AP Human Geography Unit 5: Agriculture

Agriculture, Food Production and Rural Land Use words + definitions

Truck Farming

grows vegetables, fruits sold to large processors for eventual human consumption

GMOs

living systems and organisms that have their genome altered intentionally and directly

Organic Farming

type of agricultural/food production driven by concerns over more common methods of agriculture, made possible by affluent customers

Draining Wetlands

method of farming that removes water from wetlands in order to use the fertile soil for farming

Desertification

when arable land is turned into land that cannot be used for farming due to poor management, harsh climate, or slash and burn

Von Thunen

a model that showed how market processes could determine how land in different locations would be used

Green Revolution

advances in plant biology that began in the mid-20th century; led to development of higher-yielding, disease-resistant, faster-growing varieties of grains biggest developments in rice, corn, and wheat

animal domestication

the controlled raising of livestock in a farm to eventually be killed and then sold or consumed

Columbian Exchange

the exchange of plants, animals and diseases between hemispheres during the 15th through 17th centuries.

Terraces

making a slope landscape a series of flat steps for farming to be more conventional at these locations

Irrigation

the moving of water from a source to an agricultural region that is far away

Deforestation

the removal of forests, and trees to make space for farmland

Second Agricultural Revolution

accompanied the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain in the 18th century mechanization of agricultural production, advances in transportation, development of large-scale irrigation, changes to consumption patterns of agricultural goods, invention of steel plough and mechanized harvesting

Pesticides

chemical substance designed to kill insects that harm plants

herbicides

chemical substance designed to kill weeds and other harmful plants

Mediterranean agriculture

agriculture in regions where the climate stays very stable all year round

Shifting agriculture or cultivation

another name for slash-and-burn agriculture

Pastoral nomadism

in another form of agricultural production that involves the herding of animals, such as sheep and goats

Subsistence agriculture

growing enough crops to feed the family, but not for commercial sale

Agribusiness

a form of commercial agriculture that links production and processing industries

specialty farming

farming rare, unconventional crops that are grown in very few places

aquaculture

farming that occurs underwater or in large amounts of water

early agricultural hearths

Mesoamerica, Southwest Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia

plantation agriculture

farming that uses relatively large areas of land in a tropical climate to produce cash crops

agriculture

the science or practice of farming, including cultivation of the soil for the growing of crops and the rearing of animals to provide food, wool, and other products.

Agriculture Hearths

There are six primary hearths of Agriculture, or places where scientists agree most plantings of crops originated. Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southwest Asia, Central Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. There are also two secondary Agricultural hearths, located in south Asia and Southwest Asia.

Agriculture Regions

an area where the practice of agriculture can be done. Normally areas of fertile soils, steady climates, and access to water

high-yield seeds

seeds whose plants grow to be very large and produce high yields

Chemical Farming

farming that uses synthetic and artificial substances to produce yields

mechanized farming

the use of machines and vehicles to make the farming process more efficient

fertilizer

a chemical or natural substance added to soil or land to increase its fertility

food desert

an area that has limited access to nutritious, affordable food

fair trade

arrangement designed to help producers in developing countries be able to sell their product for a fair price

value-added specialty crops

added value to crops that are grown in a special way that is often higher quality than the standard

bioclimatic zones

regions of the planet that share a common climate and biological makeup of plants and animals.

commercial farming

the raising of crops and livestock for sale in markets

intensive farming

a system that mechanizes nearly all agricultural processes in order to maximize yields for a relatively small agricultural region

mixed crop and livestock farming

farming systems that grow crops and raise livestock as well

extensive farming

farming that uses relatively large areas of land but lower intensity to produce yields.

global supply chain

worldwide network where a company buys goods or services overseas

rural settlement

permanent settlement of people in an area that is well removed from large urban centres

biotechnology

technological advancements within biological systems that improve agriculture, and other sciences

plant domestication

the controlled growth of crops in a farm to eventually be harvested and then sold or consumed