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U5_+Student+Notes copy

5.1 Introduction to Agriculture

  • Connection Between Physical Geography and Agricultural Practices:

    • Agriculture is influenced by several factors such as climate, space, soil, and water availability.

Factors Impacting Agriculture:

  1. Physical Environment:

    • Climate:

      • Different bioclimatic zones determine agricultural output.

      • Example: Amount of precipitation affects crop growth.

    • Space/Landforms:

      • Assess whether land is arable (suitable for farming) or non-arable.

      • Examples include mountains, deserts, and plains.

    • Soil/Nutrients:

      • Presence and availability of nutrients naturally occurring in the soil.

      • Methods to enrich soil: fertilizers, slash and burn agriculture.

    • Water/Precipitation:

      • Necessary for irrigation and to maintain soil fertility.

  2. **Climate Zones: **

    • Tropical & Subtropical:

      • High temps, abundant rainfall.

    • Drylands/Desert:

      • High temps, limited rain.

    • Temperate Regions:

      • Moderate temperatures and seasonal changes.

Types of Agriculture:

  • Shifting cultivation

  • Plantation agriculture

  • Pastoral nomadism

  • Livestock ranching

  • Mixed crop and livestock

  • Commercial grain farming

  • Market gardening

  • Mediterranean agriculture

Environmental Possibilism:

  • Human innovation can overcome environmental limitations. Examples:

    • Climate: Greenhouses for temperature control.

    • Space/Landforms: Terrace farming.

    • Soil/Nutrients: Using fertilizers to manage nutrient levels.

5.2 Settlement Patterns & Survey Methods

Rural Survey Methods:

  • Used to define land ownership.

    • Metes & Bounds: Originated from Britain, uses landmarks to define boundaries; results in irregular plots.

    • Long Lot: Introduced by France/Spain; long strips start at a river, ensuring resource access.

    • Township & Range: Developed by Thomas Jefferson; utilizes a grid system to track land sales.

Rural Settlement Patterns:

  1. Clustered Settlements:

    • Homes close together, sharing resources.

    • Example: Metes and Bounds survey method.

  2. Dispersed Settlements:

    • Isolated homes, reflects individual land ownership.

    • Example: Township and Range method.

  3. Linear Settlements:

    • Aligned along a physical feature (e.g., rivers).

The Point - The Why of Where:

  • Impact on cultural landscape and sequent occupancy.

5.3 Agricultural Origins and Diffusion

Agricultural Hearths:

  • Definition: Geographic origin of domesticated crops and animals.

Major Centers of Domestication:

  1. Central America

  2. Andean Highlands

  3. West Africa

  4. East Africa/Nile Valley

  5. Fertile Crescent

  6. Wei-Huang River Valley l

  7. Southeast Asia

Characteristics of Agricultural Hearths:

  • Common features: Fertile soil, water availability, moderate climate.

Types of Diffusion:

  1. Contagious Diffusion: Close contact spreads agriculture from hearths.

  2. Immigration & Migration: As people move, they take agricultural knowledge with them.

  3. Trade Routes: Movement of plants and animals via trade networks (e.g., Silk Road).

  4. Colombian Exchange: Exchange of goods between the Old World and New World.

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