AP Human Geo - Unit 5 Vocabulary

Intensive Farming

A type of agriculture that involves high levels of input, labor, and technology per unit of land, often resulting in high yields.

Market Gardening

A form of horticulture that focuses on growing high-value, perishable crops for sale in local or urban markets.

Plantation Agriculture

Large-scale commercial farming that typically specializes in the cultivation of a single crop, often in tropical or subtropical regions.

Mixed Crop/Livestock

A type of farming that combines the cultivation of crops and the raising of livestock in a complementary manner.

Extensive Farming

Agriculture that requires relatively low inputs and labor per unit of land, often involving large land areas and lower yields.

Shifting Cultivation

A traditional farming method that involves rotating fields to allow soil to recover after periods of cultivation.

Nomadic Herding

A livelihood based on the continuous movement of livestock in search of fresh pasture and water.

Ranching

The practice of raising and grazing livestock, often on large, open tracts of land, with minimal cultivation of crops.

Clustered Settlement

A settlement pattern characterized by closely grouped buildings and houses, often found in rural or historic areas.

Linear Settlement

A settlement pattern characterized by buildings and houses arranged along a linear feature, such as a road or river.

Dispersed Settlement

A settlement pattern where buildings and houses are spread out over a wide area, often found in rural regions.

Metes and Bounds

A system of land surveying that uses natural features and distances to define property boundaries.

Township and Range

A system of land surveying used in much of the United States, involving the division of land into a grid of townships and ranges.

Long Lot

A land division pattern that gives each landowner access to a river or road, typical in parts of North America.

Domestication

The process by which humans selectively breed and cultivate plants and animals for specific traits or purposes.

Fertile Cresent

An ancient region in the Middle East known for its early agricultural development and fertile land.

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of plants, animals, and diseases between the Old World (Europe, Asia, and Africa) and the New World (the Americas) following Christopher Columbus's voyages.

Second Agricultural Revolution

A period of significant agricultural innovation and improvement in the 18th and 19th centuries, including the use of new crop varieties and farming techniques.

Green Revolution

A period of rapid agricultural advancement in the mid-20th century, characterized by the development of high-yielding crop varieties and increased use of technology and chemicals.

Subsistence Farming

Agriculture primarily aimed at producing enough food for the farmer's family and local consumption.

Monocropping

The practice of growing a single crop repeatedly on the same land, often leading to soil depletion and pest issues.

Monoculture

The cultivation of a single crop species over large areas, typically in commercial agriculture.

Commercial Farming

Agriculture primarily focused on producing crops and livestock for sale in markets and distribution.

Bid-Rent Theory

An economic theory that explains how the price and demand for land vary with proximity to urban centers.

Commodity Chain

The network of production, distribution, and consumption that links the various stages of production for a particular commodity.

Economies of Scale

The cost advantages that result from increasing the scale of production and reducing per-unit costs.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum population size that an environment can support with available resources.

Von Thunen Model

A theoretical model that explains the spatial distribution of agricultural activities based on transportation costs and market access.

Global Supply Chain

The interconnected network of production, distribution, and consumption that spans multiple countries and regions.

Commodity Dependence

A situation in which a country relies heavily on the export of a single commodity or resource for its economic well-being.

Desertification

The process by which productive land becomes desert due to factors such as soil erosion and climate change.

Soil Salinization

The buildup of salt in the soil, often caused by excessive irrigation, which can harm crops.

Slash and Burn

An agricultural method involving the cutting and burning of vegetation to clear land for cultivation.

Terracing

A farming technique that involves creating stepped or sloped land surfaces for cultivation, often used on hilly or mountainous terrain.

Pastoral Nomadism

A way of life based on herding animals and moving them to different pastures in search of food and water.

Biotechnology

The use of biological processes, organisms, or systems to develop or create products or technologies.

GMO

An organism whose genetic material has been altered through genetic engineering to achieve specific traits or characteristics.

Urban Farming

The practice of growing food and raising animals within urban or metropolitan areas.

Value-Added Speciality Crops

Crops that have undergone additional processing or modification to increase their value or market appeal.

Organic Farming

A farming method that avoids the use of synthetic chemicals and emphasizes sustainable and environmentally friendly practices.

Food Insecurity

The lack of consistent access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life.

Food Desert

An area with limited access to affordable and nutritious food, often due to the absence of grocery stores or markets.