Domestication & Diffusion of Plants & Animals (College Board AP® Human Geography)
Study Guide
Written by: Kristin Tassin
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Hearths of Domestication
Hearths refer to the areas of the world in which the initial domestication of crops and animals occurred
The commonalities among agricultural hearths include:
fertile soil in river valleys
abundant availability of water
moderate climates
collective social structures
The main agricultural hearths are:
Western India and southwest Asia
Northern China
Ethiopia
Southern Mexico
Northern Peru
The Fertile Crescent in Southwest Asia is said to be where settled farming first began to emerge, leading to the rise of cities
The First Agricultural Revolution, also known as the Neolithic Revolution, refers to the time when people first domesticated plants and animals
This allowed larger groups of people to live and settle in one place
The Neolithic Revolution resulted in an increase in:
reliable food supplies and, subsequently, an increase in the human population
permanent human settlement
job specialization
more rapid spread of disease
increased social divisions that may have led to inequality
conflict between settler and nomadic populations
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Another task verb on the AP Exam is describe. The “describe” task requires you to provide relevant characteristics of the topic. “Describe” is distinct from the “identify” task because it requires elaboration. For example, if you were asked to identify the earliest agricultural hearth, the correct response would be the Fertile Crescent of Southwest Asia. However, if you were asked to describe early agricultural hearths, an appropriate response would include the following: sites where agricultural practices developed and from which they spread, the location of the first domestication of a plant or animal, the location of selective breeding of wild strains of plants or animals, or locations in which settled agriculture led to permanent settlement. As you can see, the “describe” task requires additional detail beyond simply naming an answer, which is what is required by the “identify” task.
Patterns of Diffusion of Plants & Animals
Agricultural hearths led to the first urban centers and the rise of powerful states
Empires diffused agriculture through:
travel
trade
warfare
For example, the Silk Road included routes connecting lands between the Roman Empire and China
The Columbian Exchange was the widespread, global movement of plants, animals, humans, and diseases between Afro-Eurasia and the Americas, originally launched by the voyages of Christopher Columbus
In the Columbian Exchange, items moved from the Americas to Africa and Europe, including:
beans
cocoa
corn
squash
peas
beans
pumpkins
tobacco
tomatoes
potatoes
At the same time, items diffused from Africa and Europe to the Americas, such as
horses
cows
pigs
chickens
rice
sugarcane
grapes
coffee beans
Image: The Columbian Exchange including commonly diffused items and the direction in which they moved.
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