Agriculture and Land Use Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover the vocabulary and key concepts from the lecture on the evolution of agriculture, spatial models of land use, and the impacts of various agricultural revolutions.

Agriculture

The purposeful growing of crops and raising of livestock to produce feed, food, fiber, and fuel.

First Agricultural Revolution

The transition from hunting and gathering to farming, which allowed people to stay in one place for the first time.

Root Crops

Crops reproduced by cultivating either the roots or cuttings from the plants, such as potatoes from the Peruvian highlands.

Seed Crops

Crops reproduced by planting seeds, characterized by higher nutrition; domestication began in the Fertile Crescent with grains like wheat.

Animal Domestication

The process of taming herbivores to provide a source of meat, milk, or to serve as a beast of burden; all modern attempts at this have failed.

Subsistence Agriculture

Growing just enough food for an individual and their family to survive, currently practiced by approximately 1 billion people worldwide.

Shifting Cultivation

A form of subsistence farming in tropical and subtropical regions where farmers move to different plots as soil nutrients are depleted.

Slash-and-burn

Also called swidden or milpa, this technique involves cutting and burning natural vegetation to use ash to fertilize soil for 3 to 5 years.

Second Agricultural Revolution

Occurring in the late 1700s to early 1800s, this period involved the mechanization of agriculture and coincided with the Industrial Revolution.

Intensive Agriculture

Farming that involves small plots of land and high amounts of human labor.

Extensive Agriculture

Farming on large plots of land using high levels of mechanization and minimal human labor.

Commercial Farming

Growing crops with the specific intention of selling them, often involving cash crops.

Colombian Exchange

The movement of goods, people, and disease between the Old World and New World, bringing crops like corn and tobacco to Europe.

Von Thunen Model

A spatial layout theory based on the perishability of crops and transport costs, where high-perishability items like dairy are produced closest to the city.

Bid Rent Theory

The theory that land closer to the city market is more expensive, leading to smaller farms near the city and larger farms further away.

Cold Chain

The process of picking fruit while it is still unripe and keeping it cold to preserve it for later sale.

Third Agricultural Revolution

Also known as the Green Revolution, it involves the use of biotechnology, GMOs, and chemical fertilizers to increase crop yields.

IR36

The first successful genetically engineered rice seed that allowed for double cropping by requiring less water and growing faster.

Double Cropping

The practice of harvesting a crop twice in a single year from the same field.

Monocropping

The practice of growing only one type of crop commercially, which can make farms vulnerable to climate changes or super pests.

Drip Irrigation

An expensive irrigation method used in Israel where pipes drip the exact amount of water needed directly onto each plant.

Cadastral Systems

A method of land survey used to define land ownership and property lines.

Township and Range

A rectangular survey system invented by Thomas Jefferson to subdivide land for sale, common in the Western United States.

Metes and Bounds

A land survey system of British origin that uses natural features like trees and rivers to define property lines.

Long Lot Survey System

A system where land is divided into long, narrow parcels stretching to a canal, road, or river; common in Texas, Louisiana, and Quebec.

Primogeniture

A Germanic practice where all land is passed to the eldest son, preventing properties from becoming too small to be economically viable.

Functional Differentiation

The practice of using buildings for specific purposes, reflected in social stratification and the range in size and quality of houses.

Truck Farming

Commercial gardening and fruit farming focused on perishables, named for the practice of transporting products to consumers within a day.

Mediterranean Agriculture

A farming style found in dry summer/wet winter climates, focusing on crops such as grapes, dates, olives, and wheat.

Desertification

The process by which semi-arid land becomes desert, often due to overgrazing or land degradation.

Horticulture

The specialized study and practice of plant production.

Fair Trade Coffee

A certification ensuring farmers get a guaranteed value, such as a base of $1.40/lb plus $0.30/lb for organic products.

Agribusiness

The global network of businesses providing goods and services, such as seed production and food processing, to support the agriculture industry.