Unit 5: AP Human

Primary economy

timber, fisheries, and mineral and energy resources

Intensive agriculture

requires lots of labor input, or is focused on a small plot of land, or both

extensive agriculture

requires limited labor input, or is spread across large areas of land, or both

Transhumance

where groups move seasonally not only to avoid harsh climates, but also to follow animal herds and walk to areas where native plants were in fruit.

pastoralism

agriculture based on the seasonal movement of animals from winter to summer pastures and back again

nomadic herding

a practice where whole communities would drive their herds from one seasonal grazing area to another following an annual cycle that was repeated over centuries

ranching

grazing livestock in a single large area

mixed farming/general farming

where multiple crops and animals exist on a single farm to provide diverse nutritional intake and non-foods items

subsistence agriculture

intensive mixed farming that provides for all of the foos and material needs of a household

extensive subsistence agriculture

occurs when there are low amounts of labor inputs per unit of land

food preservation

necessity for survival via drying, pickling, cooking, and storage jars, leading to many cultural variations in food consumption.

cash-cropping

form of extensive agriculture in which harvested crops are exchanged for currency, goods, or credit.

human ecology

human interactions with nature (forestry techniques, fisheries)

food chain

order of predators that is used to describe several integrated human and mechanical inputs, from developing seeds to planting, to dinner plate.

crop rotation

occurs when one crop is planted on a plot of land and then switched to another plot in subsequent years

multi-cropping

planting more than one crop on the same plot of land

aquifers

underground water tables that gives water to irrigation farms

conservation agriculture

providing a sustainable farming system without sacrificing crop production

no-tillage

involves not plowing the soil so that the soil erosion is greatly reduced and soil fertility is increased, retaining natural vegetation

inner-planting

planting fast-growing crops alongside slow-growing crops, allowing harvest for fast crops before slow shade it out.

sustainable yield

amount of crops or animals that can be raised without endangering local resources

slash and burn agriculture

in tropical rainforest regions with farmers shifting from one plot of land to another every few years as soil nutrients become depleted.

extensive pastoralism

shifting animal herds between grazing pastures (popular in Africa, Middle East, Central Asia)

soil salination

evaporation of water that can trap mineral salts on the surface soil layer. high daytime temps cause water vapor to be drawn out of the irrigated farmland.

vegetative planting

where the shoots, stems, and roots of existing wild plants were collected and grown together

seed agricuture

where the fertilized seed grains and fruits of plants were collected and replanted together

horticulture

where plant varieties that thrived in different soil or climate conditions were cultivated

hearths of domestication

the areas where most of this early agricultural activity originated

green revolution

occurred in the 1950s and 1960s when the tropical plant and animal hybrids and chemical fertilizers and pesticides began to be used in 3rd-world agriculture

recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH)

synthetic hormone used in production of beef and milk

corporate agriculture (agribusiness)

lace-scale extensive farms of several thousand acres/animals that are controlled by a single regional business

downer cattle

ill beef cows used for pet food or animal feed

appellation

local or regional geographic name for the product

fair trade movement

ensuring small farmers and artisans are paid fair for products

suitcase farmers

farm owners who have city jobs but still own land in rural areas

community-supported agriculture (CSA)

programs where produce and other farm products are delivered directly to individual consumers

milkshed

region around a city where fresh milk is delivered without spoiling

ultra-high temp (UHT) pasteurization

preservation method where milk is flash-pasteurized at high temps and under pressure to keep the water in to from turning to steam.

commodity chains

links between producers and consumers in the journey from raw material to delivery of finished product

commodity-dependent

when a single product or type of good accounts for more than 60% of its exports

von thüen’s model

land use is determined by how labor intensive the type of farming is

cost-to-distance relationship

inverse relationship between value of labor and distance from the center of the model. (higher labor, closer to the center)

land-rent curve

mathematical function that shows the changes in rent prices across model.