Studied by 3 people
What factors impact the type of agriculture grown around the world?
The physical environmental, and economic forces
How does the physical environment affect agriculture grown around the world?
Climate, Space/Landforms, Soil/Nutrients
How do economic forces affect agriculture grown around the world?
Intensive and Extensively
What are aspects of Intensive Farming?
large amount of labor and/or capital
small plots of land - land is scarce or expensive
usually located near areas with high population density
What are aspects of Extensive Farming?
fewer inputs of labor and/or capital
large plots of land - land is plentiful, and costs little
usually located away from major population centers
What are examples of Intensive Farming?
Market Gardening
Plantation Agriculture
Mixed Crop & Livestock
Mediterranean
What are examples of Extensive Farming?
Shifting Cultivation
Livestock Ranching
Nomadic Herding
Commercial Grain Farming
What are different types of agriculture for physical environment?
Tropical & Subtropical
Drylands/Desert
Temperate (mid-latitude)
What are different types of agriculture for economic purposes?
Shifting Cultivation
Nomadic Herding/Pastoral Nomadism
Livestock Ranching
Commercial Grain Farming
Market Gardening/Commercial Gardening/Truck Farming
Plantation Agriculture
Mixed Crop & Livestock
Mediterranean
Dairy Farming
What are the different types of agriculture that happen in Tropical & Subtropical climate?
Shifting Cultivation
Plantation
What are characteristics of agriculture that happen in Tropical & Subtropical climate?
high temperatures
abundant rainfall
humidity
high amounts of vegetation
What are characteristics of Shifting Cultivation agriculture?
a lot in South America
slash and burn agriculture
move place to place year after year
What are characteristics of Plantation agriculture?
expansive
large amounts of monocropping (one crop in a very large area)
What are the different types of agriculture that happen in Dryland/Desert climate?
Pastoral Nomadism
Livestock Ranching
What are characteristics of agriculture that happen in Drylands/Desert climate?
high temperatures
little rainfall
mountainous
little vegetation
What are characteristics of Pastoral Nomadism agriculture?
moving herds, or animals from place to place (usually water supply to water supply)
a lot in North Africa
What are characteristics of Livestock Ranching agriculture?
keeping the animals in one place
What are the different types of agriculture that happen in Temperate climates?
Mixed Crop & Livestock
Commercial Grain Farming
Commercial (Market) Farming
Dairy
Mediterranean
What are characteristics of agriculture that happen in Temperate climate?
seasonal changes between summers and winters
moderate temperatures
moderate rainfall
What are characteristics of Mixed Crop & Livestock?
being grown to support the livestock that they are raising
What are characteristics of Commercial Grain Farming?
extensive agriculture
monocropping—wheat, corn
What are characteristics of Commercial (Market) Farming?
large-scale growing of anything that is not a grain, or anything that dies quickly
What are characteristics of Dairy Farming?
large factories supply a region (not many family-owned businesses)
What are characteristics of Mediterranean Farming?
herders practice transhumance
goats and sheep are popular because of the rugged terrain
Define Environmental Possibilism
The physical environment can impact how human society develops, however, humans can utilize technology to combat natural limitations (these human modifications do have impacts on environmental sustainability) (basically environmental adaptation)
Match the following to the Type of Agriculture
Climate: greenhouses
Space/Landforms: terrace farming, clearing trees & vegetation
Soil/Nutrients: fertilizers, slash & burn agriculture
Water/Precipitation: irrigation, draining wetlands
Environmental Possibilism
Match the following to the Type of Agriculture
Climate: tropical
Where: Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia
Types of Crops: rice, maize (corn), millet, and sorghum
Intensive or Extensive: extensive
Commercial or Subsistence: Subsistence
Description: farmers move from one field to another; aka slash and burn agriculture because farmers clear and fertilize the land by burning vegetation. When the soil loses fertility, the farmers move to a different plot of land and repeat.
Shifting Cultivation
Match the following to the Type of Agriculture
Climate: Drylands/Desert
Where: Northern Africa, Southwest Asia, Central Asia, East Asia
Types of Crops: cattle, camels, reindeer, goats, yaks, sheep, horses
Intensive or Extensive: extensive
Commercial or Subsistence: subsistence
Description: Nomads move herds to different pastures and trade meat, milk, and hides. Rely upon animals for survival, not profit.
