Unit 5 Agriculture Vocabulary

Agriculture

modifying the environment to raise plants or animals

Biodiversity

the variety of life forms - used a measure of the health of an ecosystem

Combine

machine that reaps, threshes, and cleans gram while moving over a field

Commercial agriculture

when the focus of agriculture is to produce a product to sell to other people and companies.

Conservation Farming

the protection of wildlife and natural resources by using sustainable farming methods

Crop Rotation

temporarily rotating types crops to limit the depletion of soil nutrients

Desertification

a form of land degradation that occurs when soil deteriorates to a very dry condition

Double cropping

growing more than one crop in the same field in the same growing season NOT at the same time

Genetically Modified Organism

a plant or animal that has been altered through genetic engineering

Green revolution or 3rd agricultural Revolution

the spread of new technologies like high yield crops and chemical fertilizers to the developing world in the 1960s and 1970s

Organic Agriculture/Farming

farming that uses natural fertilizers and natural methods of pest control instead of artificial or chemical pesticides/fertilizers

Pasture

large area of grassy land where it is appropriate to keep livestock

plantation agriculture

a usually large commercial farm that specializes in one or two crops, usually semi-tropical or tropical areas

Ranching

commercial agriculture that allows livestock to wander a large area to feed using for meat or wool usually in MDCs, Core or semi-periphery countries

Shifting cultivation (slash and burn agriculture)

subsistence agriculture form used in tropical areas that cuts down vegetation for burning which provides nourishment to the soil - every few years the farmer must move to a new location as the nutrients are gone and repeat

Sustainability

using farming techniques that protect the environment, public health, human communities, and animal welfare and can go on indefinitely

Transhumance

moving flocks into the highlands for summer and returning to lowlands for the winter

Yield

the amount of an agricultural product produced in an area of cultivation

Climate

the prevailing weather conditions in general over a long period of time

extensive farming (agriculture)

agriculture that uses small amounts of labor on a large area of land

Intensive farming (agriculture)

agriculture that uses a lot of labor to produce as much as possible

Market gardening

small-scale, manual labor agricultural production of a variety of crops to be sold locally

Mediterranean Agriculture (farming)

The growing of crops like grapes and olives is closely associated with Mediterranean climate. A form of agriculture that practices in countries like Italy, Greece, and Spain on the Mediterranean and in regions of other countries such as Chile, Australia, the United States, and Argentina.

Mixed crop/livestock

a type of farming in which both crops and livestock are raised for profit. Sometimes the crops are fed to the animals

Tropical Climate

(Usually around the equator) areas that have an average temperature above 64° and get substantial precipitation

Clustered Settlement

a pattern of rural settlement in which the houses and farm buildings of each family are situated close to each others' fields

Dispersed settlement

settlement pattern with people living relatively far from each other on their farms

linear settlements

a rural land use pattern that creates a long, narrow settlement around a river, coast, or road that looks like a line

Long Lot (French) survey method

a rural land use pattern that divides land into long, narrow lined up along a waterway or road

Metes and bounds

a system of describing parcels of land where the metes are the lines (including angle and distance that surround the property) and bound describes features such as a river or public road

Surveying

examining and measuring the surface of the Earth for planning, preparing to build, or mapping

Township and range survey method

survey system that uses a grid system with roads between to create property lines

Columbian Exchange

the trading of good and ideas between the Americas, Europe and Africa that began after Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas in 1492

Domestication

the deliberate effort to grow plants and raise animals. Taming plants or animals for human use

Fertile Crescent

a crescent-shaped area in Southwest Asia (Middle East) where settled farming first began to emerge leading to the rise of cities

Neolithic Agricultural Revolution or First Agricultural Revolution

time when people first domesticate plants and animals which allows people to live in one place

Second Agricultural Revolution (Mechanized farming)

coincides with the Industrial Revolution; increasing yield and access through machines and transportation

Bid-rent theory

Land closer to city is more expensive

Monocropping (monoculture)

agricultural practice of growing a single crop year after year on the same land

Subsistence agriculture

when the focus of agriculture is to produce enough for to feed the family but with little, if any, profit

Agribusiness

system of commercial agriculture that includes production, processing, distribution & selling of agriculture products

Commodity chain (supply chain)

is the series of steps a product goes through from start to finish: → Production → Processing → Distribution → Retail → Consumption

Economies of scale

cost advantages that come producing a large amount of an item. More items produced, the cheaper it is

Export commodity

goods sent from one country to another for sale

Deforestation

loss of forest lands

Irrigation

moving water to where you need it

Pastoral nomadism (nomadic herding)

herding animals and migrating with them to find pasture areas without a permanent pasture area usually in an LDC or periphery country

Soil salinization

the slow build up of salt in soil, particularly in irrigated areas, that makes soil unable to grow plants

Terrace farming

method of growing crops on the sides of hills or mountains by planting on man-made steps (terraces)

Aquaculture

raising and harvesting fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants

Biotechnology

the use science techniques to altering living organisms, for example, hydroponics which is growing plants without soil or creating drought resistant plants

Community supported agriculture (CSA)

a system in which a farm operation is supported by shareholders within the community who share both the benefits and risks of food production

Food deserts

an area usually in an urban area in which it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food because its too far away

Local food movements

encouraging people to eat foods which are grown or farmed relatively close to the places of sale and preparation

Urban farming

integrating growing crops or raising animals into a city

Value added specialty crops

changing the physical state or form of an agricultural product in a way that increases it's worth (wheat into flour or berries into jam)

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO)

a farm where many animals are kept in tight quarters in a small area

Hearth

Origin of an animal or plant

infrastructure

Paved roads, highways and electricity

Fair Trade

a movement that tries to provide farmers in LDC to work together to get a good price for their products

Aquifer depletion

Long-term ground water-level declines in an area

Food security

People's ability to access sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life.

Food insecurity

a condition in which people do not have adequate access to healthy food

Milkshed

ring surrounding a city from which milk can be supplied without spoiling

Overfishing

capturing fish faster than they can reproduce

soil degradation

The loss of some or all of a soil's ability to support plant growth

truck farming/periodic markets

When small vendors from all around meet up at a certain location to sell goods sometimes weekly and sometimes annually (Farmers Market)

Globalization

the process by which businesses or other organizations develop international trading. Countries depend upon each other for selling and growing crops

Subsequent Diffusion

spread of culture traits or food/plants/animals that occur after the first introduction of those traits. This type of diffusion often happens through processes like migration, trade, or communication, where the cultural traits are adopted and adapted by new groups over time.