Agriculture Flashcards
What are the two physical elements that shape agriculture?
Physical geography and climate.
How does physical geography influence agriculture?
It affects water availability, nutrient levels in soil, and landforms.
What type of soil is needed for cotton cultivation?
Nutrient-rich soil.
Which type of soil can sorghum grow in?
Nutrient-poor soils.
What agricultural technique involves altering the physical environment to increase production?
Techniques such as irrigation, terrace farming, deforestation, desertification, and drainage of wetlands.
What is the primary goal of subsistence agriculture?
To grow enough food to meet the immediate needs of the farmer and family.
In what regions is subsistence agriculture most commonly found?
Less-developed regions of the world.
What is the primary goal of commercial agriculture?
To grow crops or raise livestock to sell for profit.
Which countries are examples of semiperiphery countries where commercial agriculture is common?
China, Mexico, and Brazil.
What are the two types of farming practices based on resource use?
Intensive and extensive farming practices.
What defines intensive commercial agriculture?
Heavy investments in labor and capital resulting in high yields.
What characterizes extensive subsistence agriculture?
Few inputs are used and it is often practiced in areas with climatic extremes.
Fill in the blank: A large commercial farm that specializes in one crop is called a _______.
Plantation.
What is shifting cultivation?
Farmers grow crops on a piece of land for a few years before moving to another field.
What agricultural practice is often associated with slash-and-burn techniques?
Shifting cultivation.
What is the major crop produced in grain farming?
Wheat.
What type of farming is referred to as truck farming?
Commercial gardening.
What is mixed crop and livestock farming?
An integrated system where crops and animals are interdependent.
What is the significance of animal manure in mixed crop and livestock farming?
It is used to fertilize the crops.
Which type of wheat is grown in colder regions?
Spring wheat.
Which crops are commonly grown in commercial gardening in the U.S.?
Lettuce, broccoli, apples, oranges, and tomatoes.
What is a major influence on agricultural production aside from climate?
Economic factors.
True or False: Pastoral nomadism is practiced in arid and semi-arid climates.
True.
What are two examples of extensive subsistence agriculture?
Nomadic herding and shifting cultivation.
What is the role of technology in overcoming climatic obstacles in agriculture?
It allows for crop production in challenging climates, such as greenhouses in cold regions.
What is the impact of climate on food preferences and agricultural practices?
Cultural traits influence what animals are raised and crops grown based on climate.
List the eleven main agricultural regions identified by Derwent Whittlesey.
- Pastoral Nomadism
- Shifting Cultivation
- Plantation
- Mixed Crop and Livestock
- Grain
- Commercial Gardening
- Dairy
- Livestock Ranching
- Intensive Subsistence
- Mediterranean
- Drylands
What is the term for the type of intensive farming that involves products traditionally driven to local urban markets?
Truck farming
Truck farming allows products to be sold to distant markets due to refrigerated trucks.
What is market gardening?
Growing fruits and vegetables near urban markets to sell to local suppliers, stores, and restaurants
Market gardening is experiencing a resurgence with buy-local food movements.
What are the typical capital investments required for today’s market gardening in the United States?
- Greenhouses
- Fertilizers
How did dairy farming traditionally operate?
Local farms supplied products to customers in a small geographic area
This pattern still exists in many less-developed regions.
What technological improvements expanded the milk shed during the later 20th century?
- Refrigeration
- Transportation
What is the consequence of large corporate dairy operations replacing smaller family-owned farms?
Fewer farms but more production
Where are most commercial dairy farms located in developed countries?
Near urban centers and transportation corridors
In which countries did the demand for dairy products increase faster than the pressure for consolidation?
- Argentina
- Brazil
What defines Mediterranean agriculture?
Practiced in regions with hot, dry summers and mild winters, often with irrigation
Common regions include southern Europe and California.
What are some common crops grown in Mediterranean agriculture?
- Figs
- Dates
- Olives
- Grapes
What is transhumance?
Seasonal herding of animals from higher elevations in summer to lower elevations in winter
What types of livestock are primarily raised in Mediterranean agricultural regions?
- Goats
- Sheep
What is livestock ranching?
Commercial grazing of animals confined to a specific area
Similar to pastoral nomadism.
In which areas is livestock ranching commonly found?
- Western United States
- Pampas of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay
- Parts of Spain and Portugal
- China
- Central Australia
What is the essential question regarding agriculture?
What is the connection between physical geography and agricultural practices?
Name two types of agriculture.
- Subsistence agriculture
- Commercial agriculture
What is intensive agriculture?
Agriculture that requires significant capital investments and yields high outputs per area
What is extensive agriculture?
Agriculture that uses larger areas of land with lower input and output per area
What is the term for agriculture that combines both crops and livestock?
Mixed crop and livestock farming
What is shifting cultivation?
A form of subsistence agriculture where land is cleared and cultivated temporarily
What does the term milk shed refer to?
The geographic distance that milk is delivered
What is the primary focus of commercial gardening?
Growing fruits and vegetables for sale in local markets
