APHUG 5&6

Agriculture

modifying the environment to raise plants or animals for food or other uses

Mediterranean climate

hot/dry-summer climate, mild winter and a defined rainy season that produces certain fruits, vegetables, and grains such as grapes, olives, figs, dates, tomatoes, zucchini, wheat and barley. It prevails along the shores of the Mediterranean, in parts of California and Oregon, in central Chile, South Africa's Cape, and in parts of Australia

Tropical climate

hot, humid climate that produces certain plants, such as cassava, banana, sugar cane, sweet potato, papaya, rice, maize

Extensive agriculture

agriculture that uses small amounts of labor on a large area of land

Intensive agriculture

agriculture that uses a lot of labor on a small area of land

Market Gardening (Intensive)

Some of the fruits and vegetables are sold fresh to consumers, but most are sold to large processors for canning or freezing; Southeastern US, California, Southeastern Australia; Warm Mid-Latitude; Fresh fruits and vegetables, lettuce, broccoli, apples, oranges, tomatoes

Plantation Agriculture (Intensive)

A plantation specializes in one crop that is transported for sale on the global market; Tropical; Commodity & speciality crops such as cacao, coffee, rubber, sugarcane, bananas, tobacco, tea, coconuts & cotton.

Mixed Crop/Livestock (Intensive)

Commercial farming characterized by integration of crops and livestock; most of the crops are fed to animals rather than consumed by humans; Cold & Warm Mid-Latitude; Corn, grains, & soybeans grown to feed to cattle & pigs.

Shifting Cultivation (Extensive)

Farmers move from one field to another; aka slash-and-burn agriculture because farmers clear and fertilize the land by burning vegetation. When the soil loses fertility, the farmers move to a different plot of land and repeat; rice, maize (corn), millet and sorghum

Nomadic Herding (Extensive)

Nomads move herds to different pastures and trade meat, milk, and hides. Rely upon animals for survival, not profit; Drylands/Desert; Cattle, Camels, Reindeer, Goats, Yaks, Sheep, Horses

Ranching

Commercial grazing of livestock. Eventually they will be sent to feedlots and then be sent to slaughter; Drylands/Desert; Cattle, Goats, Sheep

Commercial Grain Farming (Extensive)

Crops are grown primarily for human consumption. Farms sell their output to manufacturers of food products, such as breakfast cereals and bread; Mid-Latitudes, too dry for mixed crop & livestock

Clustered

a pattern of rural settlement in which the houses and farm buildings of each family are situated close to each others' fields and surround the settlement.

Dispersed

settlement pattern with people living relatively far from each other on their farms

Linear settlement

a rural land use pattern that creates a long, narrow settlement around a river, coast, or road that looks like a line

Surveying

examining and measuring the surface of the Earth for planning, preparing to build, or mapping

Metes and bounds

a system of describing parcels of land where the metes are the lines (including angle and distance that surround the property) and bound describes features such as a river or public road

Long Lot

a rural land use pattern that divides land into long, narrow lined up along a waterway or road

Township and range

a system of dividing large parcels of where the townships describe how far north or south from the center point

Fertile Crescent

a crescent-shaped area in Southwest Asia where settled farming first began to emerge leading to the rise of cities

Columbian Exchange

a widespread exchange of animals, plants, culture, human populations, communicable diseases, and ideas between the American and Afro-Eurasian hemispheres that was launched by Columbus's voyages

First Agricultural Revolution

time when people first domesticate plants and animals which allows people to live in one place

Domestication

the process of taming plants or animals for human use

Agricultural Hearths

The separate locations in which groups of people began to domesticate plants and animals.

Commonalities Among Agricultural Hearths

Fertile soil in river valleys, availability of water, moderate climates, and collective societal structures.

Second Agricultural Revolution

Coincides with the Industrial Revolution; increasing yield and access through machines and transportation.

Enclosure Movement

Series of laws enacted by the British government that enabled landowners to purchase and enclose land for their own use which had previously been communal land used by peasant farmers.

Green Revolution

The spread of new technologies like high yield seeds and chemical fertilizers to the developing world in the 1960s and 1970s.

Biotechnology

The application of scientific techniques to modify and improve plants, animals, and microorganisms to enhance their value.

Subsistence Agriculture

Only enough food is cultivated to survive (no surplus).

Commercial Agriculture

The production of crop for sale and profit.

Monoculture

Growing one crop in a farm system at a given time.

Mono-Cropping

Growing one crop in a farm system year after year.

Bid-rent theory

A geographic theory that states the price and demand for real estate change as the distance from the central business district (CBD) increases.

Commodity Chain

Activities involved in the creation of a product: design, production of raw materials, manufacturing and assembly, distribution.

Agribusiness

System of commercial agriculture that links various industries to the farm.

Economies of scale

Cost advantages that come from producing a large amount of an item.

Von Thünen's model

Helps to explain rural land use by emphasizing the importance of transportation costs associated with distance from the market.

Global Supply Chain

A worldwide network to maximize profits in production.

Export commodity

Goods sent from one country to another for sale (Some countries have become highly dependent on one or more export commodities including Haitian coffee, Sri Lankan Tea, and Cuban Sugar).

Pollution

Process by which soil is contaminated by chemicals.

