APHUG ~ Unit 5: Agriculture and Rural Land-Use Patterns and Processes

Agriculture –

The deliberate modification of Earth's surface through crop cultivation and livestock raising.

Agrarian –

Related to land ownership, cultivation, and farming.

Aquaculture –

The farming of aquatic organisms like fish, mollusks, and plants.

Sustainability –

Using resources without depleting or permanently damaging them.

Crop –

A plant cultivated by humans.

Primogeniture –

Inheritance system where all land goes to the eldest son.

Animal Domestication –

Altering animals' traits for human benefit.

Nomadic Herding –

The controlled movement of livestock based on natural forage.

Second Agricultural Revolution –

1600s Europe; improved farming methods increased yields.

Crop Rotation –

Alternating crops in fields annually to maintain soil fertility.

Truck Farming –

Growing high demand crops for market transport or processing.

Feedlot –

Land where livestock are fattened for market.

Third Agricultural Revolution –

Mid-1900s industrialized farming with mechanization and biotechnology.

Biotechnology –

Genetic modification of crops and animals for higher yields.

Agribusiness –

Large-scale commercial agriculture with industrial processes.

Organic Agriculture –

Farming without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.

Debt-for-Vegetative Planting –

Cloning plants from existing ones via stems or roots.

Seed Agriculture –

Plant reproduction through annual seed planting.

Subsistence Agriculture –

Farming primarily for family consumption.

Commercial Agriculture –

Farming primarily for sale and profit.

Intensive Agriculture –

High-output farming on small land areas.

Extensive Agriculture –

Low-input farming on large land areas.

Intensive Subsistence Agriculture –

High labor farming to maximize small land yields.

Extensive Subsistence Agriculture –

Low labor farming over large areas.

Plant Domestication –

Altering plants for human use.

Slash-and-Burn –

Clearing land by cutting and burning vegetation.

Swidden –

Land cleared by slash-and-burn farming.

Shifting Cultivation –

Rotating fields for subsistence farming.

Neolithic Revolution/First Agricultural Revolution –

10,000 BCE transition from hunting-gathering to farming.

Pastoral Nomadism –

Herding domesticated animals for subsistence.

Transhumance –

Seasonal livestock migration between pastures.

Pasture –

Land used for grazing livestock.

Paddy –

Flooded rice field (Malay origin).

Sawah –

Flooded rice field (Austronesian origin).

Wet Rice –

Growing rice in nurseries, then transferring to flooded fields.

Double Cropping –

Harvesting two crops from the same land annually.

Hunting and Gathering –

Early human subsistence through foraging and hunting.

Sauer –

Carl Sauer; theorized vegetative planting began in Southeast Asia.

Plantation –

Large farm specializing in one or two cash crops.

Cereal Grains –

Edible grasses like wheat, oats, and barley.

Milkshed –

Area supplying fresh milk to a city.

Chaff –

The husk of a grain seed.

Winnow –

Blowing away chaff to separate grain.

Thresh –

Beating rice heads to remove chaff.

Columbian Exchange –

Global exchange of crops, livestock, and culture post-1492.

Dispersed Rural Settlement Pattern –

Farms spread far apart.

Nucleated Rural Settlement Pattern –

Villages clustered together with surrounding farmland.

The Enclosure Movement –

1700s England; fencing land for private farming.

Erosion –

Natural wearing away of Earth's surface.

Mixed Crop and Livestock Farming –

Growing crops to feed livestock on the same farm.

Patriarchal System –

Society where men hold primary power.

Combine –

Machine for harvesting grain (reaps, threshes, and cleans).

Horticulture –

Growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers.

Johann von Thünen –

Created a rural land-use model.

Ridge Tillage (Intertillage) –

Planting crops on ridges to conserve soil and reduce costs.

Desertification –

Land degradation due to overuse.

Seed Drill –

Machine that efficiently plants seeds.

Green Revolution –

1970s increased crop yields via improved seeds and fertilizers.

Market Gardening –

Small-scale farming for direct sale.

Adaptive Strategies –

Adjusting agricultural methods to society or environment.

Collective Farm –

State-controlled farms in communist systems.

Dairying –

Raising animals for milk products.

Pesticides –

Chemicals used to kill pests.

Wattle –

African housing made of woven sticks and mud.

Hull –

Outer covering of a seed.

Winter Wheat –

Planted in fall, grows in spring.

Spring Wheat –

Planted in spring, harvested in late summer.

Staple Grains –

Regionally dominant food crops.

Reaper –

Machine that cuts standing grain.

Forestry –

Science of managing forests.

Location Theory –

Explains agricultural land use based on costs and accessibility.

Planned Economy –

Government-controlled production and distribution.

Ranching –

Commercial grazing of livestock over large areas.

Specialization –

Farming focused on specific crops.

Suitcase Farm –

Farm owned by someone who lives elsewhere.