APHG - Chp 10.1.1 (1)

Agriculture

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

Developing World (LDCs)

Regions that are home to 97% of the world’s farmers, in contrast to developed nations, where only 2% of the population are farmers.

First Agricultural Revolution

Occurred around 8000 BCE when humans first domesticated plants and animals, leading to population growth as they no longer relied on hunting and gathering.

Agricultural Hearths

Regions where agriculture originated; includes Crop Hearths and Animal Hearths, with various regions identified for different crops and animals.

Columbian Exchange

The first major moment of global agricultural diffusion occurring between the 1500s and 1700s, resulting in the exchange of crops and livestock between the New World and the Old World.

Environmental Factors

Theories that suggest changes in climate, such as the end of the Ice Age, contributed to the origins of agriculture.

Cultural Factors

Theories proposing that the preference for settled living and deliberate experimentation led to the domestication of plants and animals.

Animal Hearths

Regions where domesticated animals originated, including the Fertile Crescent for dogs, sheep, and goats; the Indus River Valley for cattle; and Southeast Asia for chickens.

Crop Hearths

Regions identified as the origin points for specific crops, such as the Fertile Crescent for barley and wheat, and the Indus River Valley for lentils and beans.

Hunters and Gatherers

Societies that existed before the invention of agriculture, living in small groups and subsisting by hunting and foraging.