Unit 5 Human Geography AP

climatic conditions

how weather affects agricultural practices and products

tropical climate

hot humid climate that produces certain plants, such as cassava, banana, sugar cane, sweet potato, papaya, rice, maize

Mediterranean climate

dry-summer climate that produces certain fruits, vegetables, and grains such as grapes, olives, figs, dates, tomatoes, zucchini, wheat, barley and prevails along the shores of the Mediterranean, in parts of California and Oregon, in central Chile, at South Africa's Cape and in parts of southwestern and southern Australia

market gardening

small scale food production (fruits/veggies) for sale at local markets

plantation agriculture

cash crops (cotton, coffee, sugar, tea) grown on large estates, usually for export; a legacy of colonization

mixed crop/livestock systems

combination of cash crops and livestock to complement land and labor demands across the year

shifting cultivation (slash and burn)

* cultivation of crops in tropical forest clearings using a natural rotation system
* the forest vegetation is cleared by cutting and burning
* the result is a layer of ash that contributes to the soil's fertility
* farmers move to another parcel of land when the soil becomes infertile

nomadic herding (pastoral nomadism/transhumance)

seasonal migration of domesticated livestock, usually fixed territory between highlands & lowlands

ranching

the business of raising livestock (cattle, sheep)

rural settlement patterns

clustered, dispersed, linear

long-lot survey system

* divided land into narrow parcels stretching back from rivers, roads, or canals giving each household equal access to water resources
* reflects a particular aproach to surveying that was common with French areas in America

metes and bounds survey system

* survey of irregularly shaped tracts of land (does not conform to rectangular system of surveys)
* relies on descriptions of land ownership in reference to natural features such as streams, hills, trees, etc. that was common in English areas in America

Township and range survey system

* rectangular survey system used by the U.S. federal government to divide the land into a grid like pattern
* designed by Thomas Jefferson to facilitate the dispersal of settlers evenly across farmlands of the US interior

Fertile Crescent

hearth of early agriculture and early civilization (Cradle of Civilization) most credited with Southwest Asia (Tigris and Euphrates floodplains)

First Agricultural Revolution

dating back 10,000 years, when humans achieved plant and animal domestication

Columbian Exchange

facilitated the global diffusion of plants, animals, diseases, human population, culture,technology, and ideas

Globalization of Agriculture

improvements in transportation and communication technologies create a variety of goods offered year-round, when they traditionally were only available seasonally e.g. strawberries in winter

Second Agricultural Revolution

improved methods of cultivation, harvesting, and storage of food that started in the Middle Ages and THEN benefited from the Industrial Revolution with the use of machines and new technology

Industrial Revolution

the transformation from an agricultural society to an industrial society with the introduction of power driven machines in manufacturing, mining, transportation, and agriculture

Green Revolution (Third Agricultural Revolution)

high yield seeds (hybrid and/or GMOs), increased use of chemicals, mechanized farming, and elaborate irrigation systems

subsistence agriculture

only enough food is cultivated to survive (no surplus to sell) and often land is held in common

commercial agriculture

the production of crops for sale (profit)

monoculture

growing one crop in a farm system at a given time

mono-cropping

growing one crop in a farm system year after year

multi-cropping

growing several crops in a farm system

bid-rent theory

* theory that shows what various land users are prepared and able to pay for access to the center market (CBD)
* the further from the center market (CBD), the lower the cost for a site
* intensive and extensive farming practices are in part by land costs
* extension of the von Thünen model

agribusiness

a large-scale mechanized farming business that is controlled by corporate interests, agriculture is gradually being controlled by a small number of large corporations instead of many independent farmers

feedlots/Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)

animals kept and raised in confined spaces and given hormones and/or antibiotics and/or fattening grains to prepare them for slaughter at a much quicker pace than traditional forms e.g. cattle, swine, poultry

commodity chain

activities involved in the creation of a product: design, production of raw materials, manufacturing and assembly, distribution

economies of scale

cost advantages gained by an increased level of production e.g. agribusiness v small family farm

von Thünen model

explains what economic activities are located where and why

\-explains the location of agricultural activities by emphasizing the importance of transportation costs associated with distance from the market

\-describes what should be grown where in relation to the market

\-illustrates the relationship between land cost and transportation cost

\-distributes various farming activities into concentric rings around a central market city

