Unit 5 Chapter 14

Agroecosystems: Modified ecosystems for agricultural use; shaped by local farming activities.
Shifting Cultivation:
- A form of subsistence agriculture; can lead to soil degradation if land lacks recovery time.
- Mainly in peripheral and semi-peripheral regions: South America, Central and West Africa, Southeast Asia.
Slash and Burn Farming:
- A type of shifting agriculture that permanently alters landscapes.
- Causes serious environmental issues like deforestation and soil erosion.
- Practiced on marginal land in tropical rainforests of Latin America, Africa, Asia; historically and currently by tribal communities.
Terracing:
- Carving hillsides into flat growing areas.
- Common among subsistence farmers, especially in mountainous areas.
- Represents cultural heritage and community participation.
Irrigation:
- Affects surface landscapes; essential for subsistence and commercial farming.
- Reservoirs: Artificial lakes for irrigation, created by damming streams/rivers.
- Water diversion can lower fish populations and threaten water resources.
- Aquifers: Underground water sources; can be depleted without recharge.
Draining Wetlands:
- Converting saturated land into agricultural area; leads to habitat loss for various species.
- Increases flooding and storm damage risk.
Pastoral Nomadism:
- Subsistence practice in dry regions (e.g., Southwest Asia, North Africa).
- Risks include overgrazing and desertification, affecting biodiversity and soil erosion.

Pollution:
- Runoff from fields contains chemicals, nutrients, and pathogens.
- Land Cover Change: Alters surface due to agricultural practices; can lead to saturation and landslides.
- Deforestation from slash and burn techniques causes significant land cover change.
Soil Salinization:
- Irrigation in dry areas leads to salt accumulation in the soil.
Desertification:
- Occurs when water usage surpasses replenishment rates.

Global policies aim to mitigate agriculture's environmental impacts.
Debt-for-Nature Swaps: Financial arrangements aiding conservation.
Conservation incentives encourage sustainable practices in commercial farming.
Focus on maintaining soil fertility and preventing erosion in subsistence farming.

Agriculture influences diets and lifestyle choices; shifts in consumer diets respond to agricultural innovations.
Gender roles vary significantly in agriculture.
Changes in agriculture structure can disrupt rural economies; monocropping increases vulnerability to price shifts.

Increased yields, resistance to pests, improved nutrition, reduced production costs.

Unknown environmental impacts, potential loss of agricultural biodiversity, intensified use of chemicals, threats to native ecosystems due to genetic transfers.

Arguments For Aquaculture: Requires less space; consistent food supply.
Arguments Against Aquaculture: Water pollution, impact on native species' gene pools, disease transfer risk to wild populations.

Uses technology for precise farming practices, optimizing yields while minimizing waste.
GIS tools assist in analyzing field characteristics.
Challenges include high costs and technology usability for small farmers.

Local Food Movements: Emphasizes local produce; includes Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).
Growth of organic products and fair trade offerings; higher consumer willingness to pay.
Value-added crops: Transformed into higher-value products; require diverse skills.

Food Security: Consistent access to safe, nutritious food; an active lifestyle's support.
Food Insecurity: Disruption in food access, primarily due to financial reasons.

Distribution challenges, economic choices, adverse weather from climate change, instability, land loss to suburbanization.

Poor storage and transport impact food availability; inadequate infrastructure is a prevalent issue in peripheral countries.
Economy of Scale: Larger yields reduce costs; conditions favoring large-scale production practices.

Farm subsidies disproportionately support large farms, leading to specific crops' overproduction.

Women contribute over 50% of global food production; face gender-specific challenges, particularly in peripheral regions.
Limited land rights, access to resources, and rigid gender roles create barriers to success.

Empowerment: Decision-making authority in agriculture and finances leads to improved community outcomes.
Steps to empowerment include education, capital access, and policies fostering gender equality.

Agricultural Biodiversity: Variety of crops and livestock within farming systems.
Agroecosystem: Ecosystem modified for agricultural use.
Food Insecurity: Inadequate access to nutritious food.
Precision Agriculture: Advanced agricultural practices for enhanced efficiency.