AP HUG Unit 5 notes

agriculture

the deliberate modification of Earth’s surface through cultivation of plants and rearing of animals to obtain sustenance or economic gain

climate

weather, temps, amounts of precipitation

topography

mountain ranges, plains, valleys, deserts, fresh water

transhumance

the seasonal movement of livestock (like sheep, cattle, goats) and their herders between different grazing lands, usually from high pastures in summer to lowlands in winter, to find better forage and water

intensive farming

large amounts of labor due to less technology/machinery, small plots of land—land is scarce or expensive, usually located near areas with high pop. density.

ex: market gardening, plantations, mixed crop/livestock

market gardening

small scale food production for local/personal use

plantation

cash crops (cotton, sugar, coffee), grown on large estates for export

mixed crop/livestock

animals graze + eat plants, their fertilizer nutrients in the plants

extensive farming

fewer inputs of labor due to plentiful access to tech/machines, large plots of land—land is plentiful, costs little, usually located away from major pop. centers

ex: shifting cultivation, nomadic herding, ranching

Mediterranean and tropical climates

the best climates for farming: hot, dry, sunny, summer climate, mild winters, defined rainy season

hot, humid, long rainy seasons, wet conditions

shifting cultivation

cultivation of crops in tropical forces

nomadic herding

seasonal migration of lovestock usually between highlands & lowlands

ranching

business of raising livestock in pens of specific areas—prep for large consumption

metes & bounds

the drawing of home boundaries left up to the individual land purchaser, not a central govt., people free to specify their own based on natural landscape

linear

settlement occurring along a transportation network (road/rivers) that is necessary for farmers to transport goods to markets

-access to a resource, like waterways or roads

long lots

rectangular plots packed in to let as many people have access to the resource

townships & range

grid pattern—1 square mile sections

domestication

the long-term process through which humans selectively breed, protect, and care for individuals taken from populations of wild animals + plants species to create genetically distinct species

first agricultural revolution

-domestication + diffusion of plants + animals and the cultivation of seed crops led to the development of agriculture

-people went from hunter-gathers to settling down and farming in one place—permanent settlement

the second agricultural revolution

new machines and technology to the second agricultural revolution, like the seed drill, emergence of commercial agriculture, fewer + larger farms, decrease in farm owners, increased crops, and fertilization

green revolution

development of high-yield seed varieties that increased the productivity of agricultural products, that has caused:

-increases yields, weeds, powered irrigation mechanism, transport improvements—water controlled, less labor, arable land ^ market access ^, better seeds

-environmental and health consequences, gender roles

Subsistence Agricultural

type of agriculture where the majority of the crops or livestock are used to support the farmer and their family, with little or no surplus for sale or trade

commodity chain

activities involved in the creation of a product: design, production of raw materials, manufacturing and assembly, distribution

economies of scale

A proportionate saving in costs gained by an increased level of production

-The bigger the company, the more capital you have to buy better machinery and mass produce goods (food)

agribusiness

A large-scale mechanized farming business that is controlled by corporate interests