Ap human geo - unit 5

Bid-rent theory

A theory that explains how land value and rent decrease as distance from the central business district (CBD) increases.

Bounds

Natural or artificial features used to define property lines or territorial limits.

Carrying capacity

The maximum population size that an environment can sustain based on available resources.

Commercial agriculture

Large-scale farming focused on producing crops and livestock for sale rather than local consumption.

Commodity chains

The sequence of steps in the production and distribution of a good, from raw materials to final consumers.

Community-supported agriculture

A system where consumers buy shares of a farm’s harvest in advance to support local food production.

Desertification

The process where fertile land becomes desert due to drought, deforestation, or unsustainable farming.

Extensive farming

Agricultural practices that use large areas of land with minimal labor input, such as ranching or shifting cultivation.

Fair trade

A movement that promotes ethical labor and environmental standards while ensuring fair wages for producers.

Fallow

Farmland left unplanted for a period to restore soil fertility.

GMO (Genetically Modified Organism)

Crops or animals altered through genetic engineering to improve yield, resistance, or nutrition.

Intensive farming

Agriculture that uses high inputs of labor, capital, or technology per unit of land, such as rice farming or greenhouse production.

Long lot

A land division system where narrow plots extend from a river or road, commonly used in French colonial areas.

Metes

A land survey method using physical features and measurements to define property boundaries.

Monocropping/monoculture

The practice of growing a single crop over a large area, which can deplete soil nutrients and increase pest risks.

Organic

Food produced without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Range

A measure of land based on meridians, used in the Public Land Survey System for township and section divisions.

Soil salinization

The buildup of salts in soil due to irrigation, which reduces fertility and crop growth.

Subsistence agriculture

Farming primarily for local consumption rather than for sale, often practiced in developing countries.

Supply chain

The network of people, businesses, and processes involved in producing and delivering agricultural products.

Swidden

A form of slash-and-burn agriculture where land is cleared, farmed for a short time, and then left fallow.

Terrace farming

A method of farming on steep slopes by creating steps to prevent erosion and manage water efficiently.

Township

A land division of six-mile squares used in the U.S. Public Land Survey System.

Transhumance

The seasonal movement of livestock between highland and lowland pastures for grazing.

Value-added specialty crops

Crops that have increased economic value through processing or unique qualities, such as organic coffee or artisanal cheese.