Two-stimulus question

The fishbone frontier

Units 1, 5 and 7
7 points
About 25 minutes

Seven short parts (A–G) built around two sources (data, images and/or maps), drawing on ideas from at least two units. You read each source, compare or connect them, and explain them with course ideas, often across different scales. On the exam: Question 3 of 3 in the 1-hour-15-minute free-response section (Section II). The three questions together are 50% of your exam score, so each is worth about 16.7%; 7 points, one for each part A–G. College Board suggests about 25 minutes per question, including up to 5 minutes to plan. No calculator.

The question and its sources

Region W is a tropical rainforest region of about 350,000 square kilometers. Use the two sources below to answer all seven parts, (a) through (g). Write in complete sentences.

Source 1: Land use and exports, Region W, 2000–2020

Year	Forest cover (% of land area)	Cattle pasture (thousand km²)	Soybean cropland (thousand km²)	Beef and soybean exports (billion US$)
2000	82	40	5	1.2
2010	71	68	14	4.6
2020	63	85	26	9.8

Source: Hypothetical data

Source 2: Satellite image of part of Region W, 2020 (described in words)

A highway built in the 1990s runs east to west across the image. Side roads branch off it every few kilometers at right angles.

Along each side road, the forest has been cleared in rectangular patches, forming a 'fishbone' pattern. Cleared land appears as pasture and fields; strips of forest remain between the side roads.

In the north of the image, a boundary line marks a legally recognized Indigenous territory. Inside it, the forest is almost unbroken. Cleared land extends right up to the territory's boundary.

Source: Hypothetical image, described in words

Suggested time: 25 minutes

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Part (a)

1 point

Using Source 1, describe the relationship between forest cover and the amount of land used for cattle pasture and soybeans.

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Part (b)

1 point

Using Source 1, explain how global demand contributes to the changes in land use in Region W.

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Part (c)

1 point

Using Source 2, explain how road construction affects the pattern of deforestation in Region W.

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Part (d)

1 point

Explain how remote sensing can be used to monitor the land-use changes described in the sources.

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Part (e)

1 point

Explain ONE environmental consequence of the land-use change shown in Source 1.

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Part (f)

1 point

Using Source 2, explain how recognizing Indigenous land rights can support sustainable development.

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Part (g)

1 point

Explain ONE way that heavy reliance on beef and soybean exports could make Region W's economy vulnerable.

Your answer to part (g)

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