Unit 5- Agriculture

agriculture

the process by which humans alter the landscape in order to grow crops and raise animals for consumption and trade

access to water, nutrients, layout of land

what physical factors affect agriculture? (3)

high latitudes, high elevations, high or low precipitation

what are rare exceptions for agriculture? (3)

development, access to technology

what depends on the ability to overcome agricultural challenges?

substinence agriculture

goals are to grow enough food and raise enough livestock to meet needs of family, sell or trade any surplus crops and animals, more common in less developed, typically small farms around 2 acres

commercial agriculture

goal is to grow and raise enough food to sell for a profit, common in developed countries but has become more common in semi periphery countries, uses more advanced technology and equipment

intensive agricultural practices

farmers and ranchers focus on maximizing fields from smaller areas by using inputs like fertilizer and pesticides, machinery, and labor

extensive agricultural practices

farmers and ranchers use fewer amounts of inputs and machinery and less intensive labor, typically on larger areas of land

pastoral nomadism

substinence extensive agriculture that is practiced in arid and semi-arid climates, move their herds to different pastures within their territory to trade meat for crops, rely on animals for food, clothing, and shelter

shifting cultivation

a type of substinence extensive farming, where farmer grows one crop and moves it to a new field when the soil of the existing field loses fertility, land is usually owned

crop rotation

farmers grow multiple crops in a set number of fields, every year the farmer rotates the crops so that the same crop is not being grown in the same field in successive years, allows for replenishment of nutrients resulting in more productive fields

slash and burn agriculture

shifting cultivation in tropical areas, farmers clear the land by burning vegetation, enriches poor soil by adding nitrogen to it, once soil becomes infertile they will move and repeat this process, unsustainable as it wastes land

plantation

intensive commercial agricultural practice consisting of large commercial farm that specializes in one crop. found in hot, humid climates, with substantial rainfall, labor intensive and exploit low wage workers

mixed crop and livestock farming

intensive commercial integrated system that demonstrates interdependence between crops and animals, common in developed regions

grain farming

grown in dry regions where it is hard to grow other crops, used to feed livestock and people, the type that is grown depends on climate

spring wheat

planted early spring and grown in colder regions

winter wheat

planted in the fall and is grown in warmer regions

truck farming

intensive farming where products are driven from farms to local urban markets where the items are sold

market gardening

when fruits and vegetables are grown near an urban market and are sold to local suppliers, stores, restaurants, etc., has become popular because of “buy local” movements

dairy farming

used to be local, family owned farms that supplied products to a small geographical area, is now replaced by large corporate operations that resulted in fewer farms, but more production, are located in urban centers and transportation corridors in developed countries

milk shed

the geographic distance that milk is delivered

mediteranean agriculture

practiced in regions with hot, dry summers, mild winters, narrow valeted, and often some irrigation, herds have often practiced transhumance

transhumance

the seasonal herding of animals from higher elevations in summer to lower elevation and valleys in winter

livestock ranching

extensive commercial practice of the grazing of animals confined to a specific area, typically found in areas that are to grow crops in large quantities

first/neolithic agricultural revolution

the change from primarily nomadic hunter-gatherer societies to settled subsistence-based agricultural communities, began in agricultural hearths

agricultural hearths

areas that are believed to develop independently of one another (carl sauer)

independent innovation

animals and plants that are domesticated in multiple regions with seemingly no interaction among people

permanent settlements, communities along water, freedom for hunting gathering, development of buildings and new jobs

the development of agriculture led to…(5)

clustured settlements

rural residents, groups of homes, has a strong sense of place and shares services and schools, villagers raise crops and animals in the fields around their settlements

dispersed settlements

common for North American farmers, lived in homes spread throughout the countryside, occur in areas that have rugged or challenging environments, encourage self-sufficiency

linear settlements

building and human activities are organized close to a body of water or along transportation route, are common before industrialization because of the need for fresh water to irrigate crops

British enclosure movement

when common land has been divided up into individually owned plots and enclosed, farmers began to experiment on these plots causing for increased productivity for profit, caused many farmers to go to factory jobs instead

metes and bounds systems

method of measuring and describing land, typically using geographic landmarks, often refers to a specific point, began in england

surveying

involves measuring and recording distance, elevation, and size of features on the earths surface

land survey system

created rectangular plots of consistent size

French long-lot system

farms use long, thin sections of land that were perpendicular to the river

fertile cresent

area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers running from the eastern Mediterranean sea to the Persian gulf in southwest asia

silk roads

linked together east asia, the Middle East and europe

the Colombian exchange

the exchange of plants, animals, and diseases between the eastern hemisphere and the western hemisphere after the europeans realization of the existence of the americas

second agricultural revolution

the significant changes in agriculture in the 18th century. The technological advances from the Industrial Revolution led to this

mechanization improvements, change in practices, transportation improvements , changes in property ownership

characterization of the second agricultural revolution (4)

steel plow

reduced human labor, increased ability to break through the ground, led to increase in the size of farms

mechanized seed drilling

reduced human labor, planted and covered each seed quickly, led to increase in agricultural yield

mccormick reaper

reduced human labor, increased speed at which crops could be harvested, meant less waste of crops

grain elevator

used to store grain, increase food supply, protected harvested food from animals and weather

barbed wire

provided inexpensive fencing to keep livestock in grazing area, demarcated property

few but larger farms led to an in increase in food production led to increase in food supply led to better diets because of access to a variety of foods led to increased life expectancies led to increased population

describe what industrialization and the 2nd agricultural revolution led to overall (6)

green revolution struggles in africa

did not have transportation, diversity of soils made it costly to develop fertilizers, crops specific to this area were not always included in research

the cost to spend, cost of land and labor

two economic considerations that influence farmers decisions

bid-rent theory

The cost of land is higher closer to urban markets, those who purchase land near urban areas will need to do intensive farming for profit

paddy rice farming, truck farming, factory farming, aquaculture

intensive farming practices (4)

paddy rice farming

Uses terraced field, because using machines in these areas is challenging this is labor intensive, common in south asia, southeast asia, and east asia

