Unit 5 Ap Human Geo

agriculture

the purposeful tending of crops and livestock in order to produce food and fiber

commercial agriculture

Agriculture undertaken primarily to generate products for sale off the farm.

subsistence agriculture

level of farming in which a person raises only enough food to feed his or her family

plant domestication

altering the behaviors, size and genetics of plants to benefit humans

animal domestication

altering the behaviors, size and genetics of animals to benefit humans

First Agricultural Revolution

The period roughly 10,000 years ago during which humans first began domesticating crops and animals

terrace farming

cutting of "steps" into the mountains that allowed for more agriculture

irrigation

a system that supplies dry land with water through ditches, pipes, or streams

carrying capacity

the largest population that an environment can support at any given time

slash-and-burn

a farming technique in which trees are cut down and burned to clear and fertilize the land

swidden

Land that is prepared for agriculture by using the slash-and-burn method.

deforestation

the loss or destruction of forests, mainly for logging or farming

desertification

lower land productivity caused by overfarming, overgrazing, seasonal drought, and climate change

Second Agricultural Revolution

The introduction of technology to agriculture resulted in increased yields for commercial sale.

Enclosure Act

Laws passed by Parliament "closing off" common lands to small farmers

barbed wire

used for fencing and invented to keep cattle from trampling crops

Third Agricultural Revolution

20th century; tractor; monoculture; irrigation; petroleum; Agro-Biotechnology; GMOs

Green Revolution

Rapid diffusion of new agricultural technology, especially new high-yield seeds and fertilizers.

GMOs

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

pastoral nomadism

A form of subsistence agriculture based on herding domesticated animals.

ranching

a form of commercial agriculture in which livestock graze over an extensive area

shifting cultivation

farmers aim to maintain soil fertility by rotating the fields they cultivate

plantation

an estate where cash crops are grown on a large scale (especially in tropical areas)

market gardening

farming devoted to specialized fruit, vegetable, or vine crops for sale rather than consumption

truck farming

Commercial gardening and fruit farming in the United States

milk shed

the circle around a dairy farm in which its products can be sold without spoiling

winter wheat

Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, a crop planted in fall and develops strong roots to survive the winter

spring wheat

a wheat crop that is planted in the spring and harvested in late summer

transhumance

seasonal migration of livestock between mountains and lowland pasture areas

Mediterranean Agriculture

Specialized farming that occurs only in areas where the dry-summer Mediterranean climate prevails

dairy

relating to milk or products made using milk

extensive farming

Where small amounts of capital and labour are used in relation to the amount of land being farmed

intensive farming

farming that requires a lot of labor to produce food

double-cropping

to plant and harvest on the same parcel of land twice per year

intercropping

also known as multicropping, farmers grow two or more crops simultaneously on the same field

feed lots

fixed areas for cattle to graze in to become fat

agribusiness

highly mechanized, large-scale farming, usually under corporate ownership

supply chain

a sequence of activities and organizations involved in producing and delivering a good or service

commodity chain

the hands an item passes through between producer and consumer

monoculture

farming strategy of planting a single, highly productive crop year after year

suitcase farm

when someone owns and operates a farm, but lives somewhere else; usually a crops only farm

cool chains

the refrigeration and transport technologies that allow for the distribution of perishables

luxury crops

Non-subsistence crops such as tea, cacao, coffee, and tobacco

neocolonialism

the continuation, in a former colony, of colonial exploitation without formal political control

fair trade movement

trade in which fair prices are paid to producers in developing countries

subsidy

a government payment that supports a business or market

infrastructure

the basic facilities that are necessary for a society to function and grow - roads, government buildings, electricity lines, railroads

clustered settlement

houses are grouped together in tiny clusters or hamlets

dispersed settlements

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

metes and bounds

natural features are used to mark irregular parcels of land

township

a subdivision of a county that has its own government

section

a square normally 1 mile on a side

French long-lot system

Linear settlements stretched out along a road or river.

von Thunen model

an agricultural model that spatially describes agricultural activities in terms of rent

isotropic

Having the same property in all directions.

horticulture

Gardening - cultivation of crops carried out with simple hand tools such as digging sticks or hoes
the cultivation of plants for subsistence through non-intensive use of land and labor

bid rent theory

refers to how the price and demand on land changes as the distance towards the CBD/Market increase

comparative advantage

the ability to produce a good at a lower opportunity cost than another producer

greenbelt

a belt of parks or rural land surrounding a town or city

organic food

a type of food that is produced without pesticides, bioengineering, or high-energy radiation

aquaculture

Raising marine and freshwater fish in ponds and underwater cages

Blue Revolution

modern aquaculture, producing fish, shellfish, and other products

biodiversity

the diversity of plant and animal life in a particular habitat (or in the world as a whole)

overgrazing

the depletion of vegetation due to the continuous feeding of too many animals

economies of scale

the property whereby long-run average total cost falls as the quantity of output increases