Land cover change

Process by which agricultural areas are lost to development.

Conservation

The protection of wildlife and natural resources.

Deforestation

Human-driven and natural loss of trees for non-forest use.

Desertification

The process of a dry area becoming drier and losing vegetation.

Irrigation

Moving water to where you need it.

Draining Wetlands

Drainage for agricultural practices.

Pastoral nomadism

Herding animals and migrating with them to find pasture areas without a permanent pasture area.

Soil salinization

The slow build up of salt in soil, particularly in irrigated areas, that makes soil unable to grow plants.

Terrace farming

Method of growing crops on the sides of hills or mountains by planting on man-made steps (terraces).

Changing Diets

MDCs continue their demand for meat, LDCs see an increase in their demand for meat, as well as convenient, processed food.

Agricultural Biotechnology

The use of scientific tools and techniques to modify plants and animals (Pesticide resistant crops, Antibiotics, Biofuels).

GMO

Plants or animals whose DNA has been genetically modified, often through a combination of DNA from similar plant or animal species for desired traits.

Aquaculture

raising of fish and shellfish in ponds and controlled saltwater hatcheries

Value Added Foods

foods that have increased in value due to alterations in production, size, shape, appearance, location, and/or convenience

Organic Farming

crops produced without the use synthetic or industrially produced pesticides and fertilizers or genetically engineered seeds

Fair Trade

trade between MDC and LDC in which fair prices are paid to the producers

Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA)

individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that growers and consumers provide mutual support

Urban Farming

integrating growing crops or raising animals into an urban ecosystem

Dietary Shifts

movement from processed foods, meat, and sugars towards one more based in fruits and vegetables

Food Insecurity

the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food

Food Desert

geographic area where large grocery stores are scarce or missing and residents have limited access to fresh nutritious foods. Typically found in urban, low-income neighborhoods

Weather

agricultural production is affected by high temperatures, drought, flooding, storms, freezes

Women in Agriculture

Women are frequently denied loans or financial support, cannot afford tuition or fees; or rural communities lack funding to provide schools.

Site

the place where the settlement is located. Absolute location of a city Ex. on a hill or in a sheltered valley

Situation

describes where the settlement is in relation to other settlements and features of the surrounding area. Relative location of a city Ex. the settlement surrounded by forest or next to a large city

Urbanization

the movement of people from rural areas to cities

Socioeconomic Stratification

differentiation of society into classes based on wealth, power, production or prestige

First Urban Revolution

agricultural and socioeconomic innovations that led to the rise of early cities

Transportation

innovations in transportation have shaped and reshaped the layout and size of cities and their surrounding areas over time

Communication

innovations in communication systems allowed businesses, and therefore cities, to grow

Rural to Urban Migration

movement of people (typically farmers) from rural settlements to urban centers in search of jobs

Redevelopment

set of activities intended to revitalize an area that has fallen on hard times

Megacities

10 million inhabitants or more (Cairo, Mumbai, Beijing, Dhaka, Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto)

Metacities

20 million inhabitants or more (Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai, São Paulo, Mexico City)

Micropolitan Area

Population between 10,000 - 50,000 people. Smaller City and Surrounding Towns/Counties

Megalopolis

a region in which several large cities and surrounding areas grow together(conurbation)

Metropolitan Statistical Area

a central city of at least 50,000 people and urban areas linked to it

Suburbanization

a population shift from central urban areas into suburbs, resulting in the formation of (sub)urban sprawl

Sprawl

tendency of cities to grow outward in an unchecked manner

Edge Cities

nodes of economic activity that have developed in the periphery of large cities.

Exurbs

a district outside a city, especially a prosperous area beyond the suburbs. Often found near farmland, beaches or mountains.

Boomburbs

large, rapidly growing, incorporated communities of more than 100,000 residents that are not the biggest city in their region.

World City

(or global city) a city that is a control center of the global economy, in which major decisions are made about the world's commercial networks and financial markets.

Urban Hierarchy

Ranking urban settlements by: Population size and economic function (i.e. # of services provided)

BosNYwash

(the Area from BOSTON to NEW YORK to WASHINGTON DC)

Alpha City

Primary Regional Nodes in the Global Economy (Similar to World Cities)

Beta City

Secondary Regional Nodes in the Global Economy (One Step Down from Alpha)

Gamma City

Tertiary Regional Nodes in the Global Economy (One Step Down from Beta)

Transportation Services

those activities designed to assist a person to travel from one place to another to obtain services or carry out life's activities.

Communication Systems

advanced communication systems that provide immediate access to information.

Business Services

services which serve as links to the corporate headquarters of international companies.

Rank-Size Rule

the country's nth-largest settlement is 1/n the population of the largest settlement.

Primate City

an urban area that dominates its country's economy, culture, and political affairs and is more than twice the population of the next largest city.

Christaller's central place theory

explains how services are distributed and why a regular pattern of settlements exists.

Central place

a settlement that makes certain types of products and services available to consumers.

Threshold

the # of people required to support businesses.

Range

the distance people will travel to acquire a good.

Low-Order central place functions

are used by consumers on a regular/daily basis and, as a result, people are not willing to travel far to use them.

High-Order central place functions

are used less frequently by consumers and, as a result, people are willing to travel further for it.