growing fruits/vegetables near cities for sale.

22. Truck Farming

Definition: Another term for market gardening.

23. Plantation Agriculture

Definition: Large-scale commercial farming of one cash crop.

24. Cash Crop

Definition: Crop grown primarily for sale, not consumption.

25. Mixed Crop and Livestock Farming

Definition: Crops and animals raised together, often supporting each other.

26. Shifting Cultivation

Definition: Farming land until fertility drops, then moving to new land.

27. Slash-and-Burn Agriculture

Definition: Cutting and burning vegetation to clear land and add nutrients.

28. Nomadic Herding

Definition: Moving livestock seasonally to find pasture and water.

29. Pastoral Nomadism

Definition: Another term for nomadic herding.

30. Ranching

Definition: Commercial raising of livestock on large land areas.

31. Feedlot

Definition: Confined area where animals are fattened quickly.

32. Agricultural Landscape

Definition: Visible land patterns created by farming practices.

33. Terrace Farming

Definition: Farming on steps cut into hillsides to reduce erosion.

34. Rice Terraces

Definition: Terraced hillsides used for rice cultivation in wet climates.

35. Rural Settlement

Definition: Where people live in the countryside, often near farms.

36. Clustered Settlement (Nucleated)

Definition: Homes grouped in a village, farmland outside.

37. Dispersed Settlement

Definition: Homes spread far apart on individual farms.

38. Linear Settlement

Definition: Homes arranged in a line along a river, road, or coast.

39. Land Survey System

Definition: Method used to divide land into property boundaries.

40. Metes and Bounds

Definition: Uses natural landmarks to define boundaries.

41. Township and Range

Definition: Grid-based land division system of squares.

42. Land Ordinance of 1785

Definition: U.S. law creating the township and range survey system.

43. Long Lot System

Definition: Long narrow land plots extending from a river.

44. Neolithic Revolution

Definition: First Agricultural Revolution; shift to farming (~10,000 BCE).

45. First Agricultural Revolution

Definition: Transition from hunting/gathering to settled farming.

46. Sedentary Agriculture

Definition: Farming while living permanently in one place.

47. Hunting and Gathering

Definition: Lifestyle relying on wild plants and animals.

48. Hearth

Definition: Place of origin of a cultural practice like agriculture.

49. Fertile Crescent

Definition: Major agriculture hearth in Southwest Asia.

50. Indus River Valley

Definition: Early agriculture hearth in South Asia.

51. Southeast Asia Hearth

Definition: Agricultural origin region known for rice and tropical crops.

52. Central America Hearth

Definition: Hearth where maize (corn) was domesticated.

53. Diffusion

Definition: Spread of cultural traits across space.

54. Expansion Diffusion

Definition: Trait spreads outward from its origin.

55. Columbian Exchange

Definition: Transfer of crops/animals/disease between Old and New Worlds.

56. Second Agricultural Revolution

Definition: Mechanization and improved farming during Industrial Revolution.

57. Industrial Revolution

Definition: Period of mechanized production that reshaped agriculture.

58. Mechanization

Definition: Replacing human labor with machines.

59. Seed Drill

Definition: Jethro Tull invention planting seeds efficiently in rows.

60. Mechanical Reaper

Definition: Machine that harvests grain quickly.

61. Steel Plow

Definition: John Deere invention for plowing tough prairie soil.

62. Rural-to-Urban Migration

Definition: Movement of people from farms to cities for jobs.

63. Third Agricultural Revolution

Definition: Green Revolution; high-yield crops and chemical farming.

64. Green Revolution

Definition: Spread of hybrid crops, fertilizers, irrigation (1960s–70s).

65. High-Yield Variety (HYV) Seeds

Definition: Hybrid seeds bred for maximum crop production.

66. Hybrid Crops

Definition: Crossbred plants designed for stronger yields.

67. Crossbreeding

Definition: Combining plant traits to create hybrids.

68. Fertilizer

Definition: Chemical/natural substance added to soil to increase productivity.

69. Pesticide

Definition: Chemical used to kill insects harming crops.

70. Irrigation

Definition: Artificial watering of land to grow crops.

71. GMO (Genetically Modified Organism)

Definition: Organism whose DNA has been altered in a lab.

72. Genetically Modified Crops

Definition: Crops engineered for traits like pest resistance.

73. Aquaculture

Definition: Farming fish or aquatic organisms.

74. Food Supply Chain

Definition: System of producing, transporting, and selling food.

