ap human geography: unit 5

mediterranean climate

• humid winters, dry summers

• heavy rain and unexpected high winds

• hot or cold temperatures

• many diverse soil types

types of agriculture: meditteranean agriculture

dry/arid climate

• little precipitation

• always hot, sunny

• very little vegetation

type of agriculture: pastoral nomadism

tropical climate

• generally high temperatures

• wet/dry seasons

• soil easily eroded because of rainfall

type of agriculture: shifting cultivation and plantation

mediterranean agriculture

olives, grapes, figs, almonds, walnuts, grasses/shrubs

pastoral nomadism

• herding animals (cattle, reindeer, camels, etc) type of animal depends on climate

• practiced in arid or semi-arid regions, Northern Africa, Mongolia, Central Asia, and Middle East

• transhumance - moving herds to new places based on seasons

shifting cultivation

• subsistent extensive farming

• when soil loses fertility, farmers move to another field

• a type of shifting cultivation is when farmers clear the land by burning vegetation (slash and burn agriculture)

• leads to deforestation

• practiced in southeast asia, central and south america, and africa

plantation agriculture

• large commercial farming of one particular cash crop

• takes place in LDCs where as produce is sold are located in MDCs

• labor-intensive, but low labor cost

• cotton, tobacco, tea, and coffee

market gardening

• fruits and vegetables are grown near an urban market so local farmers can access

• driven by perishability and demand for fresh items

• intensive and utilizes green houses and fertilizers

mixed crop/livestock system

• crops and livestock raised for profit

• specific crops are fed to livestock for quality meat

• mostly occurs in east NA and EUrope

ranching

• raising of domesticated animals for the production of meat and other byproducts

• uses large areas of land

• practiced in western united states, south america, and australia

metes and bounds

• irregular shapes that reflected the location of physical features and traditional patterns of use

• metes for smaller areas, bounds for larger areas

township and range system

• rectangular land division

• western usa was divided this way

• range is the measurement of east to west

• township is the measurement of distance north to south

long-lot system

• farms were long, thin sections of land

• ran against a river so many farmers could benefit from the water

• ex. louisiana and quebec

first neolithic agricultural revolution

• origin of farming

• marked by domestication of plants and animals

• mostly subsistence farming

• occurred in five hearths: southwest asia, east asia, south asia, africa, and the americas

fertile crescent

• southwest asia

columbian exchange

global movement of plants and animals between afro-eurasia and the americas

• europeans brought plants, animals, and diseases like bananas, cattle, pigs, goats, smallpox, malaria, measles

• americas gave plants and animals like turkeys, potatoes, corn, maize. chocolate

second agricultural revolution

• influenced by the advances of the industrial revolution

• started in 1700s in Britain, and diffused globally to other MDCs

green revolution

• goal: increase food production and reduce poverty and hunger especially in LDcs

• began in mexico and eventialy spread to asia. andlatin america

third agricultural revolution

• born out of science, research, and tech

• continues today

• expanded mechanization of farming, devloped new global agricultural susytems, and used scientific and informstion tyechnologies to further previous advances

bid-rent theory

closer land is to an urban center, the more valuable it is

economies of scale

increase in efficiency to lower the per-unit production cost, resulting in greater profits

commodity chain

a process used by corporations to gather resources, transform them into goods, and then transport them to consumers

ex. agriculture as a whole is a commodity chain and directly relates to agribusiness

vertical integration

ownership of other businesses involved in the steps of producing a particular good

carrying capacity

the number of people that USA farmers can support giving the available resources

von thunen model

• 1st: dairyfarming/horticulture next to market because of perishability

• 2nd: forests/lumber because they are hard and heavy to carry to the market

• 3rd: crops like wheat and corn. did not perish as quickly. corn can be used to feed livestock in second n fourth ring

• 4th: grazing for livestock because of lower transportation costs, farmers can just walk them to the market

fair trade movement

• promotes higher incomes for producers and more sustainable farming practices

subsidies

government providing financial support to farmers

desertification

fertile land becomes infertile, possibly caused by alteration of natural vegetation in arid areas

value-added crops

consumers are more wiling to pay for because of special qualities or because they are difficult to acquire

• organically grown meats, free-range chicken. and eggs, rare plants

food insecurity

when lack to access to adequate food because of limited money or other resources

food desert

a neighborhood where residents have little to no access to healthy, affordable food

gender-specific obstacles

discriminatory practices that prevent female farmers from reaching their potential productivity

crop gap

resulted because of gender inequality, with a gap of 20 to 30 percent between male and female farmers