Nomadic Herding/Pastoral Nomadism
Match the following to the Type of Agriculture
Climate: Drylands/Desert
Where: Western North America, Southeastern South America, Central Asia, Australia, South Africa
Types of Crops: Cattle, Goats, Sheep
Intensive or Extensive: Extensive
Commercial or Subsistence: Commercial
Description: Commercial grazing for livestock. Eventually, they will be sent to feedlots, and then be sent to slaughter.
Livestock Ranching
Match the following to the Type of Agriculture
Climate: Mid-Latitudes, too dry for mixed crop & livestock
Where: U.S., Canada, Europe, Russia, Central Asia, China, South Asia
Types of Crops: Wheat
Intensive or Extensive: Extensive
Commercial or Subsistence: Commercial
Description: Crops are grown primarily for human consumption. Farms sell their output to manufacturers of food products, such as breakfast cereals and bread
Commercial Grain Farming
Match the following to the Type of Agriculture
Climate: Warm Mid-Latitudes
Where: Southeastern U.S., California, Southeastern Australia
Types of Crops: Fresh fruits and vegetables, lettuce, broccoli, apples, oranges, tomatoes
Intensive or Extensive: Intensive (reliant on migrant laborers & machinery)
Commercial or Subsistence: Commercial
Description: Some of the fruits and vegetables are sold fresh to consumers, but most are sold to large processors for canning or freezing.
Market Gardening/Commercial Gardening/Truck Farming
Match the following to the Type of Agriculture
Climate: Tropical
Where: Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, South & Southeast Asia
Types of Crops: Commodity & Speciality crops such as cacao, coffee, rubber, sugarcane, bananas, tobacco, tea, coconuts, and cotton
Intensive or Extensive: Intensive (reliant on cheap labor from former colonies)
Commercial or Subsistence: Commercial
Description: A plantation specializes in one crop that is transported for sale on the global market.
Plantation Agriculture
Match the following to the Type of Agriculture
Climate: Cold & Warm Mid-Latitude
Where: Midwestern U.S., Canada, Central Europe
Types of Crops: Corn, Grains, Soybeans (grown to feed cattle and pigs)
Intensive or Extensive: Intensive (reliant on high amounts of capital and labor)
Commercial or Subsistence: Commercial
Description: Most money comes from the sale of Livestock rather than crop outputs.
Mixed Crop & Livestock
Match the following to the Type of Agriculture
Climate: Mild (wet winters and hot, dry summers), Coastal
Where: Southern Europe, North Africa, Pacific Coast of the U.S., Chile, South Africa, Australia
Types of Crops: Grapes, Olives, Dates, Figs
Intensive or Extensive: Intensive (land is scarce, hilly, labor-intensive)
Commercial or Subsistence: Commercial
Description: Orchards are common, Crops produced for the global market
Mediterranean
Match the following to the Type of Agriculture
Climate: Mid-Latitudes
Where: Northern U.S., Canada, Europe, Russia, China, India, Brazil
Intensive or Extensive: Intensive (cows need to be milked 2x a day; machinary)
Commercial or Subsistence: Commercial
Description: Dairy farmers typically sell their milk to wholesalers who later distribute it to retailers. Retailers then sell it to consumers in shops or at home.
Dairy Farming
What do Rural Survey Methods do?
They define the boundaries of land ownership.
What are the different types of Rural Survey Methods?
Metes and Bounds
Long Lot
Township and Range
What are characteristics of Metes and Bounds survey method?
Great Britain to North America
Utilization of landmarks and physical features to establish boundary lines
Results in irregular shaped plots of land
What are characteristics of Long Lot survey method?
France and Spain to North America
Long stripes of land that start at a river or lake with the intention of providing all landowners with equal access to resources (soil & water) and transportation
What are characteristics of Township and Range survey method?
Pioneered by Thomas Jefferson
Rectangles and grid system
Each township is 6 miles x 6 miles
Keep track of land sales and purchases, utilize a uniform survey method
What are different types of Rural Settlement Patterns?
Clustered
Dispersed
Linear
How did Clustered Settlement start?
Throughout European history, rural residents lived in groups of homes close to one another.
What are characteristics of Clustered Settlement?
