Question

Document 5: Chart – Agricultural Productivity Near Rivers



Distance from River
Crop Yield (tons/hectare)
0–5 miles
7.5
5–15 miles
5.2
15–30 miles
2.9

Questions:
What trend do you see in crop yields as distance from the river increases?




How might this affect where people choose to live?




How does agricultural productivity influence population size?




What is one fact from this document that will help you answer the following question: How does geography influence population distribution and growth?

Answer 1

1) Trend in crop yields as distance from the river increases:
- Crop yields decline as distance from the river increases (7.5 → 5.2 → 2.9 tons/hectare).

2) How this might affect where people choose to live:
- People are more likely to settle nearer the river where yields (and therefore food supply, income from farming, and water access) are higher.

3) How agricultural productivity influences population size:
- Higher agricultural productivity can support larger populations (higher density), encourage settlement and economic growth, and reduce out-migration; low productivity limits how many people the land can sustain.

4) One fact from this document useful for answering "How does geography influence population distribution and growth?":
- Crop yield falls from 7.5 tons/ha at 0–5 miles to 2.9 tons/ha at 15–30 miles from the river, showing that proximity to water-rich geographic features supports higher agricultural productivity and thus influences where people live and how populations grow.