APHG VOCAB UNIT 5

Agribusiness

"Large-scale, industrialized agriculture that includes the production, processing and distribution of agricultural products.

Agricultural revolution (ALL 3- look them up)

"Refers to significant changes in agriculture, including: First Agricultural Revolution (Neolithic Revolution): The transition from hunting and gathering to settled agricultural societies around 10,000 years ago. Second Agricultural Revolution: Occurred during the 18th and 19th centuries, marked by advancements in farming technology and practices, leading to increased food production. Third Agricultural Revolution (Green Revolution): Began in the mid-20th century, characterized by the use of high-yield seeds, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and modern irrigation techniques.

Aquaculture

The cultivation of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, and seaweed in controlled environments.

Bid-rent theory

A theory that explains how the price and demand for land decrease as distance from a central business district increases.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem, crucial for ecological balance

Biotechnology

The use of technology to modify living organisms, often for agricultural or medical purposes

Carrying capacity

The maximum population size that an environment can sustainably support without degrading its resources

Climate

The long-term patterns of temperature, precipitation, and other atmospheric conditions in a region

Clustered

A settlement pattern where homes and buildings are closely grouped together.

Columbian Exchange

"The widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, and diseases between the Americas, Europe, and Africa following the voyages of Christopher Columbus.

Commercial agriculture

Large-scale farming aimed at producing crops for sale, often involving advanced technology and specialization

Community-supported agriculture (CSA)

A system where consumers purchase shares of a farm's harvest in advance, supporting local farmers.

Commodity chains

The sequence of activities and processes involved in the production and distribution of a product.

Conservation efforts

Actions aimed at preserving natural resources and biodiversity, such as reforestation and protected areas

Deforestation

The clearing of forests for agriculture, logging, or urban development

Desertification

The degradation of land in arid regions, often caused by overgrazing, deforestation, or climate

Dietary shifts

Changes in eating habits, often influenced by cultural, economic, or environmental factors

Dispersed

A settlement pattern where homes and buildings are spread out over a large area.

Draining wetlands

The removal of water from wetlands to make the land suitable for agriculture or development.

Economies of scale

The cost advantages gained by producing goods on a larger scale

Export commodities

Goods produced in one country and sold to another, often agricultural or raw materials.

Extensive farming

Farming practices that involve large areas of land with minimal labor input per unit area.

Fair Trade

A movement aimed at ensuring fair wages and ethical practices for producers in developing countries.

Fertile Crescent

A historically rich agricultural region in the Middle East, often considered the cradle of civilization.

Fertilizer

Substances used to enhance the fertility of soil and improve crop yields

Food deserts

Areas with limited access to affordable and nutritious food

Food insecurity

The lack of reliable access to sufficient, nutritious food

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

Organisms whose genetic material has been altered to enhance certain traits.

Global supply chain

The worldwide network involved in producing and distributing goods and services

Green Belt

An area of open land around a city where development is restricted to preserve natural spaces.

Green Revolution

A period of agricultural transformation in the mid-20th century, marked by increased crop production through technology and high-yield varieties

Hearths of domestication

Regions where the domestication of plants and animals first occurred.

High-yield seeds

Seeds engineered to increase crop productivity and resistance to disease

Indus River Valley

An ancient civilization that developed along the Indus River, notable for early agricultural practices

Intensive farming

Farming practices that use a lot of labor or capital to increase productivity per unit of land.

Irrigation

The artificial application of water to land to support agriculture

Land cover change

The transformation of natural landscapes for human use, such as urbanization or deforestation.

Linear ( settlement patterns)

A settlement pattern where buildings are arranged in a straight line, often along a road or river.

Local-food movements (farm-to-table)

Efforts to encourage the consumption of locally produced foods to support local economies and reduce environmental impact

Long lot

A system of land division in which land parcels are long and narrow, typically stretching back from a river or road.

Luxury crop

High-value crops grown for profit rather than subsistence, such as coffee, tea, or tobacco.

Market gardening

The small-scale production of fruits, vegetables, and flowers for sale at local markets.

Mechanized farming

The use of machinery to increase agricultural productivity.

Metes and bounds

A system of land description using natural features and boundaries.

Mixed crop/livestock systems

Agricultural systems that combine the growing of crops and raising of livestock.

Monocropping/ monoculture

The cultivation of a single crop over a large area, which can lead to soil depletion.

Neolithic revolution

The transition from hunting and gathering to settled agricultural societies around 10,000 years ago.

Nomadic herding

A form of subsistence agriculture where people move with their livestock in search of grazing areas.

Organic farming

Agricultural practices that avoid synthetic chemicals and focus on sustainability and environmental health

Overgrazing

The depletion of vegetation due to excessive grazing, which can lead to land degradation

Pastoral nomadism

A subsistence farming system based on the herding of domesticated animals

Pesticide

Chemicals used to kill pests that harm crops

Physical environment

The natural surroundings in which people live, including landforms, climate, and ecosystems

Plantation agriculture

Large-scale farming focused on producing cash crops, often in tropical regions

Pollution

The contamination of the natural environment by harmful substances

Ranching

A form of commercial agriculture where livestock graze over large areas

Rural land-use patterns

The arrangement and management of land in non-urban areas, influenced by agricultural practices and settlement patterns

Rural settlement patterns

The spatial distribution of homes and settlements in rural areas, including clustered, dispersed, and linear patterns

Rural survey methods

Techniques for measuring and describing rural land, such as metes and bounds or township and range systems

Second Agricultural Revolution

Occurred during the 18th and 19th centuries, marked by advancements in farming technology and practices, leading to increased food production.

Shifting cultivation

A subsistence farming method where land is cleared, cultivated for a few years, and then abandoned to recover

Slash and burn

A farming method where vegetation is cut and burned to clear land for planting

Soil salinization

The accumulation of salts in soil, often due to improper irrigation practices, reducing fertility.

Subsistence agriculture

Farming aimed at producing enough food to feed the farmer's family, with little surplus for sale.

Suitcase farming

Farming where the owner does not live on the land but hires workers for planting and harvesting.

Sustainability

the ability to maintain ecological and resource balance for future generations.

Swidden

Land that has been cleared for cultivation using the slash-and-burn method.

Terraces

Stepped fields built into hillsides to reduce erosion and increase arable land.

Township and range

A land survey system that divides land into a grid of square parcels.

Tropical climate

A climate characterized by warm temperatures and significant rainfall year-round

Transhumance

The seasonal movement of livestock between different grazing areas.

Truck farming

Commercial gardening and fruit farming, often relying on migrant labor.

Urban farming

The practice of cultivating, processing, and distributing food in or near urban areas.

Value-added specialty crops

Crops that have increased in value through processing, packaging, or branding.

Von Thunen Model

A model explaining agricultural land use based on distance from markets and transportation costs