Barron's AP Human Geography Unit 5 Key Terms

From the Barron's book!

Agribusiness

The comprehensive system encompassing the economic and political structures involved in the production, marketing, and distribution of food. It includes every aspect ranging from the initial stages of seed production through to retailing and final consumption of agricultural products.

Agriculture

The multifaceted practice of cultivating soil, growing crops, and raising livestock for human consumption and sustenance. This field intertwines both scientific knowledge and artistic skills to ensure food supply security.

Animal Husbandry

A specialized branch of agriculture focused on the breeding and raising of domesticated animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, and horses for meat, milk, and other products.

Aquaculture

The controlled process of cultivating aquatic organisms, primarily fish, shellfish, and plants, for food in freshwater and marine environments, differentiating from wild fishing practices.

Biotechnology

The innovative technology that applies biological systems and organisms, particularly at the genetic level, to modify and enhance agricultural products, improve crop yields, create disease-resistant plants, and develop beneficial microorganisms.

Capital-Intensive Agriculture

An agricultural approach that relies heavily on capital investment in machinery, technology, and infrastructure rather than on labor. This model enables the production of large quantities of goods with minimal human labor involvement.

Commercial Agricultural Economy

An economic system where agriculture is primarily oriented toward producing surplus crops and livestock for sale in national and international markets, contrasting with subsistence-focused systems.

Commodity Chains

The intricate series of processes that transform raw materials into finished products. This includes steps of sourcing, processing, packaging, shipping, and ultimately selling goods to consumers.

Dairying

The agricultural practice involving the raising of dairy animals, predominantly cows and goats, to produce milk and other dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, and butter.

Desertification

A critical environmental process where fertile land becomes increasingly arid, desert-like and unproductive due to various factors, including climatic changes, deforestation, and unsustainable agricultural practices.

Domestication

The deliberate selection and cultivation of plant and animal species by humans to enhance desirable traits and ensure a reliable source of food, resulting in dependence on cultivated species.

Extensive Agriculture

An agricultural practice characterized by low input of labor and capital per unit of land area, often involving large land holdings but yielding lower productivity compared to intensive methods.

Feedlots

Highly concentrated animal feeding operations where livestock are grouped in confined areas and fed grains or supplements to rapidly increase weight for market readiness. Usually associated with factory farming models.

Fertile Crescent

A historically significant region encompassing parts of the modern-day Middle East (including Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey), characterized by its once-rich agricultural landscape, where early agricultural practices and domestication of plants and animals began. It was one of the first hearths of domestication and thus agricultural activity.

Food Security

The state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. It encompasses not only physical availability but also the economic and social aspects of food supply.

Genetically Modified Foods

Foods derived from organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a lab through genetic engineering. This modification aims to enhance certain traits like pest resistance, and increased yield.

Green Revolution

A period of agricultural transformation during the mid-20th century, characterized by the introduction of high-yield crop varieties, advanced agricultural techniques, and the widespread use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to boost food production.

Horizontal Integration

A corporate strategy where a company expands its operations by acquiring or merging with other firms at the same level in the supply chain, aiming to increase market share and reduce competition/ A form of corporate organization in which several branches of a company or several commonly owned companies work together to sell their products in different markets.

Hunting and Gathering

The ancient practice of sourcing food through the hunting of wild animals and fish, combined with the foraging of edible plants, nuts, and berries/ The killing of wild animals and fish as well as the gathering of fruits, roots, nuts, and other plants for sustenance. This subsistence approach is fundamental to many indigenous cultures.

Industrial Revolution

A pivotal era beginning in the late 18th century characterized by significant advancements in technology and industrial processes, transforming agriculture and manufacturing sectors by promoting mechanization and mass production.

Intensive Cultivation

A form of agriculture that maximizes crop yield through efficient labor use on smaller plots of land, often incorporating advanced techniques, intensive planting, and high levels of input such as fertilizers.

Labor-Intensive Agriculture

Any kind of agricultural activity that involves effective and efficient use of labor on small plots of land to maximize crop yield.

Livestock Ranching

A broad-scale agricultural practice that involves the raising of livestock for commercial purposes, usually over large expanses of land in areas unsuitable for crop farming, often in semi-arid regions.

Mechanization

The transition in agriculture from manual labor to the use of machinery and technology, improving efficiency and scale of production but often requiring significant capital investment.

Mediterranean Agriculture

A distinctive agricultural practice adapted to the Mediterranean climate, characterized by the cultivation of diverse high-value specialty crops, including olives, grapes, and various fruits and nuts.

Organic Agriculture

A farming method that prioritizes environmental sustainability by using natural inputs (crop rotation, natural fertilizers) for soil fertility and pest control, as opposed to artificial fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, additives, and genetically modified organisms—to promote healthy, vigorous crops.

Pastoralism

A traditional form of agriculture that centers around the nomadic herding and breeding of livestock, providing food, clothing, and shelter for pastoral communities.

Pesticides

Chemical agents employed in agriculture to control pests that threaten crop yields. While effective against harmful insects, they can have adverse environmental and health effects on non-target species.

Planned Agricultural Economy

An economic system common in communist states where the government centrally manages agricultural production and allocates resources to meet national needs and goals.

Plantation

A large-scale agricultural estate typically owned by foreign entities, dedicated to the cultivation of a single crop, primarily for export, and often reliant on labor-intensive processes.

Salinization

The accumulation of salts in soil as a result of irrigation practices in arid regions, leading to reduced fertility and productivity of the land due to increased salinity levels.

Shifting Cultivation

A traditional agricultural method in which farmers clear land in tropical forests for crop production, cultivating it temporarily before moving to a new site to allow the original land to regenerate.

Slash-and-Burn Agriculture

A cultivation technique, especially in tropical regions, where vegetation is cut down and burned to clear land, enriching the soil with nutrients from the ash but leading to temporary fertility.

Specialty Crops

Crops that are specifically grown for niche markets, often in developing countries, including products like coffee, spices, fruits, and nuts that are typically aimed at exports.

Subsistence Agricultural Economy

A self-sufficient agricultural system in which most crops and livestock products are produced primarily for the household's consumption rather than for sale or trade.

Sustainability

A guiding principle for agricultural practices that seeks to balance economic viability, environmental health, and social equity to ensure resources are available for future generations.

Swidden

A plot of land that has been cleared for agriculture through the slash-and-burn method, which is typically cultivated for short periods before being allowed to regenerate.

Topsoil Loss

The erosion or depletion of the uppermost layer of soil, which is crucial for agriculture. This loss can occur due to poor land management and is particularly detrimental in areas with fragile ecosystems.

Transhumance

The seasonal movement of livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures, allowing animals to graze in different climatic zones across the year/ The movements of livestock according to seasonal patterns, generally lowland areas in the winter and highland areas in the summer.

Urban Sprawl

The rapid expansion of urban development onto previously undeveloped land, often affecting fertile agricultural areas and leading to increased commuting and resource consumption in cities.

Vertical Integration

A business strategy where a company controls multiple stages of production within the same industry, from the acquisition of raw materials to manufacturing and distribution, enhancing efficiency and market power/ A form of corporate organization in which one firm controls multiple aspects or phases of a commodity chain.

Von Thunen Model

An agricultural model that spatially describes agricultural activity in terms of rent. Activities that require intensive cultivation and cannot be transported over great distances pay higher rent to be close to the market. Conversely, activities that are more extensive, with goods that are easy to transport, are located farther from the market where rent is less.