AP Human Geography Unit 5 Vocabulary

Agribusiness

A large-scale, commercial farming enterprise that encompasses the production, processing, and distribution of agricultural products.

Animal Domestication

The process by which wild animals are tamed and selectively bred by humans for various purposes, such as work, companionship, or food.

Cash Crop

A crop that is grown for sale and profit rather than for personal consumption. Examples include cotton, tobacco, and coffee.

Commercial Agriculture

Large-scale, profit-driven agricultural production involving the cultivation of crops and the raising of livestock for sale in markets.

Crop Rotation

The practice of growing different crops in the same area in sequential seasons to improve soil fertility and control pests.

Dairying

The business of producing, processing, and distributing milk and dairy products.

Deforestation

The clearing or removal of forests, often for the purpose of converting land into agricultural or urban use.

Desertification

The process of fertile land is becoming increasingly arid and unproductive, often due to human activities.

Double Cropping

The practice of growing two or more crops on the same land in a single growing season.

Extensive Agriculture

Agricultural practices involving large land areas with low inputs per unit of land.

Fair Trade Movement

A social movement and market-based approach that aims to provide producers with fair prices and better working conditions in developing countries.

Feedlot

A facility where livestock, typically cattle, are fed and fattened intensively before slaughter.

Fertilizers

Substances added to soil or plants to promote growth and enhance soil fertility.

Food Security

The state where everyone has access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Organisms whose genetic material has been altered to enhance desired crop traits.

Green Revolution

A series of initiatives that increased agricultural production worldwide through new practices and technologies.

Horticulture

The science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, ornamental plants

Intensive Agriculture

Practices that involve high input per unit of land

Irrigation

The artificial application of water to land to assist in the growth of crops.

Market Gardening

Small-scale production of fruits, vegetables, and flowers as cash crops, often sold directly to consumers.

Mediterranean Agriculture

Practices adapted to the climate and terrain of the Mediterranean region. Mostly fruits and vegetables

Mixed Crop and Livestock Farming

Involves both the cultivation of crops and the raising of livestock

Organic Farming

method of farming that avoids synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and genetically modified organisms

Pastoral Nomadism

A form of subsistence agriculture in which herders move their livestock for grazing land.

Pesticides

Chemical substances used to kill or control pests.

Plantation Agriculture

The cultivation of crops on large estates, typically seen in tropical and subtropical climates.

Seed Hearth

The region in which a specific group of plants and animals were domesticated.

Shifting Cultivation

A form of agriculture involving the clearing of land and rotating cultivation

Slash-and-Burn Agriculture

involves cutting and burning vegetation.

Subsistence Farming Agriculture

Agricultural practices that primarily provide for the needs of the farmer and family.

Sustainable Agriculture

Farming practices that are environmentally friendly, economically viable, and socially responsible.

Terrace Farming

The practice of cutting flat areas into a slope for agriculture.

Transhumance

The seasonal movement of people with their livestock between pastures.

Truck Farming

commercial production of vegetables for sale in local or distant markets.

Yield

The amount of crops produced per unit of land.