APHUG UNIT 5 AGRICULTURE

agriculture

the purposeful tending of crops and livestock in order to produce food and fiber

subsistence agriculture

level of farming in which a person raises only enough food to feed his or her family

plant domestication

altering the behaviors, size and genetics of plants to benefit humans

First Agricultural Revolution

The period roughly 10,000 years ago during which humans first began domesticating crops and animals

terrace farming

cutting of "steps" into the mountains that allowed for more agriculture

irrigation

a system that supplies dry land with water through ditches, pipes, or streams

carrying capacity

the largest population that an environment can support at any given time

slash-and-burn

a farming technique in which trees are cut down and burned to clear and fertilize the land

swidden

Land that is prepared for agriculture by using the slash-and-burn method.

deforestation

the loss or destruction of forests, mainly for logging or farming

desertification

lower land productivity caused by overfarming, overgrazing, seasonal drought, and climate change

Third Agricultural Revolution

20th century; tractor; monoculture; irrigation; petroleum; Agro-Biotechnology; GMOs

Green Revolution

Rapid diffusion of new agricultural technology, especially new high-yield seeds and fertilizers.

GMOs

Crops that carry new traits that have been inserted through advanced genetic engineering methods

pastoral nomadism

A form of subsistence agriculture based on herding domesticated animals.

ranching

a form of commercial agriculture in which livestock graze over an extensive area

shifting cultivation

farmers aim to maintain soil fertility by rotating the fields they cultivate

plantation

an estate where cash crops are grown on a large scale (especially in tropical areas)

truck farming

Commercial gardening and fruit farming in the United States

milk shed

the circle around a dairy farm in which its products can be sold without spoiling

Mediterranean Agriculture

Specialized farming that occurs only in areas where the dry-summer Mediterranean climate prevails

dairy

relating to milk or products made using milk

extensive farming

Where small amounts of capital and labour are used in relation to the amount of land being farmed

double-cropping

to plant and harvest on the same parcel of land twice per year

supply chain

a sequence of activities and organizations involved in producing and delivering a good or service

commodity chain

the hands an item passes through between producer and consumer

luxury crops

Non-subsistence crops such as tea, cacao, coffee, and tobacco

neocolonialism

the continuation today, in a former colony, of colonial exploitation without formal political control

subsidy

a government payment that supports a business or market

clustered settlement

houses are grouped together in tiny clusters or hamlets

dispersed settlements

A rural settlement pattern characterized by isolated farms rather than clustered villages.

metes and bounds

natural features are used to mark irregular parcels of land

township

a subdivision of a county that has its own government

French long-lot system

Linear settlements stretched out along a road or river.

von Thunen model

an agricultural model that spatially describes agricultural activities in terms of rent

bid rent theory

refers to how the price and demand on land changes as the distance towards the CBD/Market increase

comparative advantage

the ability to produce a good at a lower opportunity cost than another producer

organic food

a type of food that is produced without pesticides, bioengineering, or high-energy radiation

aquaculture

Raising marine and freshwater fish in ponds and underwater cages

biodiversity

the diversity of plant and animal life in a particular habitat (or in the world as a whole)

overgrazing

the depletion of vegetation due to the continuous feeding of too many animals

Agribusiness

highly mechanized, large-scale farming, usually under corporate ownership

Agricultural origins

Fertile crescent - originated in the hearths of humanity

Animal domestication

animals kept for some utilitarian purpose whose breeding is controlled by humans and whose survival is dependent on humans; differ genetically and behaviorally from wild animals

Aquaculture

the cultivation of aquatic organisms (as fish or shellfish) especially for food

Commercial agriculture

term used to describe large scale farming and ranching operations that employ vast land bases, large mechanized equipment, factory-type labor forces, and the latest technology

Crop rotation

the practice of rotating use of different fields from crop to crop each year, to avoid exhausting the soil

Dairying

raising female cattle, goats, or certain other lactating livestock for long-term production of milk

Diffusion

the spread of an idea from one area to another

Pesticides

toxic substances released to kill living things

Soil erosion

the wearing away of a fields topsoil by water or the environment

Desertification

the process of land becoming similar to that of a desert

Extensive subsistence agriculture

the use of a lot of labor usually on a small plot of land

Shifting cultivation

cultivation of crops in tropical forest clearings in which the forest vegetation has been removed by cutting and burning. the clearings are usually abandoned after a few years in favor of newly cleared forest land

Slash-and-burn

the process of cutting down all vegetation and burning it to grow crops. Usually used in tropical areas in shifting cultivation

Swidden

patch of land cleared for planting thorough slashing and burning

Nomadic

continual movement, often rotating livestock

Herding/pastoralism

continual movement of livestock in search of forage for animals

Feedlot

factory like farm devoted to either livestock fattening or dairying; all feed is imported and no crops are grown on the farm

Globalized agriculture

consumer driven agriculture integrated on an international scale

Hunting and gathering

the killing of wild game and the harvesting of wild plants to provide food in traditional cultures

Intensive subsistence agriculture

farming to supply the minimum food and materials necessary to survive

Livestock ranching

a commercial type of agriculture that produces fattened cattle and hogs for meat

Market gardening

the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants

Mediterranean agriculture

accounts for virtually all olive oil produced worldwide

Plant domestication

deliberately planted and tended by humans that is genetically distinct from its wild ancestors as a result of selective breeding.

Plantation agriculture

a system of monoculture for producing export crops requiring relatively large amounts of land and capital

Dispersed

a type of settlement form where people live relatively distant from each other

Nucleated

a relatively dense settlement form

Second agricultural revolution

Starting in the middle of the 1700s and benefiting from the Industrial Revolution, it witnessed improved methods of cultivation, harvesting, and storage of farm produce

Staple grains

maize (corn), wheat, and rice are the most produced grains

Sustainable yield

ecological yield that can be extracted without reducing the base of capital itself, required to maintain nature's services at the same or increasing level over time