Unit 5: Agriculture and Rural Land-Use Patterns and Processes

These flashcards cover key vocabulary from Unit 5, focusing on agricultural practices, climates, types of farming, and historical developments in agriculture.

Agricultural Practices

Practices influenced by the physical environment and climatic conditions.

Mediterranean Climate

Characterized by hot-dry summers and mild winters.

Soil Composition

The combination of minerals, organic matter, and nutrients that determine the suitability of soil for specific crops.

Latitude

The geographic coordinate that specifies the north-south position on the Earth's surface.

Tropic of Cancer

The latitude line at 23.5° N where the sun can be directly overhead during the summer solstice.

Temperate Zones

Regions characterized by four distinct seasons and moderate climate.

Intensive Farming

Agricultural practices that require significant labor and capital per unit of land.

Extensive Farming

Agricultural practices that use fewer inputs of capital and labor relative to the size of land.

Shifting Cultivation

A form of subsistence farming that involves clearing land, farming for a period, and moving to a new area when soil fertility declines.

Pastoral Nomadism

A form of subsistence agriculture based on the herding of domesticated animals.

Market Gardening

Commercial farming of fruit and vegetables, often referred to as truck farming.

Plantation Agriculture

A large-scale agricultural operation that specializes in one or two crops, often found in tropical regions.

Dairy Farming

Farming that focuses on producing milk and dairy products for consumers.

Mixed Crop and Livestock Farming

An agricultural system that integrates crops and livestock production.

Metes and Bounds

A method of land survey that defines boundaries using physical landmarks.

Township and Range

A systematic land surveying method that divides land into six-mile square townships.

Columbian Exchange

The widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, and populations between the Americas and the Old World.

1st Agricultural Revolution

The transition from hunting and gathering to settled agricultural societies.

Agricultural Hearths

Geographical areas where agriculture and domestication of plants and animals first developed.

Urbanization

The increase in the population of people living in urban areas, often influenced by agricultural practices.