Unit 5 Agriculture

aquaculture (aquafarming)

The cultivation of seafood under controlled conditions

Bid rent theory

geographical economic theory that refers to how the price and demand on real estate changes as the distance towards the Central Business District (CBD) increases.

Biotechnology

The manipulation of living organisms or their components to produce useful products.

Central America (Mesoamerica)

the 5th hearth of agriculture (5,500 years ago), crops include: squash, pepper, cassava, cotton, lima bean, maize, potato, and sweet potato.

clustered settlement pattern

a settlement where buildings are clustered around a particular point.

Columbina Exchange

the global exchange of goods and ideas resulting from the encounter between the peoples of the Eastern and Western hemispheres

commercial farming

growing large quantities of crops or livestock in order to sell them for a profit

commodity chain

series of links connecting the many places of production and distribution and resulting in a commodity that is then exchanged on the world market

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

network between agricultural producers and consumers whereby consumers pledge support to a farming operation in order to receive a share of the output from the farming operation

conservation

Protecting and preserving natural resources and the environment

deforestation

The removal of trees faster than forests can replace themselves.

dispersed settlement pattern

A rural settlement pattern characterized by isolated farms rather than clustered villages.

Domestication

the taming of plants and animals for human use, such as work or as food.

East Asia

the 3rd hearth of agriculture (9,500 years ago) whose crops include, rice soybean, and walnut.

economies of scale

factors that cause a producer's average cost per unit to fall as output rises

extensive agriculture

use of little labor and capital to increase agricultural productivity over a large area of land

fair trade

Alternative to international trade that emphasizes small businesses and worker owned and democratically run cooperatives and requires employers to pay workers fair wages, permit union organizing, and comply with minimum environmental and safety standards.

food desert

An area in a developed country where healthy food is difficult to obtain

food insecurity

the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food

genetically modified organisms

crops that carry new traits that have been inserted through advanced genetic engineering methods

Green Revolution (Third Agricultural Revolution)

The development of higher-yield and fast-growing crops through increased technology, pesticides, and fertilizers transferred from the developed to developing world to alleviate the problem of food supply in those regions of the globe.

high-yield seeds

seeds bred to respond to fertilizers and produce an increased amount of grain per acre

• led to reduction in the varieties of seeds being used in many areas of the world

• resulted in more use of fertilizers and increased use of irrigation in farming throughout the world

Indus River Valley

A valley and early civilization along the Indus River, one of the longest rivers in the world.

intensive agriculture

any agricultural system involving the application of large amounts of capital and/or labor per unit of cultivated land; may be part of either subsistence or commercial economy

irrigation

The process of supplying water to areas of land to make them suitable for growing crops.

Land cover change

process by which agricultural areas are lost to development

linear settlement pattern

buildings are built in lines along a road, railroad, or river

Local food movement

collaborative effort to build more locally based, self-reliant food economies

long-lot survey system

divided land into narrow parcels stretching back from rivers, roads, or canals

market gardening

The small scale production of fruits, vegetables, and flowers as cash crops sold directly to local consumers. Distinguishable by the large diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, during a single growing season. Labor is done manually.

mechanized farming

In agriculture, the replacement of human labor with technology or machines.

Mediterranean climate

a climate marked by warm, dry summers and cool, rainy winters

metes and bounds system

A system of land surveying east of the Appalachian Mountains. It is a system that relies on descriptions of land ownership and natural features such as streams or trees. Because of the imprecise nature of metes and bounds surveying, the U.S. Land Office Survey abandoned the technique in favor of the rectangular survey system.

mixed crop and livestock farming

Commercial farming characterized by integration of crops and livestock; most of the crops are fed to animals rather than consumed directly by humans.

Monocropping (monoculture)

An agricultural method that utilizes large plantings of a single species or variety

Nomadic herding/pastoralism

the continual movement of livestock in search of forage for animals

pastoral nomadism

A form of subsistence agriculture based on herding domesticated animals.

pesticide

A chemical intended to kill insects and other organisms that damage crops.

plantation agriculture

Growing specialized cash crops such as bananas, coffee, and cacao in tropical developing countries, primarily for export to developed countries.

pollution

Release of harmful materials into the environment

Ranching

commercial grazing of livestock over an extensive area

Rural Settlement Patterns

farms, villages, or towns that have any of the following patterns- dispersed, clustered, or linear

rural survey methods

metes and bounds, township and range, and long lot

Second Agricultural Revolution

dovetailing with and benefiting from the Industrial Revolution, the Second Agricultural Revolution witnessed improved methods of cultivation, harvesting, and storage of farm products.

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.

slash and burn agriculture

Another name for shifting cultivation, so named because fields are cleared by slashing the vegetation and burning the debris.

soil salinization

in arid regions, irrigation water evaporates, leaving salts behind

Southeast Asia

the 2nd hearth of Agriculture (10,000 years ago), crops include mango, taro, and coconut.

Southwest Asia (Fertile Crescent)

The first hearth of agriculture (10-12,000 years ago), includes an area of rich farmland in Southwest Asia where the first civilizations began. Crops include barley, wheat, lentils, olives, oats and rye

Sub-Saharan Africa

the 4th hearth of agriculture (7,00 years ago) whose crops include, yams, sorghum, cowpeas, COFFEE, and African Rice.

subsistence farming

farming in which only enough food to feed one's family is produced

Terrace Farming

The cutting out of flat areas into near vertical slopes to allow farming; appears as steps cut into a mountainside. This adaptation allowed both the early Chinese, and the Inca of Mesoamerica to grow enough food for their large populations.

Township an Range System

A rectangular land division scheme designed by Thomas Jefferson to disperse settlers evenly across farmlands of the U.S. interior.

tropical climate

a climate characterized by high temperatures and heavy precipitation during at least part of the year; typical of equatorial regions

Urban farming

farming in urban areas increases healthy food choices, increases green space and can help strengthen communities through vertical, rooftop, and small scale farms.

Value-added specialty crops

increasing the economic value of a commodity through particular production processes, e.g., organic produce, or through regionally branded products that increase consumer appeal and willingness to pay a premium over similar but undifferentiated products. i.e. free-range chickens, hormone-free beef

Von Thunen Model

An agricultural model that spatially describes agricultural activity in terms of rent. Activities that require intensive cultivation and cannot be transported over great distances pay higher rent to be close to the market. Conversely, activities that are more extensive , with goods that are easy to transport, are located farther from the market where rent is less.communities through vertical, rooftop, and small scale farms.

Value-added specialty crops

increasing the economic value of a commodity through particular production processes, e.g., organic produce, or through regionally branded products that increase consumer appeal and willingness to pay a premium over similar but undifferentiated products. i.e. free-range chickens, hormone-free beef

Von Thunen Model

An agricultural model that spatially describes agricultural activity in terms of rent. Activities that require intensive cultivation and cannot be transported over great distances pay higher rent to be close to the market. Conversely, activities that are more extensive , with goods that are easy to transport, are located farther from the market where rent is less.

Agribusiness

Commercial agriculture characterized by integration of different steps in the food-processing industry, usually through ownership by large corporations.