AP Human Geography : Deforestation

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Human Geography

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Example Questions

Example Question #31 : Agriculture, Food Production, & Rural Land Use

Which of the following is not a major cause of deforestation?

Possible Answers:

Slash and burn agriculture

Paper and wood product production

Solar energy production

Desertification

Correct answer:

Solar energy production

Explanation:

Deforestation is the destruction of forest or forested areas  by human or natural means. Some notable human-based causes are slash and burn agriculture and production of forest products (i.e logging). Desertification can also lead to deforestation. 

Solar energy production is not directly linked to deforestation, and is in fact a form of sustainable, renewable energy.

Example Question #811 : Ap Human Geography

Land that has been cleared for agricultural use through slash-and-burn techniques is called __________.

Possible Answers:

Eradiated

Swidden

Domesticated

Irrigated

Fallow

Correct answer:

Swidden

Explanation:

The term “swidden” is used to describe land that has been cleared for agricultural use using slash-and-burn techniques. By “slash-and-burn” we mean that the land has cleared through burning of existing plants and is then used for agricultural purposes by the local community for a few years before they move on to “slash-and-burn” another piece of land.

Example Question #1 : Deforestation

Slash-and-burn agriculture is best described as a form of __________.

Possible Answers:

labor-intensive cultivation

intensive cultivation

capital-intensive cultivation

shifting cultivation

extensive cultivation

Correct answer:

shifting cultivation

Explanation:

“Slash-and-burn” agriculture involves burning a portion of forest so that the soil there can be used for agricultural purposes. The community then uses this land for a short time, possibly a few years, and then moves on to a new area, which is, in turn, burned for agricultural use. This practice of agriculture is defined by a constant process of moving from one plot of land to another and is known as “shifting cultivation.”

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