5.1 to 5.7 AP Human Geography Notes

Agriculture

The practice of planting and harvesting domesticated plants and raising domesticated animals for food.

Domesticated

Grown or raised by humans, as opposed to wild.

Physical Environment

Presence or absence of abundant and nutritious soil.

Topography

The physical characteristics of the landforms.

Climate

Describes the general patterns of weather over a long period of time.

Monsoon

A seasonal reversal of winds with a general onshore movement in summer and a general offshore movement in winter.

Irrigation

The practice of artificially providing water to crops in order to supplement natural rainfall.

Extensive Agriculture

Farmers and ranchers use relatively few inputs, gain lower yields, and rely on natural soil fertility and climate conditions.

Intensive Agriculture

Farmers or ranchers use a higher amount of inputs to maximize yields.

Market Gardening

Small scale farms focusing on fruits and vegetables.

Plantation Agriculture

Large scale farming of a single crop to sell on a market.

Mixed Crop/Livestock Agriculture

Both crops and livestock are raised for sale on a market.

Monoculture

The practice of growing a single crop over a large area.

Chemical fertilizers

Substances applied to soil to provide plants with the nutrients they need to grow.

Pesticides

Chemicals used to control pests that can damage crops.

Factory Farming

The practice of confining large numbers of animals in small spaces and providing them with a highly controlled diet.

Pastoralism

Practice of raising livestock, often in a nomadic or semi-nomadic way.

Agricultural Landscape

The management and utilization of land for farming and cultivation purposes.

Land-Use Pattern

The way land is utilized and organized in a specific area.

Market Demand

The total quantity of a product or service that consumers are willing and able to purchase at various prices.

Natural Resources

Materials found within the environment utilized by humans for various purposes.

Bid Rent Curve

A graph showing how much each activity is willing to rent land as it relates to distance to the market.

Commodity Chain

A series of steps used by companies to create and sell a product.

Enclosure Movement

A process where traditional common lands are enclosed and consolidated into larger, privately-owned farms.

Second Agricultural Revolution

A development in agriculture lasting from the 17th to the 20th century with increased crop yields and efficiency.

Green Revolution

A movement in the 1960-70s in which scientists developed new strains of high-yielding grain crops.

Double-Cropping

A farming method where two harvests are grown in one year.

Cool Chain

A temperature-controlled supply chain that involves the storage and transportation of perishable goods.