APHG Unit 5 Terms

Agriculture

Deliberate effort to modify a portion of Earth’s surface through the cultivation of crops and the raising of livestock for subsistence or economic gain.

Climate Regions

Areas that have similar climate patterns generally based on their latitude and the location on coasts or continental interiors.

Mediterranean agriculture

Practice of crop cultivation undertaken in areas with Mediterranean climates.

Subsistence agriculture

Form of farming in which all of the crops or livestock raised are used to maintain the farmer and their family.

Commercial agriculture

Food is produced for sale.

CBD

Where a large amount of businesses are located.

Intensive agriculture

Crop and livestock cultivation with higher levels of inputs and outputs per unit of agricultural land area.

Clustered settlement

Where a number of families live in close proximity to each other, with fields surrounding the collection of houses and farm buildings.

Dispersed settlements

Where a number of separate farmsteads are scattered throughout an area.

Linear settlements

Settlement or group of buildings that are formed along a feature such as transportation routes, coasts or rivers.

Monocropping

Practice of growing a single crop year after year on the same land.

Monoculture

Form of agriculture that is based on growing only one type of crop at a time on a specific field.

Crop rotation

Growing specific groups of vegetables on a different part of the vegetable plot each year.

Plantation agriculture

Form of farming that specializes in cash crops.

Market gardening

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

Mixed crop and livestock systems

Cultivation of crops alongside the rearing of animals for meat, eggs, or milk.

Extensive agriculture

System of crop cultivation using small amounts of labor and capital in relation to the area of land being farmed.

Shifting cultivation

Form of agriculture where an area of ground is cleared of vegetation and cultivated for a few years and then abandoned for a new area until its fertility has been naturally restored.

Slash and burn

Method of agriculture where existing vegetation is cut down and burned off before new seeds are sown.

Nomadic herding

Farmers and herders travel from place to place with their flocks of animals.

Transhumance

Movement of herds between pastures.

Domestication

The deliberate effort to grow plants and raise animals, making plants and animals adapt to human demands.

Foragers

Small nomadic groups who had primarily plant-based diets.

Agricultural hearth

Areas where different groups began to domesticate plants and animals.

Fertile crescent

Area in Southwest Asia where domestication first took place.

Columbian exchange

The exchange of goods and ideas between the Americas, Europe, and Africa.

1st agricultural revolution

Shift from foraging to farming; beginning of agriculture and spread out from several hearths.

2nd agricultural revolution

Start of new practices and tools diffusing from Britain, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands leading to better crop yields.

Enclosure system

Communal land was replaced by farms owned by individuals, and use of the land was restricted.

3rd agricultural revolution

More mechanization and new technologies brought about by changes outside agriculture.

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

The result of manipulating the genetic makeup of plants.

Green revolution

Increased knowledge of genetics to develop new high-yield strains of grain crops.

Infrastructure

The basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.

Dual agricultural economy

Two agricultural sectors in the same country or region that have different levels of technology.

Agribusiness

Large-scale system that includes the production, processing, and distribution of agricultural products.

Hybrid

Different varieties of plants that are bred to enhance desired characteristics.

Vertical integration

The combination in one firm of two or more stages of production operated by separate firms.

Commodity chain

A complex network that connects places of production with distribution to consumers.

Farm subsidies

Low-cost loans, insurance, and payments from the government to farmers.

Tariffs

A tax or duty to be paid on a particular import or export.

Global supply chains

Commodity chains on a global scale.

Cash crop

Crop that is produced for its commercial value.

Fair trade

Global campaign to fix unfair wage practices and protect farmers.

Agricultural landscapes

Landscapes resulting from the interactions between farming activities and a location’s natural environment.

Agroecosystem

An ecosystem modified for agricultural use.

Deforestation

Loss of forests from slash and burn.

Terracing

Process of carving parts of a hill or mountainside into small, level growing plots.

Reservoirs

An artificial lake and common source of irrigation for crops.

Aquifers

Underground usable fresh water for both agricultural and home use.

Wetlands

Areas of land that are covered by or saturated with water.

Desertification

A form of land degradation that occurs when soil deteriorates to a desert-like condition.

Biodiversity

The variety of organisms living in an area.

Salinization

Process by which water-soluble salts build up in the soil.

Debt-for-nature swap

An arrangement where foreign debt is transferred to an organization in return for conservation commitments.

Biotechnology

The science of altering living organisms to create new products.

Agricultural biodiversity

The variety and variability of plants, animals, and microorganisms used for food.

Precision agriculture

The science of improving crop yields and assisting management decisions using high technology tools.

Food security

Reliable access to safe, nutritious food that can support a healthy lifestyle.

Food insecurity

Distribution of a household’s food intake due to poor access.

Suburbanization

The shifting of population from cities into suburbs.

Food deserts

An urban area where it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food.

Economy of scale

A proportionate saving in costs gained by an increased level of production.

Value-added crops

An agricultural commodity used to produce renewable energy.

Regional appellation

Identifying word(s) by which something is classified or distinguished.

Polyculture

The simultaneous cultivation of several crops or kinds of animals.

Agrarian

Relating to cultivated land or the cultivation of it.

Economic activities

A process leading to the manufacture of a good or provision of a service.

Truck Farming

Production of crops primarily for shipment to distant markets.

Hybridization

Cross-pollinating two genetically different strains to create a new strain.

Food irradiation

The process of exposing food to ionizing radiation.

Rural Nucleated settlement

A rural settlement where families live in close proximity with fields surrounding.

Rural Dispersed settlements

A rural settlement with separate farmsteads scattered throughout an area.

Malthusian Theory

Population growth will always outpace food production, leading to famine and decline.

Von Thunen model

Model predicting perishability and transportation costs affecting agricultural practices.