Unit 5: Subsistence Agriculture

AP Human Geography

subsistence farming

agricultural production solely for family or local consumption, using basic tools and native plants

about what percent of farmers in LDCs are subsistence farmers?

80%

extensive subsistence farming

large areas of land, minimal labor, low yields per acre, low population densities

pastoral nomadism

migratory nomadic moving of livestock dependent on natural forage

where is pastoral nomadism most common?

arid or rocky areas that have sparse precipitation

what kinds of livestock is prominent in pastoral nomadism?

hardy, mobile (sheep, goats, horses, yaks, reindeer)

transhumance

movement of livestock according to seasonal patterns

locations that pastoral nomadism

middle east, central asia, sahara and gobi desert regions

shifting cultivation

rotation of fields instead of crops

where is shifting cultivation most common?

mainly used in tropical regions with high temperature and abundant rainfall

about how many people use shifting cultivation on 14 million miles of land?

250 million people

slash and burn is an example of what agriculture?

shifting cultivation

leaching

soil loses nutrients because the water erosion occurs after the removal of crops or plants and root systems OR because the same crops are planted over again

about how many acres of tropical rainforests are destroyed OR degraded in a day?

80,000 + 80,000 = 16,000

about how many species are extinct due to deforestation in a day?

135

desertification

the process by which formerly fertile lands become increasingly arid and unproductive due to human overuse, overgrazing, or drought

what areas is shifting cultivation typically used?

tropical regions in latin america, central africa, and southeast asia

intensive subsistence farming

small farms, high manual labor, high yields per acre, high population density

about what percent of the world’s population involved in intensive subsistence farming?

45%

what is the primary intensive subsistence crop?

rice

intertillage

clearing of rows in the fields of rocks or weeds

wet rice

practice of planting rice on dry land in a nursery when moving the seedling into a flooded field to promote growth

paddies/sawahs

flooded fields where wet rice grows

where is the dominant type of agriculture in the region wet rice?

southeast china, east india, southeast asia

what locations is wet rice farming found?

monsoon regions in asia, africa, and latin america

urban farming

the use of small plots and rooftops in urban areas

what percent of the world’s land is arable?

about 30%

what is one example of crop rotation in the U.S.?

farmers switching between corn and soybeans because legumes add nitrogen to the soil

by what percent has worldwide grain production increased in the past 50 years?

180%