Farmland and pasture surround the settlement
Share resources & community
Have to walk to farmland
Metes and Bounds Survey Methods
What is the major characteristic of Dispersed Settlement?
Settlements are isolated and dispersed over the land area.
What are characteristics of Dispersed Settlement?
The U.S. government promoted westward expansion by giving farmers land (usually 160 acres) if they agreed to live and farm on it
Reflective of individual values and ownership of land
Township & Range Survey Method
How is Linear Settlement organized?
Along a line—typically associated with a transportation system or physical feature like a river or coast.
What are characteristics of Linear Settlement?
Long Lot Survey Method
Define Hearth
The geographic origin of a trait, characteristic, innovation, or other concept. Remember, it is when something is “born”.
Define Domestication
The deliberate effort to grow plants and raise animals, making plants and animals adapt to human demands.
Define Agricultural Hearths
The separate locations in which Farming and agricultural innovation began and spread to other areas.
What are the different Agricultural Hearths?
The Fertile Crescent
Southeast Asia
East Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa
Mesoamerica
What are characteristics of The Fertile Crescent?
10,000 years ago
AKA: The Bread Basket
Crops: barley, wheat, lentils, olives, oats, rye
Animals: sheep, goats, cattle, pigs
What are characteristics of Southeast Asia?
10,000 years ago
Crops: sugarcane, taro, coconut, mango, bananas, grapefruit, rice tea
What are characteristics of East Asia?
9,500 years ago
Crops: rice, soybeans, walnuts
What are characteristics of Sub-Saharan Africa?
7,000 years ago
Crops: coffee, cowpeas, millet, African rice, sorghum, yams
What are characteristics of Mesoamerica?
5,500 years ago
Crops: sweet potatoes, beans, maize, chiles, peppers, cotton, cassava, Lima beans, potatoes, tomatoes
Animals: Llama, and Alpaca
Define Independent Inventions
Occurs when a trait has many cultural hearths; the idea that the trait developed separately without being influenced by other cultural groups.
What are commonalities among agricultural Hearths?
Fertile soil in river valleys
Availability of water
Moderate climates
Collective societal structures
More food surplus = more population
How did Agriculture Diffuse historically?
Contagious Diffusion
Immigration & Migration
Trade Routes
The Colombian Exchange
How did Agriculture Diffuse modernly?
Green Revolution
Demand for Meat
Characteristics of The Second Agricultural Revolution
When and Where: 1750, Great Britain
Diffusion: through Great Britain into Europe and the U.S.
What are causes of the Second Agricultural Revolution?
Industrial Revolution
Enclosure Movement
What are characteristics of the Industrial Revolution?
The use of technology to increase the production and distribution of agricultural goods
Cotton gin, seed drill, steel plough, barbed wire
High yields —> surplus of foods —> population growth and longer life expectancy
More technology —> less manual labor —> decrease in the number of farmers
What are characteristics of the Enclosure Movement?
Series of laws enacted by the British government that enabled landowners to purchase and enclose land for their own use which had previously been communal land used by peasant farmers
Emergence of Commercial agriculture
Fewer and larger farms —> decrease in farm owners —> improvements in farming techniques —> people moving to more urban areas
urbanization
Define Urbanization
Mass migration of people into the cities to work in newly emerged factories
What are characteristics of the Second Agricultural Revolution?
Crop Rotation
Le to increased crop yields, experimentation with fertilization techniques
Transportation Improvements & New Markets
Trains and steamboats allowed farmers to ship their products further and at a lower cost
Define Crop Rotation
Planting the same crop each year can deplete the natural resources in the soil. Farmers began doing this each year to sustain the fertility of the soil.
What is the Green Revolution?
When and Where: 1950s-1960s
Diffusion: research of the MDCs spread to developing countries in Latin America and Asia
What are some Causes of the Green Revolution?
Massive population growth occuring in the 20th century - mostly in developing regions of the world
Normal Borlaug - researcher who traveled to Mexico to improve agricultural and biotechnological techniques to feed the growing population of the world
What are characteristics of the Green Revolution?
Development of higher-yielding, diease-resistant, faster-growing varieties of grains (rice, corn, wheat)
Hybrids & Genetically Modified Organisms
Double Cropping
Increased use of fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation techniques, and machinery in developing countries
Define Double Cropping
Growing more than one crop per year
What are Positive Results from the Green Revolution?
