AP HUG Unit 5 Terms

Plantation Agriculture

A form of agriculture where large farms grow cash crops, typically using manual labor or mechanization. It is often associated with monoculture and relies heavily on the export of crops like cotton and sugar.

Monoculture

The agricultural practice of growing a single crop species over a wide area for consecutive seasons, which can lead to reduced biodiversity and increased vulnerability to pests and disease.

Commercial Farming

A type of agriculture focused on producing crops and livestock for sale and profit, often utilizing modern technology and large-scale operations.

Subsistence Farming

A type of agriculture where farmers grow food primarily for their own consumption rather than for sale, often relying on traditional methods and small plots of land.

Crop Rotation

The agricultural practice of alternating the types of crops grown in a particular area across seasons to improve soil health, reduce pests and diseases, and enhance crop yields.

Double Cropping

Harvesting twice a year from the same field.
Example: Winter Wheat is grown in addition to the normal crop rotation

Slash-and-Burn

Another name for shifting cultivation is so named because fields are cleared by slashing the vegetation and burning the debris.
Example: RUINS SOIL-VERY BAD

Organic Farming

an agricultural method focusing on producing crops and livestock without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, growth hormones, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

Shifting Cultivation

A form of subsistence agriculture in which people shift activity from one field to another; each field is used for crops for relatively few years and left fallow for a relatively long period.
Example: Field Rotation

First Agricultural Revolution

the transformative shift from nomadic hunting and gathering to settled agriculture. It involved the domestication of plants and animals, enabling permanent settlements, population growth, and the development of early civilization.

Second Agricultural Revolution

technological advancement in Western Europe and the U.S. that boosted food production, fueled by the Industrial Revolution. Development included seed drills, crop rotation, and the enclosure movement.

Third Agricultural Revolution

introduced science-driven farming through high-yield seeds (HYVs), synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and GMOs to dramatically boost global food production

Revolution

a significant, rapid, and transformative change that fundamentally alters the structure and functioning of society, economy, or technology, often reshaping power, resources, or daily life.

Green Revolution

Rapid diffusion of new agricultural technology, especially new high-yield seeds and fertilizers.
Example: Modern agricultural techniques spread in the '70s and '80s is known as the Green revolution. Chemically engineered crops

Transhumance

The seasonal migration of livestock between mountains and lowland pastures.
Example: Commonly seen in the UK

Biodiversity

variety of life forms on Earth, including the different species, genetic variations within those species, and the ecosystems they form.

Biomass

renewable energy derived from organic material, such as plant and animal waste, that can be used for heat, electricity, and fuel.

Von Thunen Model

theoretical framework that explains agricultural land use patterns based on transportation costs and the distance from a central market

Speciality Agriculture

the commercial production of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including flowers) that require specific climate/soil conditions and often high labor

Metes and Bounds

method of land surveying that uses physical features, distances, and directions to define property boundaries.

Long Lots

land division method where land was divided into narrow strips that extended from rivers or roads, maximizing access to water resources and facilitating transportation.

Township and Range

system to divide land into rectangular plots; creates a grid-like pattern where land is divided into townships that are six miles square

Extractive Industry

industries involved in the activities of: prospecting and exploring for a nonrenewable resource, getting them, further exploring them, developing them, or extracting them from the Earth

Pastoral Nomadism

A form of subsistence agriculture based on herding domesticated animals.
Example: Camel Herders

The Fertile Crescent

crescent-shaped region in the Middle East that is known for its rich soils and favorable conditions for agriculture

Market-Gardening

a smaller-scale form of commercial gardening that typically targets local markets with fresh produce

Hydroponics

method of growing plants without soil, using nutrient-rich water instead

Aquaponics

a sustainable food production system that combines conventional aquaculture (raising fish) with hydroponics, allowing plants and fish to coexist and support each other’s growth

Aquaculture

practice of cultivating aquatic organisms, such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and aquatic plants, in controlled environments.

NIMBYism

“Not In My Back Yard”

the phenomenon where individuals or communities oppose the development of certain projects, such as housing, infrastructure, or waste facilities, in their local area.

Desertification

Degradation of land, especially in semiarid areas, primarily because of human actions like excessive crop planting, animal grazing, and tree cutting.
Example: Slash and Burn promotes desertification

Agribusiness

Commercial agriculture is characterized by the integration of different steps in the food-processing industry, usually through ownership by large corporations.
Example: Tyson Chicken or Smithfield Pork

Ranching

A form of commercial agriculture in which livestock graze over an extensive area.
Example: Cattle Ranching in West Texas

Animal Domestication

process through which wild animals are tamed and bred for human use, such as for food, labor, or companionship

Luxury Crop

Crops that are not essential for survival but are produced for profit, often grown in regions with favorable climates.