AP HUG Unit 5 Vocab

agribusiness

commercial agriculture characterized by the integration of various steps in the food processing industry, often under the ownership of large corporations

agriculture

the cultivation of domesticated crops and the raising of domesticated animals

aquaculture

the cultivation of aquatic organisms (as fish or shellfish) especially for food

biotechnology

any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives there of, to make or modify products or processes for specific use

cerial grain / stable grains

maize, wheat, and rice are the most produced gains worldwide

commercial agriculture

agriculture produced to sell

commodity chains

a sequential process used by firms to gather resources, transform them into goods or commodities and finially distribute them to customers

intensive agriculture

expenditure of much labor and capital on a piece of land to increase its productivity

extensive agriculture

use of little labor and capital to increase agricultural productivity

crop rotation

the practice of rotating the use of different fields from crop to crop each year, to avoid exausting the soil

dairying

an animal husbandry enterprise, raising female cattle, goats, or certain other lactating livestock for long-term production of milk which may be either processed onsite or transported to a dairy for processing and eventually retail sale

double cropping

a second crop is planted after the first has been harvested

chemical farming

increased use of fertilizers with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium

pesticides

any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or migrating any pest

herbicides

type of pesticide used to kill unwanted plants

fertilizer

any substance, such as manure, or a mixture of nitrates, added to soil or water to increase its productivity

soil erosion

the washing away of soil by the flow of water

shifting cultivation

cultivation of crops in tropical forest clearings in which forest vegetation has been removed by cutting and burning

nomadic herding

a type of pastoralism where livestock are moved in search of forage (food) and fresh pastures.

Pastoral Nomadism

the continual movement of livestock in search of forage for animals

feedlot

a factory-like farm devoted to either livestock fattening or dairying

first agricultural revolution

dating back 10,000 years, it achieved plant domestication and animal domestication

forestry

the art, science, and practice of studing and managing forests and plantations and related natural resources

genetically modified organisms (GMO)

organisms whose genes have been modified to increase things such as control over it, predictability, and efficiency

green revolution

rapid diffusion of new agricultural technology, especially new high-yield seeds and fertilizer

horticulture

the art or science of cultivation fruits, vegetables, flowers. or ornamental plants

livestock ranching

a commercial type of agriculture that produces fattened cattle and hogs for meat

luxury crops

specialized crops not typically not essential to human survival

market gardening

the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegtables, and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants

Mediterranean agriculture

accounts for virtually all olive oil produced worldwide, 60% of wine production, 45% of grape production, 25% of dried nuts, 20% of citrus production, and about 12% of total cereal production

milkshed

a region producing milk for a specific community

monoculture

producing or growing one crop over a wide area

organic agriculture

approach to farming and raching that avoids the use of herbicides, pesticides, growth hormones, and other similar synthetic inputs

plantation agriculture

a system of mnoculture for producing export crops requiring relatively large amounts of land and capitol

renewable resource

can be replaced without a long wait time

non-renewable resource

a resource that must be depleted to be used

second agricultural revolution

included improved methods of cultivation, harvesting, and storage of farm produce

specialization

where individuals become experts in producing certain goods or services that are then exchanged

subsistence agriculture

self-sufficient agriculture that is smallscale and low technology and emphasizes food production for local consumption, not trade

extensive subsistence agriculture

use of little labor and capital to increase to feed families

intensive subsistence agriculture

expenditure of much labor and capitol to feed families to increase agricultural productivity

long lots

houses erected on narrow lots perpendicular to a long river, so that each original settler had equal river access

metes - and - bounds

uses physical features of the local geography, along with directions and distances to define the bounaries of a perpendicular piece of land

township - and - range

land is divided into six-mile square blocks (township), which is then divided into one-mile square blocks (range), which are also further divided

Transhumance

a seasonal periodic movement of pastorialists and their livestock between highland and lowland pastures

truck farm

commercial gardening and fruit farming so named because the word was a middle English word meaning bartering of the exchange of commodities

biodiversity

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

CAFO

concentrated animal feeding operation which is a large feedlot to fatten animals before slaughterF

deforestation

The removal of trees faster than forests can replace themselves.

Colombian Exchange

refers to the widespread transfer of plants, animals, diseases, people, and cultures between the Old World (Europe, Asia, and Africa) and the New World (the Americas) following Christopher Columbus's voyage in 1492

desertification

Degradation of land, especially in semiarid areas, primarily because of human actions like excessive crop planting, animal grazing, and tree cutting.

economy of scale

the cost advantages a company gains when it increases its production output

fertile crescent

a crescent-shaped region in the Middle East known as the cradle of civilization, where the earliest human civilizations developed due to its fertile land and favorable climate for agriculture

food desert

An area that has a substantial amount of low-income residents and has poor access to a grocery store, defined in most cases as further than 1 mile.

irrigation

the artificial application of water to crops and land to support agriculture, especially in areas with insufficient rainfall or where water is needed to make land arable

mixed crop and livestock

a type of commercial agriculture where farmers raise both crops and livestock on the same land

salinization

the process of soil becoming increasingly salty, often due to irrigation in arid climates

subsidy

a government payment that supports a business or market, usually to reduce production costs or increase the price of a product

von thunen model

explains how agricultural land use patterns vary based on distance from a market, with land use determined by the interplay of land costs and transportation costs, resulting in concentric zones of different agricultural activities.