Higher yields on the same amount of cultivated land
Increased yields —> surplus —> sustain population growth —> begin exporting crops —> more wealth —> better farming technology —> more crops
Led to self-sufficiency in developing regions like Latin America, South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia
Lower food prices - increased access
What are Negative Results from the Green Revolution?
Environmental Consequences
mass use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides —> runoff in local water systems —> impact ecosystems, habitats, pollute water, poison animals
Intensive double cropping system and aggressive irrigation —> soil erosion and salinization
more machinery —> more use of fossil fuels —> air, sound, and water pollution
Loss of biodiversity
Gender Consequences
In many developing countries before the Green Revolution, women were in charge of the farming labor
The development of new technologies and techniques were communicated to male heads of households
Women are excluded from learning or having decision-making power due to their lack of economic and social equality. This contributes to further gender inequality.
Poor Success in Africa
Harsh and diverse environmental conditions, droughts, soil fertility, etc.
Lack of infrastructure and reliable transportation networks
African crops such as sorghum, millet, cassava, yams, and cowpeas were not included in the genetic research that resulted in GMOs and hybridization
Lack of government investment to kick-start the process
Economic Forces Impact Agriculture: Subsistence
Crops and livestock are grown to feed the farmer, family, and community. May sell small surplus at local markets
Access to markets is limited and farmers have less access to credit to pay for expensive farming improvement and labor
Little income from farming
Manual and animal labor, hand tools
Lack of infrastructure to facilitate global trade
Periphery Countries: rural Africa, parts of Asia, and Latin America
Economic Forces Impact Agriculture: Commercial
Crops and livestock are grown to be sold on the global market. The purpose is to make a profit, not to sustain the farmer's family
Access to markets and credit allows commercial farmers to purchase modern farm equipment, advanced technologies, and large plots of land
Well-developed infrastructure: banking, transportation, and agricultural supply industry
Core and Semi-Periphery Countries
What is the Economy of Monocropping (Monoculture)
The cultivation of one or two crops that are rotated seasonally
Allows for specialization and maximizes efficiency, leading to higher yields
Profitable for plantations and large corporate farms
Can strip nutrients from the soil, decrease biodiversity, or put small farmers out of business
Supply and demand = if there is more supply than demand, the price goes down
What is the Economy of Agribusiness?
The large-scale system that includes the production, processing, and distribution, financial funding, and research of agricultural products and equipment
While a majority of farms worldwide are family-owned, the rise of agribusiness has changed the nature of farming, replacing small family farms with giant agribusiness corporations
How is the Economy with Economies of Scale?
Large-scale farming is cost-effective due to lower bulk prices for farming supplies and technologies
Modern equipment, fertilizers, pesticides, GMO and hybrid seeds all contribute to higher yields.
Bigger purchases due to bigger farms → cheaper prices
When production increases, the costs of production (inputs) decrease
Results in fewer family-owned farms
How does the Economy affect Technological Advances?
Further increases the cost of operating farms but also increases the efficiency of agriculture
Increases the carrying capacity of the land, higher yields
What are characteristics of Commodity Chains?
A complex network that connects places of production with distribution to consumers
Due to improvements in agricultural technology, agribusiness, and globalization, farmers tend to raise crops and animals far from their final markets, and consumers can purchase them at low prices
Define Bid-Rent Theory
The value of land is influenced by its relationship to the market
What are characteristics of Bid-Rent Theory?
Most desirable and accessible land is near the market and costs the most money
Farmers are able to purchase LESS land so farming is typically INTENSIVE in order to earn a profit
The least desirable and accessible land is located the furthest from the market and costs the least money
Farmers are able to purchase MORE land and farming is typically EXTENSIVE and can earn a profi
Context of Von Thunen’s Model
North German farmer and economist
Published, “An Isolated State”, in 1826
What are Assumptions of Von Thunen’s Model
Isotropic Plane
No barriers to transportation
Farmers using oxcarts to transport goods to market
Define Isotropic Plane
All land is flat and the physical environment is the same everywhere
What are Major Idea’s of Von Thunen’s Model?
