Unit V Notes: Agriculture and Rural Land-Use

Unit V: Agriculture and Rural Land-Use

Introduction to Agriculture and Settlement Patterns

  • Geographical Survey Patterns
    • Long Lot: Linear settlements along a road or river.
    • Circular Rural Settlements: Houses surrounding a central space for livestock.
    • Township and Range: Grid-like fields with dispersed farmsteads.
    • Fragmented: Varied fields across the community.
    • Metes and Bounds: Irregular field patterns with clustered farms.

Agriculture Defined

  • Agriculture: The purposeful cultivation of plants and raising of animals.
    • Influenced by environmental factors such as climate, elevation, soil, and topography.
    • Climate regions categorized based on latitude: tropical, dry, temperate, continental, polar.

Impacts of the Agricultural Revolution

  • Transformation of Society: The Agricultural Revolution changed how communities interacted with their environment, marking the shift from foraging to farming.

Agricultural Production Regions

  • Types of Agriculture:
    • Subsistence Agriculture: Survival-focused, diverse crops/livestock, minimal mechanical resources.
    • Hand labor, family consumption, may barter or sell surplus.
    • Commercial Agriculture: Profit-driven farming, reliant on geographic/economic factors and market demands.

Agricultural Practices and Their Diffusion

  • Intensive Agriculture: Maximal output from a small area, reliant on labor or inputs like chemicals.
    • Examples: Plantation agriculture, market gardening, mixed crop/livestock.
  • Extensive Agriculture: Lower input and capital, resulting in lesser outputs—practiced in periphery regions.
    • Examples: Nomadic herding, livestock ranching.

Settlement Patterns and Influences

  • Rural Settlement Types:
    • Clustered Settlement: Promotes community cohesion.
    • Dispersed Settlement: Encourages independence.
    • Linear Settlement: Provides access to resources or transport links.
  • Survey Systems Impact:
    • Metes and Bounds: Uses natural landmarks for measurements.
    • Long-Lot Survey System: Long, narrow strips of land.
    • Township and Range: Grid layout used primarily in the U.S. west of the Mississippi.

Environmental Impacts of Agriculture

  • Challenges:
    • Urbanization leads to food deserts—areas with limited access to healthy food choices.
    • Environmental consequences include pollution, soil degradation, and loss of biodiversity due to intensive farming practices.

Understanding Agricultural Revolutions

  • Identified Revolutions:
    • First Agricultural Revolution: Shift from foraging to farming, introduction of domestication.
    • Second Agricultural Revolution: Innovations in farming techniques, increased productivity—supported the Industrial Revolution.
    • Third Agricultural Revolution (Green Revolution): Mechanization and use of synthetic fertilizers; introduced high-yield strains but raised concerns over socioeconomic and environmental sustainability.

Factors Impacting Agricultural Practices

  • Economic Forces:
    • Land costs based on bid-rent theory: Higher costs near urban centers due to demand.
    • Infrastructure impacts agricultural operations—agribusiness thrives in well-connected areas.

The Role of Technology and Global Interconnections

  • Globalization: Facilitates movement and exchange of agricultural practices and products (e.g., The Columbian Exchange).
    • Influx of products led to changes in local, regional, and global markets.
  • Contemporary Issues: Addressing food insecurity amidst challenges like climate change, governmental policies, and economic factors affecting production and distribution.

Conclusion: Current Landscape of Agriculture

  • Recognizing the need for sustainable practices in agriculture to mitigate negative environmental impact while addressing the demands of a growing population.