Agricultural Practices and Settlements

Flashcards covering key agricultural practices, settlement patterns, and significant agricultural concepts for exam preparation.

What is intensive farming?

A method where large amounts of labor and capital are applied to small areas of land to maximize yield.

What is plantation agriculture?

Large-scale commercial farming specializing in one or two cash crops, primarily for export.

Define cultivation.

The act of preparing land and growing crops through human intervention.

What characterizes rural areas?

They are located outside of towns and cities, with low population density and agricultural land.

What is a clustered settlement?

A pattern where houses and buildings are situated close together around a shared resource.

Describe a dispersed settlement.

A pattern where individual farmhouses are spread far apart, often reflecting large landholdings.

What is a linear settlement?

Settlements arranged in a line, typically following transport routes like roads or rivers.

Define river valley.

Low-lying land between hills or mountains with a river, historically fertile for agriculture.

What does 'hearth' refer to in agriculture?

A center of innovation or the origin point of a specific agricultural practice or crop.

What is the Columbian Exchange?

The global transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies following 1492.

Define diffusion in the context of agriculture.

The process by which an agricultural innovation spreads from its hearth to other locations.

What was introduced during the Second Agricultural Revolution?

Improved fertilization, crop rotation, and mechanical tools to increase food production.

What are high yield seeds?

Seeds designed to produce significantly more grain per plant than traditional varieties.

What is the Green Revolution?

The rapid diffusion of agricultural technology in the 1950s and 60s to combat global hunger.

Define mechanized farming.

The use of heavy machinery to replace human and animal labor in agriculture.

What is monocropping?

The practice of growing a single crop year after year on the same land without rotation.

Differentiate between intensive and extensive farming.

Intensive farming uses high inputs on small land, while extensive farming uses fewer inputs on large plots.

What is a complex commodity chain?

A linked system of processes that gather resources, transform them into goods, and distribute them.

Define economy of scale.

The cost advantage that arises with increased production, allowing larger farms to produce at a lower cost.

What is carrying capacity?

The maximum number of people that an environment's resources can sustainably support.

What is the Von Thunen Model?

A spatial theory suggesting that agricultural land use is determined by transportation costs to the market.

What does infrastructure refer to in agriculture?

The basic physical systems needed for agricultural production and distribution.

Define global food distribution.

The complex network of trade and transport that moves food from producers to consumers worldwide.

What is desertification?

The process by which fertile land becomes desert due to drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.

What is soil salinization?

The salt buildup in soil caused by excessive irrigation in arid climates, preventing plant growth.

What are agricultural practices?

Varied methods used in agriculture, including terracing, irrigation, and deforestation.

What are food deserts?

Geographic areas with limited access to affordable, healthy food options.

What are GMOs?

Organisms whose genetic material has been altered for specific traits, like pest resistance.

What is urban farming?

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

Define Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).

A system where consumers buy shares of a farm's harvest in advance, sharing risks and rewards.

What are value-added specialty crops?

Goods that have been processed to increase their market value, such as organic wine.

What is fair trade?

An arrangement designed to help producers in developing countries achieve better trading conditions.