Population growth and increasing demand for food

what contribute to pressure for farmers to use land more intensively?

double cropping or triple

Planting and harvesting a crop two times per year on the same piece of land, this practice is encouraged

multi or intercropping

Farmers grow two or more crops simultaneously in the same field, causes increase diversity in crop rotations, allowing to sell more crops, reducing costs, and building and maintaining soil

monoculture

Only one crop is grown, or one type of animal is raised, per season on a piece of land

monocropping

The practice of only growing one type of crop or raising one type of animal year after year, farmers maximize efficiency by purchasing irrigation systems, fertilizers, and pesticides

lower costs of production, higher yields, more profits

positives of monocropping (3)

soil depletion, increased reliance on pesticides and fertilizers, increased economic risk since they are only relying on one crop

negative impacts of monocropping (3)

feedlot

Confined space in which cattle (or hogs) are fed and have limited movement, with the goal of fattening up the animal quickly in preparation for slaughter while maximizing the use of space, intensive practice

norman bulag

a geneticist and pathologist who helped farmers become self-sufficient and stop hunger after creating dwarf wheat in Mexico and using it to help India, Pakistan, and Mexico to become exporters

dwarf wheat

was shorter stain of wheat that was resistant to disease, could grow in any climate, and could produce more than previous grain stalks

green revolution

development of grains like wheat and rice through seed hybridization transfer of mechanical technology to developing countries, development of GMO’s

seed hybridization

the process of breeding two plants that have desirable characteristics to produce a single seed with both characteristics, focused on grains

gmos

developed to increase yields, resistant to diseases, and to withstand the chemicals used to kill weeds

higher yields of food, less starvation, lower food prices

positive impacts of green revolution (3)

environmental damage, marginalization of women, unequal access to technology

negative impacts of green revolution (3)

location theory

a theory that addresses why people can chose certain locations for various types of economic activities

von thunen model

economic model that shows patterns for the types of products that farmers would produce at different locations relative to the market where they sold their goods

farming is for a profit, only one Market and transportation within a region, isotropic plain, farmers pay for transportation, beyond farmland is wilderness

von thunen beliefs (6)

isotropic plain

an area that is flat and features with little to no variation in soil fertility or climate

salinization

high salt content

soil salinization

high salt content in oil, resulting from water that is used for plants, often caused by improper use of irrigation, results in lower crop yields or unusable soils

desertification

the process of fertile land becoming infertile, can be caused by agricultural practice which alter vegetation and areas

terrace farming

farmers build a series of steps into the side of a hill to create more space for fields one of the earliest forms of landscape alteration by humans for agriculture, increases arable land, less soil erosion, natural collection of water

irrigation

the process of applying controlled amounts of water to crops rather than relying on rainfall, increases goof production can turn land into usable land

destructs ecosystems, displacement of people

what are the concerns of dams (2)

aquifers

underground supply f fresh water that can be accessed using a well and then piped out into field, the supply of water is often limited

center-pivot irrigation

watering equipment rotates around a pivot and delivers water or fertilizer or pesticides into the field creating large circular patterns into the field often used in ;are scale commercial farming

wetlands

low lying areas that contain a significant amount of water at or near the surface, often converted for other agricultural use

government rules, protected areas, educating farmers, switching to environmentally friendy

efforts to stop negative effects of agricultural practices (4)

fewer crops available for humans, require lots of fresh water, cause lots of waste

high demand for meat results in (3)

gross domestic product

the dollar value of all final goods and services produced within a country’s borders within a specific period of time

agribusinesses

farms run as businesses, often results from consolidation of family farms

transnational corporations

commercial, highly mechanized, large agribusinesses, often use chemicals and biotechnology for raising crops and animals

vertical integration

the practice if businesses that produce a particular product owning the other businesses that are involved in the various steps of producing that good

wholesaler

company that acts as a middleman between a producer or manufacturer of a good and re company that ultimately sells the good

economies of scale

the reduction of the cost to produce each unit of a goof through greater efficiency as a business

commodity chain

process used by corporations to gather resources, transform the into goods and the transport them to consumers

aquaculture

practice of raising and harvesting fish and other forms of marine food, referred to as blue revolution, fastest form of food production in the world

food insecurity

when a household lacks access to adequate food because of limited money or other resources

food desert

a neighborhood where residents have little to no access to healthy and affordable food, often ethic minorities or disabled and elderly

food distribution system

a network of trade and transportation systems that get food from farmers to consumers

tariff

tax on imports from another country

quota

a limitation on the quantity of a particular product that can be imported from another country

value-added crops

foods for which consumers are willing to pay more because of special qualities or because they are not as common

value-added farming

occurs when farmers process their crops into high-value products

local-food movement

consumers seeking out and purchasing locally-produced food, cuts fossil fuels for transportation

urban farming

the production of farm goods within an urban area with the goal of providing localy grown food