Topic Test review

Major producers of cotton include all of the following countries except __________.

Brazil

Explain three factors that can prohibit a region with a great deal of arable land from producing adequate food supplies.

Factors that can prohibit a region with arable land from producing enough food include population size, the distribution of arable land throughout the region, water scarcity, and transportation and infrastructure challenges.

Using complete sentences, describe six innovations that have contributed to the mechanization of agriculture since the Industrial Revolution.

Innovations since the Industrial Revolution that have contributed to the mechanization of agriculture include refrigeration, mechanical threshers and harvesters, airplanes, electricity, irrigation machines, and the use of computers.

Which of the following usually does not impact agricultural production and consumption?

disease

Which types of crops almost always are exported, and are rarely consumed by the nation that produces them?

luxury crops

Using complete sentences, compare and contrast subsistence agriculture with commercial agriculture.

Both subsistence and commercial agriculture focus on producing food for consumption. Subsistence farming provides little more than enough food to sustain the farmer's family, while commercial farming produces cash crops that are sold for a profit. Commercial farms are usually much larger and more specialized than subsistence farms.

Using complete sentences, explain how large-scale agriculture leads to increased atmospheric CO2.

Large portions of land are cleared of trees to make room for agriculture. Trees consume more CO2 than agricultural crops, so the level of CO2 in the atmosphere increases.

Using complete sentences, explain the impact of large-scale agriculture in the southwestern United States on our water supply.

Large-scale agriculture in this area requires irrigation. The irrigation is provided by dams, which divert water from the Colorado River. Silt is no longer carried downstream, and 90% of the river is diverted for irrigation. The lack of water downstream leads to a scarcity of drinking water.

Which of the following statements best explains why farmers in Mediterranean climates have an advantage?

Many crops that grow well in this region are high-value crops.

Using complete sentences, explain why the size of farms increased dramatically after World War II.

Many people left farming to work in cities and factories as the economy boomed after World War II. However, the amount of land available for farming remained approximately the same. With more land and fewer farmers, the size of farms grew naturally.

Which of the following statements is true, based on the chart above?

Seven countries control almost half of the planet's arable land.

What factors contribute to the United States' role as a leader in agricultural production and consumption?

The United States' role as a leader in agricultural production and consumption is due in part to having climates that are good for agriculture, sophisticated infrastructure systems, the most arable land available, a variety of produce, and suitable amounts of rainfall and climate stability over a large portion of arable land. Finally, the US has high production due to advanced agricultural practices, including mechanization, fertilizers, and bioengineering.

Which of the following is not an agricultural innovation that has occurred since industrialization?

irrigation

All of the following are potential effects of clearing land except __________.

less arable land

In order to meet the projected needs of the population in 2050, agricultural production will need to __________.

triple