Unit 5: Free Response Question

1. Describe the relationship between land used to produce rice and the price of rice shown in the graph above.

The amount of land used to produce rice is dependent on the demand of rice which is evident by the decrease of land used starting with the drop in rice prices in 2013 and the start of increase in land usage in 2021. 

Students need to do more than just identify the trends in the graph; they must show the relationship between changes in both graphs.

 

2. Describe the type of agriculture production shown in the picture above.

The type of agriculture shown in the picture is commercial agriculture because the use of machinery such as the harvester shown are typically used in countries that practice commercial agricultural production. 

Other answers could include:

• The picture shows commercial agricultural by the use of machinery instead of human labor
• The cost of the machinery is affordable when producing for profit which is common in commercial agriculture

Students can not just identify the picture as a machine and say it shows commercial agriculture.  There must be a description of why this picture shows commercial agriculture.

 

3. Explain the relationship between the level of development of a country and its agricultural production.

More Developed Example

As countries become more developed they are able to use the newly gained purchasing power to move to more mechanized agriculture causing the country to transition from subsistence to commercial agricultural production and allowing for more workers to move into industrial and service sectors of the economy. 

Less Developed Example

Countries that are less developed have less capital to invest in inputs such as machinery or fertilizers which force more work by hand and with animal power which is typical in subsistence agriculture.

Other answers could include:

• For More Developed Economies: Technology or more money to purchase any of the following machinery, fertilizers, pesticides, genetically modified crops, etc.   
• The inverse of above if speaking about Less Developed Economies

Students can not just identify more money (More Developed) or less money (Less Developed) to buy products, but must explain how the level of development impacts how agriculture is practiced and connect it to the concepts of subsistence or commercial agriculture.

 

4. Explain the relationship between yields and introduction of mechanization in agriculture production.

When mechanization is introduced in agriculture, production becomes both more productive and more land can be accessed with fewer people causing yields to increase dramatically over time. 

    Other answers could include:

• That yields will increase overtime with the introduction of machinery if they include a similar explanation as above to why.

Students can not just identify that yields will increase, and must explain why the use of mechanization or machinery will cause the change in yield. 

 

5. Describe one possible environmental impact of the type of agriculture shown above.

One possible environmental impact through the use of mechanized agriculture is increased air pollution caused by the fossil fuels used.  

Other answers could include:

1. runoff of chemicals into groundwater due to increased use of pesticides and fertilizers
2. Overuse of water due to irrigation 
3. Depletion of soil quality to to crops typically grown in commercial agriculture
4. Less biodiversity due to fewer groups and more genetically similar crops being grown

Students must be specific to the type of pollution or other environmental impact.  It is not acceptable to state that pollution will increase.  In addition, identifying the type of environmental impact with out specifically explaining the commercial agricultural cause.  

 

6. Explain how global demand for rice can impact rice production in countries such as South Korea.

If global demand increases, countries such as South Korea would decide to use more arable land to produce rice than crops that may be in lesser demand and less valued due to increase profit for rice. 

Other answers could include students explaining the inverse of the example above and focusing on lower prices would cause less land to be used for rice and more land would be used for crops that bring a higher profit. 

Students must go beyond just identifying more demand equals more land or less demand equals less land.  They must connect to the motivation for using less land. 

 

7. Explain the degree to which the amount of land cultivated for rice in South Korea would be impacted in 2022, if the trends in the graph continue.

The amount of land used to cultivate rice would increase at a greater rate than in previous years due to the large increases in the price of rice due to the desire to produce more rice and benefit from higher prices. 

Students must mention the degree that land usage would change.  Simply mentioning more land is not enough to explain the degree.  As in the previous portions of this question, students must be able to connect why the degree of change has occurred to earn the point for part G.    Answer which degree, is a common step students miss in previous AP Exam questions, and practicing this skill is important for students to be best prepared for the AP Exam in May