AP Human Geography Unit 5 Vocabulary

AP Human Geography Unit 5 - Agriculture

Agriculture

The purposeful cultivation of plants or raising of animals to produce goods for survival. Example: Growing wheat and raising cows on a farm for food.

Climate Regions

Areas that have similar climate patterns, generally based on latitude and location on coasts or continental interior. Example: Mediterranean regions with hot dry summers and mild wet winters.

Mediterranean Agriculture

Growing hardy trees (olives, fruit, nuts) and shrubs (grapevines) and raising sheep/goats. Example: Olive groves and vineyards in Southern Spain.

Subsistence Agriculture

Grow and raise diverse crops/livestock for family consumption; may sell/barter excess. Example: Small rice farms in rural India.

Commercial Agriculture

Farming crops/livestock for profit to sell to customers. Example: Corn and soybean farms in U.S. Midwest.

Bid-rent Theory

Explains how land value determines land use—high value → smaller intensive plots; low value → larger extensive plots. Example: Market gardening near city, wheat farms farther away.

Central Business District (CBD)

The majority of consumer services are located in the city center due to high accessibility. Example: The Loop in Chicago, Midtown Manhattan.

Intensive Agriculture

Relies on high levels of inputs and energy on smaller plots. Example: Wet rice farming in Southeast Asia.

Clustered Settlement

Residents live in close proximity (nucleated settlement). Example: Traditional European village.

Dispersed Settlement

Houses/buildings isolated over a large area. Example: Farms in U.S. Midwest.

Linear Settlement

Houses/buildings extend in a line along a land feature or transport route. Example: Houses along the Nile River.

Monocropping

Cultivation of one or two crops rotated seasonally. Example: Farm growing only corn.

Monoculture

Planting one crop or raising one type of animal annually. Example: Industrial wheat farming.

Crop Rotation

Varying crops from year to year to restore soil nutrients. Example: Rotating tomatoes → onions → beans.

Plantation Agriculture

Large-scale commercial farming of one crop for distant markets. Example: Coffee plantations in Colombia.

Market Gardening

Farming fruits, vegetables, flowers for urban/local markets. Example: Vegetables sold at Los Angeles farmers’ market.

Mixed Crop & Livestock Systems

Both crops and livestock raised for profit; feed crops for animals. Example: Corn and pig farm in Iowa.

Extensive Agriculture

Large land areas, low inputs of labor/capital/fertilizer. Example: Shifting cultivation in Amazon, nomadic herding in Mongolia.

Shifting Cultivation

Grow crops/graze animals 1–2 years then move; nutrients restored naturally. Example: Amazon rainforest farms.

Slash and Burn

Type of shifting cultivation; cut & burn vegetation to enrich soil. Example: Tropical rainforest farmers clearing plots.

Nomadic Herding (Pastoral Nomadism)

Move animals seasonally for best grazing; subsistence in dry climates. Example: Bedouins in Arabian Desert.

Transhumance

Seasonal herd movement to highlands in summer, lowlands in winter. Example: Alpine cattle in Switzerland.

Domestication

Deliberate growing of plants/raising animals using selective breeding. Example: Wolves domesticated into dogs.

Foragers

Small nomadic groups eating plants and small animals/fish. Example: Indigenous hunter-gatherers in Australia.

Agricultural Hearth

Areas where groups first domesticated plants/animals. Example: Fertile Crescent, Mesoamerica, Indus River Valley.

Fertile Crescent

Southwest Asia hearth; wheat, barley, rye, peas, lentils; sheep, goats, cattle, pigs. Example: Ancient Mesopotamia farms.

Mesoamerica

Central America; maize, beans, squash, chili peppers. Example: Early Maya farms.

Andean Highlands

Peru/Bolivia/Ecuador; potatoes, llamas, guinea pigs, quinoa. Example: Potato terraces in Andes.

West Africa

Sahel region; yams, sorghum, millet, rice, cattle. Example: Millet farms in Mali.

East Africa

Ethiopia/Kenya/Tanzania; coffee, teff, bananas, cattle. Example: Ethiopian coffee farms.

Indus River Valley

Pakistan/India; wheat, barley, peas, cattle, chickens. Example: Early Indus wheat farms.

North China

Yellow River Valley; millet, rice, pigs, chickens. Example: Millet farming in northern China.

Southeast Asia

Thailand/Vietnam/Indonesia; taro, bananas, pigs, chickens. Example: Banana and taro fields in Vietnam.

Columbian Exchange

Exchange of crops, animals, diseases, ideas between Americas, Europe, Africa. Example: Potatoes to Europe, horses to Americas.

