APHG Unit 5 Vocab

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agriculture

the process by which humans alter the landscape in order to raise crops and livestock for consumption and trade

climate

the long-term weather patterns in a region

subsistence agriculture

a type of agriculture with the primary goal being to grow enough crops and raise enough livestock to meet the immediate needs of the farmer and their families. the surplus is sold for profit

commercial agriculture

a type of agriculture with the primary goal being to grow enough crops and raise enough livestock to sell for a profit

intensive agriculture

a type of agriculture that uses a small amount of land with more labor and machinery

extensive agriclture

agriculture that uses a large amount of land but with a lower investment in labor

intensive commercial agriculture

intensive agriculture with heavy investments in labor and capital for high yield and profits

intensive subsistence agriculture

a labor intensive and animal intensive type of subsistence agriculture

extensive commercial agriculture

a low amount of investment is made in the farm, but all products are for profit

capital

the money invested in land, equipment and machines

extensive subsistence agriculture

there is low investment in the farm, and is used to just make food for the family

pastoral nomadism

the movement of herds from different pastures within their territory

shifting cultivation

a type of extensive subsistent farming as farmers grow crops on a plot of land for 1-2 years before moving to another, more fertile field

plantation

a large commercial farm that specializes in one crop

mixed crop and livestock farming

an intensive commercial integrated system that demonstrates an independence between crops and animals

grain farming

the raising of wheat in regions too dry for mixed crop agriculture

commercial gardening

gardening in order to sell the produce

market gardening

the growing of fruits and veggies near an urban market that are sold to local suppliers, stores and restaurants

dairy farming

intensive commercial farms with the goal of supplying dairy to customers in a smaller geographic area

milk shed

the geographic distance that milk is delivered

Mediterranean agriculture

a type of agriculture practiced in regions with hot, dry summers, mild winters, narrow valleys, and often some irrigation

transhumance

the seasonal herding of animals from higher elevations in the summer to lower elevations and valleys in the winter

livestock ranching

the commercial grazing of animals confined to a specific area

clustered (nucleated) settlements

settlements such as villages with homes located near each other, fostering a strong sense of place

dispersed settlements

settlement patterns in which farmers live in homes spread throughout the countryside

linear settlements

a settlement patter in which buildings and human activities are organized close to a body of water or along a transportation route

metes and bounds

a system for describing plot boundaries post British-Enclosure movement

Public Land Survey System (township and range system)

a land distribution system that created rectangular plots of consistent size

townships

areas six miles long and six miles wide in the Public Land Survey System

section

each square mile in the Public Land Survey System

French long-lot system

a system in which farms were created to be long, thin sections of land that ran perpendicular to a river

First (Neolithic) Agricultural Revolution

the origin of farming marked by the domestication of plants and animals

Fertile Crescent (Southwest Asia)

the first major hearth of agriculture

independent innovation

the development of similar technology across multiple regions with no interaction among the people developing the technology

Columbian Exchange

the global movement of plants and animals between Afro-Eurasia and the Americas

Second Agricultural Revolution

beginning in the 1700s, followed the advances of the industrial revolution to increase food supplies and support population growth

Enclosure Acts

a series of laws enacted by the British government that enabled landowners to purchase and enclose land for their own use

crop rotation

the technique of planting different crops in a specific sequence on the same plot of land in order to restore nutrients back into the soil

irrigation

the process of applying controlled amounts of water to crops using canals, pipes, sprinkler systems, or other human-mad devices, rather than to rely on just rainfall.

