AP Human Geography Unit 5

Agribuisness

The set of economic and political relationships that organize food production for commercial purposes.

Aquaculture

The farming of aquatic species.

Arable Land

Land capable of being plowed and used to grow crops.

Bid-Rent Theory

Theory that explains how the price and demand for real estate change as the distance from the central business district increases.

Biodiversity

Variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Carrying Capacity

The number of people a place can support.

Clustered Settlement

An agricultural-based settlement in which houses are close together.

Columbian Exchange

A process by which crops moved from one part of the world to another because of changing food preferences, cultural assimilation, and changing agricultural practices.

Commercial Agriculture

Large-scale farming practices that are primarily geared towards growing crops and livestock for selling only.

Commodity Chain

Linked system of processes that gather resources, convert them into goods, package them forr distribution, disperse them, and sell them on the market.

Community-Supported Agriculture

A farming model where consumers buy shares of a farms harvest in advance,thus providing farmers with capital.

Crop Rotation

Practice of rotating use of different fields from crop to crop each year to avoid exhausting the soil.

Dairy Farming

Practice of raising livestock for dairy.

Deforestation

Destruction of forest by human or natural means.

Desertation

Process by which previously fertile lands become arid and unusable for farming.

Dispersed Settlement

Type of settlement where homes are spread out over a large area.

Distance Decay

As the distance between two places increases, the interaction decreases.

Domestication

Process of adapting wild plants and animals for human use.

Double Cropping

Harvesting twice a year from the same time.

Enclosure Acts

Series of laws passed in England from 18th to 19th centuries that allowed for the privatization of common lands.

Extensive Farming

Practice characterized by low input of labor and capital per unit of land area.

Fair Trade Movement

Aims to eliminate poverty and promote sustainable development by providing farmers with direct access to international markets.

Feedlot

Places where livestock are fattened for market.

Fertile Crescent

Region of of the middle east that was very fertile several thousand years ago.

Fertilizer

Substances added to soil or plants to provide essential nutrients that promote growth and increase agricultural productivity.

Food Desert

Area where residents have limited access to affordable and nutritious food.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)

Organisms whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques.

Grain Farming

Cultivation and harvesting of cereal crops.

Green Revolution

Period of significant development in agriculture that took place in the mid-20th sentry primarily in developing countries.

Horticulture

Growing of fruits, vegetables, and flowers.

Intensive Farming

Type of agricultural production that involves the use of high levels of inputs in order to maximize crop yields.

Irrigation

Artificial application of water to soil or land to assist in the growth of crops.

Linear Settlement

Community layout where structures are arranged in a straight line, often along a transportation route.

Long Lot

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

Luxury Crops

Crops grown to serve some purpose other than sustaining human life.

Market Gardening

Small scale production of agricultures as cash crops sold directly to local consumers.

Mediterranean Farming

A farming system characterized by the cultivation of specialized crops suited to the Mediterranean climate.

Metes & Bounds

Marks the boundaries of a property according to its surrounding landmarks.

Mixed Crop/Livestock Farming

System that combines cultivation of crops with raising of livestock on the same farm.

Monoculture

Deliberate cultivation of only one single crop in a large land area.

Neolithic (First) Agricultural Revolution

Origin of farming, first domestication of plants and animals.

Organic Food

Reluctance to use biotechnology in farming.

Pastoral Nomadism

Form of nomadism that revolves around moving with large herds of domesticated livestock.

Pesticides

Chemicals used to treat crops to kill any pests that might try to damage the crop.

Plantation Farming

Production of one or more, usually, cash crops on large plots of land.

Ranching

Type of commercial farming in which the livestock is allowed to roam over an established area.

Second Agricultural Revolution

Machines started to increase food supplies and support population growth.

Shifting Cultivation

Practice of farming by clearing land for farming by slashing vegetation and burning debris.

Soil Degradation

Decline in soil condition caused by its improper use or poor management.

Soil Salinization

When soil has been made available for agricultural production using irrigation.

Subsistence Agriculture

Production of food primarily for consumption by the farmer and mostly found less developed countries.

Suitcase Farm

A farm in which no one lives on.

Sustainability

Use of Earth’s resources in ways that ensures their availability in the future.

Terrace Farming

Agricultural practices that involves creating stepped levels on sloped terrain to cultivate crops.

Third Agricultural Revolution

More tech, more efficiency, increased population.

Township & Range

System used to divided into rectangular plots or squares.

Urban Agriculture

Cultivation of agricultural products in urban and suburban areas.

Von Thunen’s Land Use Model

Model dividing agricultural land into four zones based on distance from market and cost of transporation.