Chapter 9 - Agriculture

dietary energy consumption

the amount of food that an individual consumes, measured in kcal or calories

intensive subsistence, wet rice dominant

East Asia + South Asia

intensive subsistence, not wet rice dominant

East Asia + South Asia

* rely on wheat, oats, legumes, corn, etc.

pastoral nomandism

Southwest Asia + North Africa + Central Asia + East Asia

* herding of domesticated animals in dry climates where planting crops is impossible

shifting cultivation

Latin America + S.S. Africa + Southeast Asia 

* farming technique where crops/people shift from one field to another frequently

plantation

Latin America + S.S. Africa + South Asia + Southeast Asia

* large commercial farm in a developing country specializing in 1-2 crops
* Generally owned by North Americans/Europeans

mixed crop and livestock

U.S. Midwest + central Europe

dairy

U.S. + Canada + Europe

grain

U.S. + Canada + Europe

livestock ranching

North America + Latin America + Central America + South Pacific + S.S. Africa

mediterranean

Med. Sea areas + Western U.S. + Southern Chile/Africa

commercial gardening

U.S. + Australia

crop rotation

the practice of rotating use of different fields from crop to crop each year to avoid exhausting the soil

paddy

area used for growing rice

transhumanance

seasonal migration of livestock between mountains and lowland pasture areas

slash and burn

land is cleared by slashing vegetation and burning debris

frequent relocation

crops are grown on a cleared field for a few years until soil nutrients have been depleted before leaving it alone for years

aquaculture

(aquafarming) the cultivation of seafood under controlled conditions

Trade and Assistance Act of 1954

sells grain at low interest and gives grants to those in need

desertification

human actions causing land to deteriorate in a desert like condition

second agricultural revolution

began in the U.K. in the 1600s, increased productivity through the improvement of livestock breeding and crop rotation

forest fallow

fields are cleared and utilized for up to 2 years and left fallow for more than 20 years, long enough for the forest to grow back

bush fallow

fields are utilized and cleared for up to 8 years and left fallow for up to 10 years, long enough for small trees and bushes to grow back

short fallow

fields are cleared and utilized for perhaps 2 years and left fallow for up to 2 years, long enough for wild grasses to grow back

annual cropping

 fields are used every year and rotated between legumes and crops

green revolution

the invention and rapid diffusion of more productive agricultural techniques during the 1970s and 80s

Norman Borlaug

important person in the green revolution, helped invent miracle seeds

conservation tillage

a method of soil cultivation that reduces soil erosion and runoff

no tillage

leaves all of the soil undisturbed, and the entire residue of the previous year’s harvest is left untouched

ridge tillage

a system of planting crops on ridge tops

rural settlement

clustered, dispersed, linear

friction of distance

movement occurs with some cost proportional to the distance traveled

land settlement

long lots, metes and bounds, township and range

Von Thunen’s model