Studied by 10 people
agriculture
the process where humans alter the landscape in order to raise crops
climate
long term weather patterns in a region
subsistence agriculture
the primary goal is to grow enough food to meet immediate needs
commercial agriculture
the primary goal is to grow enough crops to sell for profit.
intensive agriculture
practices in which farmers use large amounts of inputs to maximize yields
extensive agriculture
practices in which farmers use fewer amounts of inputs and typically result in less yield
intensive commercial agriculture
heavy investments in labor and capital are used which often results in high yields and profits
capital
the money invested in land, equipment, and machines
intensive subsistent agriculture
the farmer cultivates a small plot of land using simple tools and more labor intensive
extensive commercial agriculture
uses low inputs of resources but has the goal of selling the product for profit
extensive subsistent agriculture
agriculture in which the crops are used nearly exclusively locally on large areas of land and minimal labor input
pastoral nomadism
a form of subsistence agriculture based on herding domesticated animals
shifting cultivation
a form of subsistence agriculture in which people shift planting from one field to another, leaving a field fallow
plantation
large commercial farm that specialized in one crop
mixed crop and livestock farming
intensive commercial integrated system that demonstrates an interdependence between crops and animals
grain farming
in regions too dry for mixed crop, farmers raise wheat
commercial gardening
gardening on a larger scale to produce food in bulk
market gardening
when fruits and vegetables are grown near a market and sold locally
dairy farming
agricultural activity involving the raising of cows and goats for dairy products such as milk, cheese, and butter
milk shed
the geographic distance that milk is delivered
mediterranean agriculture
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
transhumance
the seasonal herdings of animals from high elevations int he summer to lower elevations int he winter
livestock ranching
commercial grazing of animals confined to a specific area
clustered settlements
settlements where families live in close to each other with fields surrounding them
dispersed settlements
patterns in which farmers lived in home spread throughout the countryside
linear settlements
where buildings are organized close to a body of water or along a transportation route
metes and bounds
used physical features of local geography along with directions and distances to define and describe boundaries of land parcels
township and range system
created rectangular plots of consistent size
townships
government organized land, areas 6 by 6 milkes.
section
each square mile in a township consisted of 640 acres
french long lot system
where farms were long, thin sections of land that ran perpendicular to a river
first agricultural revolution
origin of farming, marked by the domestication of plants and animals
animal domestication
the process by which wild animals are cultivated into a resource supply for humans
plant domestication
the process by which wild plants are cultivated into productive crops, often with more desirable traits
fertile crescent
first major hearth in southwest asia, extends from the mediterranean sea and continues along the tigris and euphrates.
independent innovation
crops and animals domesticated in multiple regions with no interaction among the people
columbian exchange
global movement of plants and animals between afro-eurasia and the americas
second agricultural revolution
began in 1700s, used advances of the industrial revolution in increase food supplies and support population growth
enclosure acts
a series of laws enacted by the british government that enabled landowners to purchase and enclose land for their own use
irrigation
the process of applying controlled amount of water to crops
crop rotation
a technique of planting different crops in a specific sequence on the same plot of land in order to restore nutrients back into the soil
third agricultural revolution
born out of science, continues today. Expanded mechanization of farming and developed new global agricultural systems.
green revolution
advanced in plant biology, foundation laid by norman borlaug
hybridization
the process of breeding two plants that have desirable characteristics to produce a single seed with both characteristics
generically modified organism
process by which humans use engineering techniques to change the DNA of a seed
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Flashcard (50)