Third Agricultural Revolution

the development of agricultural science, research and technology that continues on into the modern day

Green Revolution

the advances in plant biology of the mid-20th century

hybridization

the process of breeding two plants that have desirable characteristics to produce a single seed with both characteristics

genetically modified organism (GMO)

a process in which humans use engineering techniques to change the DNA of a seed

bid-rent theory

the distance-cost relationship when living in proximity to an urban center

capital intensive

a business that is cost heavy in order to operate

labor intensive

a business that requires high amounts of labor to operate

factory farming

a capital-intensive livestock operation in which many animals are kept in close quarters, and bred and fed in a controlled environment

aquaculture (aquafarming)

a type of intensive farming where rather than raising typical farm animals in close quarters with a controlled environment, fish, shellfish, or water plants are raised in netted areas in the sea, tanks, or other bodies of water

double (or triple) cropping

the planting and harvesting a crop two (or three) times a year on the same piece of land

intercropping (multicropping)

when farmers grow two or more crops simultaneously on the same field

monoculture

the opposite of multicropping where only one crop is grown or one type of animal is raised per season on a piece of land

monocropping (continuous monoculture)

the growing of one type of crop or raising one type of animal year after year

feedlots

confined spaces in which cattle and hogs have limited movement, also known as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs)

agribusiness

farms run as corporations

transnational corporations

corporations that operate in many countries

vertical integration

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

economies of scale

an increase in efficiency to lower the per-unit production cost

commodity chain

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

carrying capacity

the amount of use a piece of land can sustain without being damaged

cool chains

transportation networks that keep food cool throughout a trip

location theory

why people choose certain locations for various types of economic activity

von Thunen model

an economic model that suggests a pattern for the types of products that farmers would produce at different positions relative to the market

isotropic plain

an area that is flat and featureless with similar fertility and climate throughout

horticulture

a type of agriculture that includes market gardening/truck farming and dairy farming

bid-price curve (bid-rent curve)

a graph that can be used to determine the starting position for each land use relative to the market, as well as where each land use would end

free-market economy

where supply and demand, not government policy, determine the outcome of competition for land

comparative advantage

naturally occurring beneficial conditions

supply chains

all the steps required to get a product or service to customers

luxury crops

crops not essential to human survival but have a high profit margin

neocolonialism

the use of economic, political, and social pressures to control former colonies

fair trade movement

an effort to promote higher incomes for producers and more sustainable farming practices

subsidies

public financial support

infrastructure

includes the roads, bridges, tunnels, ports, electrical grids, sewers, telecommunications, etc. of a country

land cover change

the study of how land is used and the impact of changing land use

desertification

alteration of the natural vegetation in arid areas causing fertile land to become infertile

salinization

when salts from water used by plants remain in the soil

terrace farming

farming in which farmers altered the landscape and built a series of steps into the side of a hill

center-pivot irrigation

a system in which watering equipment rotates around a pivot and delivers specific amounts of water, fertilizer, or pesticides to the field

deforestation

the removal if large tracts of forest

slash-and-burn agriculture

an early agricultural practice and type of shifting cultivation that takes place when all vegetation in an area of forest cut down and burned in place

wetlands

low-lying areas that contain a significant amount of water at or near the surface

Blue Revolution

the advancements in aquaculture/aquafarming

overgraze

animals eat more than the land can sustain, leading to damage

organic foods

crops that are non-GMO, produced without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, and use sustainable growing practices

value-added crops

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

value-added farming

when farmers process their crops into high-value products, rather than simply selling it as it comes from the field

local-food movement

seeking out food produced nearby

urban farming

the production of farm goods within an urban area with the goal of providing locally grown food

community gardens

an increasingly popular variation of the urban farming model where people share agricultural products with family, friends, and perhaps those in need rather than as a business

vertical farms

a way of growing crops inside stackable trays, using greenhouses, artificial lights, and hydroponics

hydroponics

a method of growing plants without soil using mineral-enriched solutions

community-supported agriculture (CSA)

a strategy in the local-food movement that brings producers and consumers into a type of partnership

food insecurity

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

food desert

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

food distribution system

a network of trade and transportation that get food from farms to consumers

food processing

the transformation of agricultural products into food or taking food items and transforming them into a different type of food

tarrif

tax on imports

quota

limit on the quantity of a good imported

gender inequality

the unequal opportunities, treatment, or rights of a person based on gender

gender-specific obstacles

discriminatory practices that prevent female farmers from reaching their potential productivity