unit 8: intro to agriculture & the agricultural revs.

agricultural hearths

areas of settlement during the neolithic period, especially along major rivers, from where farming and cultivation of livestock emanated, farming practices diffused across the surface of the earth- four most important : Fertile Crescent (SW Asia), Ancient Egypt, N. China, Indus Valley (S. Asia), Ethiopia

agriculture

activities concerned with the production of plants and animals, and the related supplies, services, mechanics, products, processing, and marketing

cereal grains

corn, wheat, rice, and other grasses, includes rice, millet, barley, rye, and wheat

columbian exchange

• corn, tomatoes, squash to new

• disease, horses, sugar to old

(items sent back and forth to the New and Old worlds)

dispersed settlement pattern

a rural settlement pattern characterized by isolated farms rather than clustered villages

double cropping

harvesting twice a year from the same field

enclosure

a movement in England during the 1600s and 1700s in which the government took public lands and sold them off to private landowners--contributing to a population shift toward the cities and a rise in agricultural productivity

enclosure movement

the process of consolidating small landholdings into a smaller number of larger farms in England during the eighteenth century

extensive agriculture

an agricultural system characterized by low inputs of labor per unit land area (there is minimal labor put in over a large area of land)

extensive subsistence agriculture

shifting cultivation, nomadic herding/pastoralism

feedlot

a plot of land on which livestock are fattened for market

first agricultural revolution

dating back 10,000 years, the first agricultural revolution achieved plant domestication and animal domestication

green revolution

a shift in agricultural practices in the twentieth century that included new management techniques, mechanization, fertilization, irrigation, and improved crop varieties, and resulted in increased food output

hamlets

the smallest of urban settlements with a counted population

hunters and gathers

obtained food by gathering wild plants and hunting animals, moving to a different location when food runs out

intensive agriculture

small-area farms and ranches with high inputs of labor per acre and high output per acre

intensive subsistence agriculture

a form of subsistence agriculture in which farmers must expend a relatively large amount of effort to produce the maximum possible yield from a parcel of land

irrigation

process in which water is artificially supplied to the land

labor intensive agriculture

type of agriculture that requires large levels of manual labor to be successful

livestock

domesticated animals such as cows, sheep, and poultry that are raised and managed to produce meat, milk, eggs, wool, leather, etc.

long-lot survey system

distinct regional approach to land surveying found in the Canadian Maritimes, parts of Quebec, Louisiana, and Texas whereby land is divided into narrow parcels stretching back from rivers, roads, or canals

market gardening

the small scale production of fruits, vegetables, and flowers as cash crops sold directly to local consumers- distinguishable by the large diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, during a single growing season- labor is done manually

mediterranean agriculture

an agricultural system practiced in the Mediterranean style climates of Western Europe, California, and portions of Chile and Australia, in which diverse specialty crops such as grapes, avocados, olives, and a host of nuts, fruits, and vegetables comprise profitable agricultural operations

metes and bounds

a term used in describing the boundary lines of land, setting forth all the boundary lines together with their terminal points and angles- metes (length or measurements) and bounds (boundaries) description is often used when a great deal of accuracy is required

mixed crop/livestock

both animal and crops are farmed in the same area, it's helpful because farmers could distribute the workload more evenly through the year

monocropping/monoculture

an agricultural method that utilizes large plantings of a single species or variety

neolithic revolution

(10,000 - 8,000 BCE) the development of agriculture and the domestication of animals as a food source- this led to the development of permanent settlements and the start of civilization

nomadism

a way of life, forced by a scarcity of resources, in which groups of people continually migrate to find pastures and water

nucleated settlement pattern

a settlement clustered around a central point, such as a village green or church

pampas

grasslands of argentina and uruguay

pastoral nomadism

a form of subsistence agriculture based on herding domesticated animals

patriarchal system

when men had the power in the family, the economy, and the government

plantation farming

a large farm in tropical and subtropical climates that specializes in the production of one or two crops for sale, usually to a more developed country

primary sector

the portion of the economy concerned with the direct extraction of materials from Earth's surface, generally through agriculture, although sometimes by mining, fishing, and forestry

primogeniture

an English law in colonial times that said only the eldest son of the parents could inherit a landed estate- this left the wealthy but landless younger sons to seek their fortune elsewhere. Many of the younger sons went to the New World, and they included Gilbert, Raleigh, and Drake (lmao)

quaternary sector

consists of intellectual activities often associated with technological innovation- it is sometimes called the knowledge economy- activities associated with this sector include government, culture, libraries, scientific research, education, and information technology

rectangular survey system/township- range

legal description of land: "government survey system," base lines, meridians, townships and sections. township \= 36 sections, section \= 640 acres (1 square mile), acre \= 43650 square feet. EX: S7 T3 R2 means Section 7 Township 3 and Range 2

second agricultural revolution

tools and equipment were modified, methods of soil preparation, fertilization, crop care, and harvesting improved the general organization of agriculture made more efficient

secondary sector

the portion of the economy concerned with manufacturing useful products through processing, transforming, and assembling raw materials

seed agriculture

reproduction of plants through annual introduction of seeds

shifting/swidden agriculture

is an agricultural technique that involves the cutting and burning of plants in forests or woodlands to create fields- it is subsistence agriculture that typically uses little technology- it is typically key in shifting cultivation agriculture, and in transhumance livestock herding

subsistence agriculture

farmer produces just enough to support himself and his family with little left for purchasing manufactured goods

tertiary sector

this sector sells the goods produced by the secondary sector and provides commercial services to both the general population and to businesses in all five economic sectors- activities associated with this sector include retail and wholesale sales, transportation and distribution, restaurants, clerical services, media, tourism, insurance, banking, health care, and law

third agricultural revolution

currently in progress, the third agricultural revolution has as its principal orientation the development of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO's)