75. Global Supply Chain

Definition: Worldwide network moving agricultural goods.

76. Agribusiness

Definition: Large corporations involved in commercial agriculture.

77. Family Farm

Definition: Farm owned/operated primarily by a family.

78. Farm Consolidation

Definition: Small farms merging into fewer, larger farms.

79. Economies of Scale

Definition: Larger production lowers cost per unit.

80. Commodity

Definition: Product that can be bought and sold (corn, coffee).

81. Commodity Chain

Definition: Steps of production-processing-distribution-consumption.

82. Value Added

Definition: Increasing a product’s worth through processing or packaging.

83. Vertical Integration

Definition: One company controls multiple stages of production/distribution.

84. Commodity Dependence

Definition: Economy relying heavily on exporting one crop.

85. Imperialism

Definition: Control of colonies for raw materials and economic profit.

86. Colonial Cash Crop Economy

Definition: Colonies forced to grow export crops instead of food crops.

87. Neocolonialism

Definition: Continued economic dependence after colonialism ends.

88. Infrastructure

Definition: Roads, ports, storage systems supporting trade.

89. Food Subsidy

Definition: Government financial support for farmers.

90. Tariff

Definition: Tax on imports that affects trade patterns.

91. Trade War

Definition: Economic conflict where countries impose tariffs on each other.

92. Fair Trade

Definition: System ensuring farmers in developing countries earn fair wages.

93. Ethical Consumerism

Definition: Buying products based on moral/environmental values.

94. Urban Farming

Definition: Growing food inside cities.

95. CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)

Definition: Consumers pay farmers upfront for seasonal food shares.

96. Organic Farming

Definition: Farming without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.

97. Local Food Movement

Definition: Preference for buying locally produced food.

98. Food Insecurity

Definition: Lack of reliable access to sufficient nutritious food.

99. Food Desert

Definition: Area with limited access to affordable healthy food.

100. Environmental Degradation

Definition: Damage to ecosystems from farming (pollution, erosion, etc.).

Yes. Here are the added flashcards (the missing high-yield terms) written in the same format so you can plug them straight into your set:


Added Unit 5 Flashcards (High-Yield Missing Terms)

101. Von Thünen Model

Definition: Model explaining agricultural land use patterns based on distance from a central market.

102. Bid Rent Theory

Definition: Theory stating land value is highest near the CBD and decreases with distance, influencing land use.

103. CBD (Central Business District)

Definition: Central area of a city where businesses and markets are concentrated.

104. Perishability

Definition: How quickly a product spoils; more perishable goods must be produced closer to markets.

105. Transportation Costs

Definition: Expense of moving goods to market; higher costs influence what crops are grown and where.

106. Double Cropping

Definition: Planting and harvesting two crops on the same land in one year.

107. Soil Salinization

Definition: Build-up of salt in soil from irrigation, reducing fertility and crop growth.

108. Desertification

Definition: Process where fertile land becomes desert-like due to overuse, drought, or poor farming practices.

109. Eutrophication

Definition: When fertilizer runoff causes algae blooms that reduce oxygen in water and kill aquatic life.

110. Runoff

Definition: Water carrying fertilizers/pesticides from farms into rivers, lakes, and groundwater.

111. Carrying Capacity

Definition: Maximum population an environment can support sustainably with available resources.

112. Overgrazing

Definition: When too many animals graze land, destroying vegetation and causing erosion.

113. Deforestation

Definition: Clearing forests for farming, ranching, or plantations.

114. Wetland Drainage

Definition: Removing water from wetlands to create farmland, often harming ecosystems.

115. Transhumance

Definition: Seasonal movement of livestock between summer and winter pastures.

116. Sustainability

Definition: Using resources in a way that meets present needs without harming future generations.

117. Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

Definition: U.S. program paying farmers to stop farming environmentally sensitive land to restore ecosystems.

118. Food Distribution

Definition: The process of transporting food from producers to consumers; unequal distribution causes hunger.

119. Malnutrition

Definition: Poor health caused by lack of proper nutrients, calories, or balanced diet.

120. Undernourishment

Definition: Condition where a person does not consume enough calories to meet basic energy needs.

121. Agricultural Runoff

Definition: Fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste flowing into water sources from farmland.

122. Gender Inequality in Agriculture

Definition: Unequal access to land, education, and resources for women farmers, reducing productivity and food security.

123. Women in Agriculture

Definition: The role women play in farming systems, often major in subsistence agriculture but undervalued.