Transportation costs are proportional to the distance from the market
The perishability of the product and transportation costs to the market factor into a farmer’s decisions regarding agricultural practices
Spatial Perspective! The WHY of WHERE!
What were the ranges of Von Thunen’s Model?
Market/Urban Center
Dairy Farming & Market Gardening
Forests
Grains and Cereal Crops
Livestock Ranching
What are characteristics of Market/Urban Center in Von Thunen’s Model?
Assumed that there was a market located in an isolated, self-sufficient state without external influences
Assumed commercial agriculture system in which farmers will maximize their profits
Assumed that there was a single market destination for farmers’ harvest
What are characteristics of Dairy Farming & Market Gardening in Von Thunen’s model?
Crops: Dairy & Produce
Perishability: milk and produce spoil early, so they must be located near the markets to ensure fresh products
Transportation: difficult to transport and must be transported quickly due to perishability
Intensive farming due to the high value of land located near the central market
What are characteristics of Forests in Von Thunen’s model?
Crops: Timber
Perishability: not perishable
Transportation: difficult and expensive to transport, very heavy
Firewood was an essential good in the 1800s in order to build fires for cooking, heating homes, and as a building material
What are characteristics of Grains and Cereal Crops in Von Thunen’s model?
Crops: Grains and Cereal
Perishability: Less perishable
Transportation: not fragile, bulky, or heavy. Easier to transport to the market
Extensive farming becomes profitable due to the cost of the land (distance from market)
What are characteristics of Livestock Ranching in Von Thunen’s model?
Livestock
Perishability: Not perishable while they are alive!
Transportation: Very low cost because animals were walked to the market
Land is less desirable due to distance from the market. This makes it less expensive, so ranchers can rent or buy large quantities to herd their animals.
What are Limitations of Von Thunen’s model?
Multiple market centers across the world today → global supply chain
Food preservation techniques such as tin cans and refrigeration
Improved transportation infrastructure! Complex networks of shipping cargo cars via ship, train, roads, and air routes
Government policies about land use or to encourage growth of a particular crop
Wood is no longer used as the major source of heating, cooking, or building material
Forests are no longer near communities
Non-Isotropic Planes: physical features impact the shape of the model
Specialty Farming: regions of particular climates and soil types like Mediterranean agriculture are missing from the model!
What are characteristics of Regional Interdependence?
Globalization has created interdependence among countries of varying levels of development
More developed countries export crops around the world
LDCs export many luxury crops
Many farmers don’t grow staple crops in an effort to grow luxury crops for export
LDCs import many cereal crops to feed their populations
What is the Political and Infrastructure Supports for Agriculture?
Governments across the world provide subsidies to farmers
Provide a dependable food supply
Increase agricultural exports
Reduce food costs for consumers
In many developing countries, infrastructure links resources to ports. Very little money is invested in other infrastructure.
How does Shifting Cultivation alter the landscape?
Practiced in periphery and semi-periphery countries—South America. Central and West Africa and Southeast Asia
Farmers cultivate the land until the soil becomes infertile
Fallow (uncultivated) period is supposed to allow the land to recover
Soil degradation if land does not have an adequate fallow period
How does Slash and Burn Agriculture alter the landscape?
Type of shifting cultivation that permanently alters the landscape
Method: cutting and burning forests in order to create fields for cultivation
Ash from burning provides nutrients and fertilizes crops
Results in deforestation and soil erosion
Half of the world's topsoil has been lost in the past 150 years
How does Terrace Farming alter the landscape?
Typically practiced by subsistence farmers in mountainous areas
Steps are built into the sides of hills and mountainsides in order to cultivate water-intensive crops like rice
During rainfall, the water floods through the steps without pulling out the plants or causing soil erosion
Allows land to be cultivated that would otherwise be non-arable
How does Irrigation alter the landscape?
Used to supplement rainfall by bringing water from its natural sources to farm fields through systems of canals, ditches, and other methods
Reservoirs and aquifers
Impacts the cultural landscape and results in the depletion of water resources
How does Pastoral Nomadism alter the landscape?
Practiced in semi-arid and arid climates, subsistence farming
Herders move animals seasonally to graze
Results in soil erosion and desertification
Process by which formerly fertile lands become infertile
Typically as a result of droughts and overgrazing
Note 
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