In the original von Thünen model, which activity would most likely be located closest to the central city?
9. Agriculture and Rural Land Use Online Quiz Questions
Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 9. Agriculture and Rural Land Use, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.
Which criterion best distinguishes subsistence agriculture from commercial agriculture?
- A
The amount of rainfall received
- B
Whether production mainly feeds the household or enters markets
- C
The number of crop species planted
- D
Whether animals are raised alongside crops
A densely populated region uses carefully managed small fields, irrigation, transplanting, and repeated harvesting to produce high yields. Which farming system best describes this pattern?
- A
Extensive commercial ranching
- B
Intensive subsistence agriculture
- C
Plantation agriculture
- D
Pastoral nomadism
Which two characteristics are most strongly associated with plantation agriculture? Select all correct choices.
- A
Specialization in one or a few crops
- B
Primary production for the farmer’s household
- C
Dependence mainly on local subsistence exchange
- D
Connection to processing facilities and international markets
Which two statements correctly explain why rural land-use patterns are not determined by the physical environment alone? Select all correct choices.
- A
Farming patterns are determined entirely by natural conditions.
- B
Farmers can alter land and water conditions through technology.
- C
Markets and transportation can affect where farms are profitable.
- D
Cultural practices have no influence on what farmers produce.
True or false: Modern transportation and refrigeration have weakened the simple concentric rings predicted by the original von Thünen model.
- A
True
- B
False
True or false: Shifting cultivation inevitably causes severe environmental damage, regardless of population density or fallow length.
- A
True
- B
False
What is the agricultural geography term for seasonal movement between established lowland and highland, or valley and upland, pastures?
The material describes the Columbian Exchange as occurring after which year? Enter the temporal reference year used in the material.
When farmers migrate and carry domesticated crops or livestock to a new region, the process is called .
Artificially supplying water can increase agricultural yields, but it may also cause soil .
Assess the effects of agricultural diffusion. Explain one important benefit of moving crops, livestock, or farming techniques across regions and one risk associated with dependence on a small number of crops. Include one way genetic resources can help address that risk.
A community lives in a semiarid region where crop cultivation is unreliable and obtains food, fiber, transport, and income mainly from domesticated animals. Which system best fits this situation?
- A
Pastoralism
- B
Market gardening
- C
Plantation agriculture
- D
Intensive wet-rice farming
A region has broad, level plains, moderate rainfall, and well-developed roads, but relatively little rugged terrain. Which agricultural land use is most likely to be favored by these conditions?
- A
Steep slopes always produce the highest crop yields because water drains quickly.
- B
Broad, level plains are often favorable for mechanized grain farming.
- C
Mountainous areas eliminate the need for transportation networks.
- D
Flat land prevents farmers from using irrigation systems.
A household grows several crops mainly to feed itself and sells only the extra harvest. Which agricultural category best describes this arrangement?
- A
Producing only one export crop for international markets
- B
Maximizing machinery use and minimizing household consumption
- C
Meeting household food needs while possibly selling a surplus
- D
Depending entirely on imported food and purchased inputs
True or false: Relying on a small number of widely grown crops can make a food system more vulnerable to pests, disease, and climate stress.
- A
True
- B
False
According to the von Thünen model, why would a farm producing fresh milk or vegetables tend to locate near a central city?
- A
A distant zone because perishability lowers land rent
- B
An outer zone because fresh products require extensive land
- C
Any zone because transportation costs do not affect location
- D
A zone close to the central market because perishability and transport costs matter
What is the farming-system term for the seasonal movement of livestock between established lowland and highland pastures?
Why can mixed crop and livestock farming be advantageous to a farm household?
- A
It can recycle nutrients and spread economic risk across crops and livestock.
- B
It eliminates the need for any labor, fertilizer, or animal management.
- C
It is restricted to tropical plantations producing one export crop.
- D
It requires farmers to abandon crop production whenever livestock are present.
What geographic term describes the spread of crops or farming practices to a new area when farmers migrate and carry them there?