First Agricultural Revolution (Neolithic Revolution)

~11,000 years ago; shift from foraging to farming. Example: Early wheat cultivation in Fertile Crescent.

Second Agricultural Revolution

1700s Europe; innovations (seed drill, crop rotation) during Industrial Revolution increased yields. Example: Jethro Tull’s seed drill.

Enclosure System

Communal lands replaced by individually owned farms; increased efficiency. Example: British farmland post-18th-century enclosure.

Third Agricultural Revolution (Green Revolution)

20th century–present; mechanization, GMOs, biotechnology; first in core countries. Example: High-yield wheat in India.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Manipulating genetics of plants/animals to resist disease/drought. Example: Bt corn resistant to pests.

Green Revolution

Large-scale production, processing, distribution; led by Norman Borlaug. Example: High-yield rice in Philippines.

Pastoral Nomadism (Nomadic Herding)

Move animals seasonally for best grazing; subsistence in dry climates. Example: Bedouins in Arabian Desert.

Ranching

Commercial grazing of livestock over large areas. Example: Cattle ranches in Texas or Argentina.

Intensive Wet Rice Farming

Subsistence farming where rice is planted, harvested, and transplanted by hand; labor & irrigation-intensive. Example: Rice paddies in southern China.

Dairy Farming

Commercial milk/dairy production; often near urban markets. Example: Milkshed farms around New York City.

Infrastructure

Systems allowing farms to produce efficiently and move goods to market. Example: Roads, ports, irrigation canals.

Dual Agricultural Economy

Two agricultural sectors in same country with different technology/demand. Example: Zimbabwe – commercial and subsistence farms.

Agribusiness

Large-scale system including production, processing, distribution. Example: McDonald’s sourcing beef, potatoes, lettuce globally.

Hybrid Crops

Cross-breeding two varieties to combine desirable traits. Example: Frost-tolerant corn in U.S. Midwest.

Vertical Integration

Company controls multiple stages of production. Example: McDonald’s controls farms, processing, distribution, restaurants.

Commodity Chain / Global Supply Chain

Network connecting production to consumers, locally or globally. Example: Orange juice farm → processor → distributor → consumer.

Farm Subsidies

Government payments/loans to influence production or reduce costs. Example: U.S. payments to corn farmers.

Tariffs

Tax on imports/exports affecting trade. Example: 2018 U.S. steel tariff.

Von Thünen Model

Explains land use around a market based on transportation cost/perishability. Example: Dairy/horticulture nearest city, grains farther, ranching/forest furthest.

Cash Crops

Crops grown for sale, often export. Example: Coffee in Ethiopia, sugarcane in Brazil.

Fair Trade

Ensures fair wages & conditions for farmers in LDCs. Example: Fair Trade coffee from Nicaragua.

Agricultural Landscapes

Landscapes from interactions between farming and environment. Example: Rice terraces in Philippines.

Agroecosystem

Ecosystem modified for agriculture. Example: Corn farm in U.S. Midwest.

Deforestation

Loss of forest lands. Example: Clearing Amazon rainforest for farmland.

Terracing

Carving hills/mountains into small plots. Example: Rice terraces in Bali.

Reservoirs

Artificial lakes for irrigation. Example: Lake Mead from Hoover Dam.

Aquifers

Underground water layers that can be used for irrigation. Example: Ogallala Aquifer in U.S. Great Plains.

Wetlands

Land covered/saturated with water. Example: Florida Everglades.

Desertification

Land degradation leading to desert-like conditions. Example: Sahel region in Africa.

Biodiversity

Variety of organisms in an area. Example: Amazon rainforest species variety.

Salinization

Salt buildup in soil reducing productivity. Example: Irrigated fields in Central Asia.

Debt-for-nature Swaps

Forgiving debt in exchange for conservation investment. Example: Costa Rica protecting rainforests.

Biotechnology

Altering organisms for agricultural purposes. Example: Golden Rice enriched with Vitamin A.

Agricultural Biodiversity

Variety/variability of plants, animals, microorganisms used for food/agriculture. Example: Multiple rice varieties in Asia.

Precision Agriculture

Use technology to optimize inputs/maximize yields. Example: GIS-controlled irrigation in California vineyards.

Food Security

Reliable access to safe, nutritious food. Example: Norway, Finland.

Food Insecurity

Disruption in food access. Example: Yemen, Sudan.

Food Deserts

Areas lacking access to healthy foods. Example: Low-income neighborhoods in Detroit.

Economy of Scale

Reduced production costs as quantity increases. Example: Large wheat farms spreading equipment costs over thousands of acres.

Suburbanization

Population shifts from cities to surrounding suburbs. Example: Downtown Charleston → Mount Pleasant, SC.