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Unit 5: Agriculture Vocabulary (Ch. 12–14)

12.1

Agriculture :: The deliberate cultivation of plants and raising of animals for food, fiber, and other products.

Hunting and gathering :: A subsistence strategy based on collecting wild plants and hunting animals.

Köppen climatic classification system :: A system that categorizes world climates based on temperature and precipitation patterns.

Mediterranean agriculture :: Farming adapted to dry summers and mild, wet winters, often involving olives, grapes, and wheat.

12.2

Commercial agriculture :: Farming in which crops or livestock are produced primarily for sale and profit.

Subsistence agriculture :: Farming in which food is produced mainly for the farmer’s family or local community.

Bid-rent theory :: A geographic theory explaining how land use varies by distance from the market based on transportation costs.

Extensive subsistence agriculture :: Low-input farming over large areas, such as pastoral nomadism or shifting cultivation.

Intensive subsistence agriculture :: High-input farming on small plots, common in densely populated regions.

Extensive commercial agriculture :: Large-scale farming with low labor input per unit of land (e.g., ranching).

Intensive commercial agriculture :: High-input farming focused on maximizing output per unit of land (e.g., dairy farming).

Clustered rural settlements :: Homes grouped closely together, often surrounded by farmland.

Linear rural settlements :: Homes arranged along a road, river, or valley.

Circular rural settlements :: Homes arranged in a circle, often for defense or shared land use.

Metes and bounds :: A land survey system using natural features and landmarks.

Township and range :: A grid-based land survey system used in the United States.

Long lot :: A land division system with long, narrow plots extending from a central feature like a river.

Monoculture / monocropping :: The cultivation of a single crop over a large area.

Crop rotation :: The practice of alternating crops to maintain soil fertility.

Plantation agriculture :: Large-scale commercial farming focused on cash crops, often using migrant labor.

Market gardening :: Small-scale, intensive production of fruits and vegetables for nearby urban markets.

Mixed crop/livestock farming :: A farming system that integrates crop cultivation with animal husbandry.

Shifting cultivation :: A farming method where land is cleared, farmed briefly, then abandoned to regenerate.

Slash-and-burn agriculture :: Clearing land by cutting vegetation and burning it to enrich soil.

Pastoral nomadism :: A subsistence strategy based on herding domesticated animals and moving seasonally.

Transhumance :: Seasonal movement of livestock between highland and lowland pastures.

Regions of agricultural production :: Areas that specialize in certain types of farming due to environmental or economic factors.

Wet rice cultivation :: Intensive subsistence farming involving flooded fields (paddies).

Livestock ranching :: Commercial grazing of livestock over large land areas.

Pampas :: Fertile grasslands of South America known for cattle ranching.

Truck farming :: Commercial gardening focused on transporting produce to distant markets.

Dairy agriculture :: Farming focused on the production of milk and dairy products.

Milkshed :: The area surrounding a city from which milk is supplied.

Feedlots :: Large-scale facilities where livestock are fattened before slaughter.

12.3

Agricultural hearths :: Regions where domestication of plants and animals first occurred.

Carl Sauer :: A geographer who emphasized cultural diffusion and early agricultural hearths.

Fertile Crescent :: A major early agricultural hearth in Southwest Asia.

Agricultural diffusion :: The spread of farming practices from hearths to other regions.

Columbian Exchange :: The transfer of crops, animals, and diseases between the Old and New Worlds.

Animal domestication :: The process of selectively breeding animals for human use.

12.4

First Agricultural Revolution :: The domestication of plants and animals.

Second Agricultural Revolution :: Innovations like mechanization and crop rotation that increased food production.

Third Agricultural Revolution :: The Green Revolution and use of biotechnology.

Enclosure Movement :: The consolidation of land in Europe, increasing agricultural efficiency.

GMOs :: Genetically modified organisms engineered for desirable traits.

Green Revolution :: The use of high-yield seeds, fertilizers, and technology to increase food production.

13.1

Agribusiness :: Large-scale commercial agriculture involving production, processing, and distribution.

13.2

Vertical integration :: A company controlling multiple stages of production and distribution.

Commodity chains :: Networks linking production, processing, distribution, and consumption.

Farm subsidies :: Government payments that support farmers and stabilize food prices.

13.3

Von Thünen model :: A model explaining agricultural land use based on distance from the market.

Cereal grains :: Grass crops such as wheat, rice, and corn that are staple foods.

13.4

Global supply chains :: International networks that move agricultural products from producers to consumers.

Cash crop :: A crop grown primarily for sale rather than personal consumption.

Fair trade :: A system promoting equitable prices and labor conditions for producers.

14.1

Deforestation of the tropics :: Clearing forests for agriculture, leading to biodiversity loss.

Terracing :: Shaping land into steps to reduce erosion and allow farming on slopes.

Desertification :: Land degradation in dry regions, often due to overuse (e.g., the Sahel).

Salinization :: The buildup of salts in soil from irrigation, reducing fertility.

14.2

Biotechnological revolution :: Advances in genetic engineering and agricultural technology.

Value-added specialty crops :: Crops made more profitable through processing or branding.

Local-food movements :: Efforts encouraging consumption of locally produced food.

Organic agriculture :: Farming without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.

Aquaculture :: The farming of fish and other aquatic organisms.

Urban farming :: Food production within cities.

Community-supported agriculture (CSA) :: A system where consumers buy shares of a farm’s harvest.

14.3

Food security :: Reliable access to sufficient, nutritious food.