Introduction to Agriculture

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to the introduction and development of agriculture.

Environmental Possibilism

The idea that the physical environment can affect ways a society develops, but humans can use technology to overcome natural limitations.

Metes and Bounds

A rural survey method that utilizes landmarks and physical features to establish boundary lines.

Terrace Farming

A method of farming practiced in hilly or mountainous areas that involves building steps into the hillsides to cultivate water-intensive crops.

Agricultural Hearth

A location where groups of people first domesticated plants and animals.

Contagious Diffusion

The spread of agriculture to surrounding areas through close contact between farmers.

Monoculture

The agricultural practice of growing a single crop in a given area.

Second Agricultural Revolution

A period of agricultural development marked by the adoption of new technology, leading to increased food production in Great Britain.

Double Cropping

The agricultural practice of growing two crops on the same land in a single growing season.

To Agricultural Regions

The classification of different farming practices identified by Derwent Whittlesey based on distinct environmental and cultural conditions.

Bid-Rent Theory

A theory explaining how the price and demand for land changes as the distance from the central market changes.

Fertile Crescent

A region in the Middle East significant for being the site of some of the earliest agriculture and domestication of plants and animals.

Slash-and-Burn Agriculture

A farming technique in which land is cleared by cutting and burning vegetation, followed by cultivation, used primarily in tropical regions.

Agribusiness

A large-scale system encompassing the production, processing, and distribution of agricultural products.

Irrigation

The artificial application of water to soil to assist in growing crops.

Gene Revolution

A new biotechnology revolution focused on altering the genetic makeup of crops to improve production.

Urbanization

The process of mass migration of people into cities, often associated with agricultural advancements.