land Use Flashcards
What are settlement patterns in geography?
The way human settlements are arranged across space, like clustered, dispersed, or linear.
What is a clustered (nucleated) settlement?
Homes and buildings grouped around a central point, like a village.
What is a dispersed settlement?
Homes are spread far apart, often in rural, agricultural areas.
What is a linear settlement?
Buildings arranged in a line, often along roads, rivers, or coasts.
What factors influence settlement patterns?
Physical geography, economy, culture, politics, and history.
What is urbanization?
The shift of people from rural to urban areas, growing cities.
What is suburbanization?
The spread of residential areas around cities (suburbs).
What is gentrification?
Urban renewal that increases property values but displaces poorer residents.
What was the Neolithic (First Agricultural) Revolution?
The shift from hunting and gathering to farming and permanent settlements
What are agricultural hearths?
Regions where agriculture began independently (e.g., Fertile Crescent, Mesoamerica).
What is the Second Agricultural Revolution?
18th–19th century farming changes: better tools, crop rotation, more food.
What was the Green Revolution?
Mid-20th century spread of high-yield seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation to boost crops.
What are high-yield variety (HYV) seeds?
Genetically improved seeds that produce more food but need more inputs.
What is pastoralism?
Raising livestock in marginal lands, often involving seasonal movement (nomadism)
What is shifting cultivation?
Farmers clear and farm a plot, then move to new land to let soil recover
What is intensive subsistence farming?
Labor-heavy farming on small plots to feed the farmer’s family.
What is modern commercial agriculture?
Large-scale, tech-heavy farming that grows crops/livestock for sale.
What is monoculture?
Farming one crop over a large area — efficient but risky for pests and soil.
What is plantation agriculture?
Large-scale commercial farming of one export crop (e.g., tea, coffee), often in tropics.
What is agricultural density?
Number of farmers per unit of arable land — shows farming intensity.
What causes desertification?
Overgrazing, deforestation, unsustainable farming, climate change, and population pressure.
What is desertification?
Land degradation in dry areas caused by overuse, drought, or poor land practices.
What are the effects of desertification?
Loss of soil, reduced food production, water shortages, migration, and poverty.
What is pest management?
A strategy to control harmful pests using prevention, monitoring, and selective methods.
What are pesticides?
Chemicals used to kill pests like insects (insecticides), weeds (herbicides), or fungi (fungicides).
What are some problems with pesticide use?
Pollution, harm to non-target species, resistance, and health risks.
What is a megacity?
A city with over 10 million people, often with overcrowding and infrastructure challenges.
What are the problems megacities face?
Pollution, inequality, traffic, slums, and strain on resources.
