Unit 5: Agriculture and Rural Land-Use Patterns and Processes (copy)

Primary Economy

Economic activities that involve the extraction and harvesting of natural resources like timber, fisheries, and minerals.

Intensive Agriculture

Farming that requires a lot of labor input on a small plot of land.

Extensive Agriculture

Farming that requires limited labor input and is spread across large areas.

Transhumance

Seasonal migration of groups to avoid harsh climates and follow animal herds.

Pastoralism

Agriculture based on the seasonal movement of animals between pastures.

Nomadic Herding

Practice of migrating with herds in search of grazing areas.

Monoculture

Agricultural practice of growing a single crop on a large scale.

Mixed Farming

Farming that includes multiple crops and animals for diverse nutrition.

Subsistence Agriculture

Farming that provides for all the food and material needs of a household.

Physiologic Density

The number of people per unit of arable land.

Cash Cropping

Farming for the purpose of selling crops for cash, instead of for subsistence.

Collectivization

The process of transforming agricultural land into collective farms, particularly in communist contexts.

Human Ecology

The study of human interactions with nature and the environment.

Sustainable Yield

The amount of crops or livestock that can be produced without damaging local resources.

Slash and Burn Agriculture

Farming technique involving cutting and burning of forests to clear land for new agriculture.

Desertification

Process by which fertile land becomes desert typically as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.

Fair Trade

Movement ensuring that producers receive a fair price for their products, often focusing on better trading conditions.

Aquaculture

The farming of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, aquatic plants, and other organisms in water.

Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Programs where consumers buy shares of a farm's harvest in advance.

Plantation Agriculture

Extensive agricultural production in tropical and subtropical areas for domestic consumption and export.

Dairy

Agricultural activity focused on producing milk and milk products.

Women in Agriculture

The essential role women play in agricultural production, often facing inequalities.

Von Thünen’s Model

A model that explains land use patterns based on the cost-to-distance relationship from a central market.

Irrigation

A method to supply water to crops, crucial in arid regions.

Crop Rotation

Practice of alternating the type of crop grown in a particular area from season to season.

Cultural Practices in Agriculture

The influence of cultural beliefs and traditions on agricultural methods and practices.

Agricultural Revolutions

Key historical shifts in agricultural practices that enhanced productivity and efficiency.

Green Revolution

Period in the 1950s and 1960s marked by the adoption of new agricultural technologies in developing countries.

Commodity Chains

The linked stages of production and distribution of agricultural goods from producer to consumer.

Organic Farming

Agriculture that utilizes natural methods and prohibits synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

Specialized Agriculture

Farming that produces specific crops or livestock types for niche markets.

Fair Trade Coffee

Coffee produced under fair trade principles, ensuring living wages for farmers.