\-regions of specialty farming do not always conform to concentric rings

global supply chain

a worldwide network to maximize profits in production

commodity dependency

highly dependent on one or more export commodities

e.g. coffee in Haiti, tea in Sri Lanka, bananas in Costa Rica, sugar in Cuba, cotton in Somalia, cocoa beans in Ghana

global food distribution

networks that are affected by political relationships, infrastructure, and patterns of world trade

desertification

process by which fertile land becomes desert as a result of human activity (inappropriate agriculture/overgrazing)

soil salinization

process by which the amount of salt increases in the soil (irrigation)

land cover change

process by which agricultural areas are lost to development

pollution

process by which soil is contaminated by chemicals

conservation efforts of agricultural land

improve soil structure to protect against erosion and nutrient losses

sustainable agriculture

farming methods that are profitable, environmentally sound and good for communities

slash and burn (shifting cultivation)

clearing an area in a tropical forest for planting by burning the vegetation

terraces

flat steps are created on the sides of hills to create more land for farming

irrigation

artificial application of water to land for the facilitation of agriculture

deforestation

clearing of forest to make the land available for other uses (agriculture/livestock)

draining wetlands

drainage for agricultural purposes

pastoral nomadism

pasture land that is used for animal grazing

changing diets

* MDCs: continued demand for meat
* LDCs: growing demand for meat, as well as convenient, processed foods (western diet)

role of women in agriculture

increased contributions to rural economies, especially in LDCs

economic purpose

* farmers in LDCs growing cash crops for consumers in MDCs instead of food for local people
* farmers in LDCs growing crops for illegal drugs instead of food crops
* farmers in MDCs and LDCs growing crops for bio-fuel

agricultural biotechnology

the use of scientific tools and techniques to modify plants/animals

genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

plants or animals whose DNA has been genetically modified, often through combination of DNA from a similar plant or animal species for desired traits

positive impact of GMOs

greater outputs on smaller pieces of land, less need for chemicals

negative impact of GMOs

unknown health effects, unknown effects on pollinating insect population

aquaculture

raising of fish and shellfish in ponds and controlled saltwater hatcheries

issues with agricultural innovations

* sustainability
* soil and water usage
* reductions in biodiversity
* extensive fertilizer/pesticide use

value added foods

foods that have increased in value due to alterations in production, size, shape, appearance, location, and/or convenience

organic farming

crops produced without the use of synthetic or industrially produced pesticides and fertilizers or genetically engineered seeds

urban farming

agriculture takes the form of roof-top, balcony, backyard gardening, as well as in vacant lots and parks in an urban area

community-supported agriculture (CSA)

individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the growers and consumers provide mutual support

fair trade

trade between companies in MDCs and LDCs in which fair prices are paid to the producers

local-food movements

movement of people who prefer to eat foods which are grown relatively close to the places of sale and preparation

dietary shifts

movement from a diet of processed food, meat, fat, and sugar to one that will promote good health, ideal weight, and prevent chronic disease (fruits, vegetables)

food insecurity

the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food

food desert

geographic area where large grocery stores are scarce or missing and residents have limited access to fresh nutritious foods, typically found in urban, low-income neighborhoods

global food distribution

global hunger and food insecurity are the result of complex factors including increased demand for grain to be used to feed animals and for bio-fuels (grains are fed to animals for human consumption and in bio-fuels)

food distribution problems

inadequate transportation networks to markets, inability to afford the costs of production and consumption, inadequate number of markets and ways to access those markets

adverse weather

agricultural production can be affected by high temperatures, drought, flooding, storms, freezes

suburbanization

agricultural production can be affected by the growth of residential areas

role of females

increased role in food production and consumption that varies depending on the region/community

e.g. crops, fruits/vegetables, livestock, fisheries/aquaculture, MDC, LCD

agricultural practices and land use patterns

influenced by physical environment and climatic conditions

intensive farming practices

farming that uses significant amounts of labor/money

extensive farming practices

farming that uses smaller amounts of labor/money in relation to the land area

rural land use patterns

shaped by agricultural practices

early hearths of domestication of plants and animals

- Southwest Asia (Fertile Crescent) - Indus River Valley (India) - Southeast Asia