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US Human Geography > Unit 5: Agricultural and Rural Land-Use > Flashcards

Unit 5: Agricultural and Rural Land-Use Flashcards

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1
Q

agribusiness

A

the sector that encompasses all economic activities that are related to farming
ex: chemicals, breeding, marketing

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2
Q

agriculture

A

the deliberate effort to modify a portion of Earth’s surface through the cultivation of crops and the raising of livestock for sustenance or economic gain
ex: wheat farming

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3
Q

animal and plant domestication

A

the process of adapting wild plants and animals for human use
ex: sheep bred for wool

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4
Q

aquaculture/aquafarming

A

the cultivation of marine organisms for food and other products in the open ocean
ex: farming salmon for mass consumption

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5
Q

bid-rent theory

A

a geographical economic theory that refers to how the price and demand for real estate changes as the distance from the Central Business District (CBD) decreases
ex: closer to coast more expensive farther away from coast less expensive

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6
Q

biodiversity

A

the number of different species within a specific habitat

ex: shrimp, kelp, and jellyfish in the ocean

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7
Q

biotechnology (agriculture)

A

a range of tools, including traditional breeding techniques, that alter living organisms, or parts of organisms, to make or modify products; improve plants or animals
ex: pest resistant crops

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8
Q

cereal grain

A

a grass yielding grain for food

ex: rice

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9
Q

climatic conditions

A

the composite or generally prevailing weather conditions of a region throughout the year, averaged over a series of years
ex: temperature, air pressure, humidity, precipitation

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10
Q

clustered rural settlements

A

an agricultural- based community in which a number of families live in close proximity to each other, with fields. surrounding the collection of houses and farm
ex: typically includes homes, barns, tool sheds, and other farm structures

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11
Q

Columbian Exchange

A

the exchange of diseases, ideas, food. crops, and populations between the New World and the Old World following the voyage to the Americas by Christopher Columbus
ex: horses, sugar plants, potatoes

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12
Q

commodity chains

A

connects local products to markets

ex: GIs, fair trade and short marketing chains

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13
Q

communal farming (collective)

A

a farm formed from many small holdings collected into a single unit for joint operation under governmental supervision
ex: soviet countries

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14
Q

community-supported agriculture (CSA)

A

a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production
ex: Angelic Organics, Golden Earthworm Organic Farm Phillies Bridge Farm Project, and Roxbury Farm

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15
Q

concentric rings (farming and markets)

A

circles with a common center, specifically in nature or farming and marketing
ex: intensive farming and dairying, forest, increasing extensive field crops, ranching/animal products

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16
Q

conservation (land/environment)

A

a controlled-growth land use development that adopts the principle for allowing limited sustainable development while protecting the area’s natural environmental features in perpetuity
ex: forest conservation, soil conservation, managing waste

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17
Q

contemporary agriculture

A

encompass the production of agricultural commodities, including food, fiber, wood products, horticultural crops, and other plant and animals products, placing emphasis on production quantity/profitably
ex: issues such as food security and food waste

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18
Q

crop rotation

A

the successive planting of different crops on the same land to maintain soil fertility and help control insects and diseases
ex: Year 1: corn
Year 2: Oats
Year 3: mixed grasses/hay

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19
Q

dairy farming

A

a farm devoted chiefly to the production of milk and the manufacture of butter and cheese
ex: high producing dairy cows, goats, sheep

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20
Q

deforestation (relate to farming)

A

the large-scale clearing of land, generally for agriculture, industry, or transportation
ex: land is cut or burned to make room for cattle grazing, feed crop production

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21
Q

desertification (relate to farming)

A

a decline in soil fertility, a reduction in vegetation cover – especially grass cover – and more invasive shrub species
ex: intensive use of agricultural lands, poor irrigation practices, deforestation, and overgrazing

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22
Q

dietary energy consumption

A

the amount of food that an individual consumes, measured in kilocalories
ex: women need roughly 2000kcal/day

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23
Q

dispersed rural settlements

A

one of the main types of settlement patterns used by landscape historians to classify rural settlements found in England and other parts of the world
ex: Brülisau

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24
Q

double cropping

A

to grow two or more crops on the same land in the same season or at the same time
ex: winter wheat in the spring and soybeans in the fall

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25
Q

export commodities (food & agriculture)

A

crops or processed goods sold to a foreign country or countries
ex: cattle/calves, corn, dairy products/milk, soybeans

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26
Q

extensive farming practices

A

agricultural economics, system of crop cultivation using small amounts of labor and capital in relation to area of land being farmed
ex: human labor, machinery such as tractors, and investment

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27
Q

fallow (forest, bush, and short)

A

subsistence agriculture in which land is cultivated for a period of time and then left uncultivated for several years so that its fertility will be restored
ex: increases soil fertility

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28
Q

family farms

A

a farm that is owned and operated by a family, especially one that has been handed down from one generation to another
ex: 98% of all the 2.2 million farms in the United States meet the USDA definition of a “family farm”

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29
Q

Fertile Crescent

A

the boomerang-shaped region of the Middle East that was home to some of the earliest human civilizations and is the birthplace of a number of technological innovations, including writing, the wheel, agriculture, and the use of irrigation
ex: Israel, Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan

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30
Q

fertilizer

A

a chemical or natural substance added to soil or land to increase its fertility
ex: Blood meal, feather meal, fish meal, bone meal and crab meal

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31
Q

First Agricultural Revolution

A

the transition of humans from nomadic hunting/gathering to sedentary agricultural production of domesticated plants and animals
ex: Fertile Crescent in the Middle East

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32
Q

food deserts

A

areas where people have limited access to a variety of healthful foods
ex: The South and West sides of Chicago are chock full of fast food, not produce

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33
Q

food security

A

the state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food
ex: soup kitchens, food banks, school lunch programs

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34
Q

food insecurity

A

disruption of food intake or eating patterns because of lack of money and other resources
ex: people with type 2 diabetes may find themselves limited to purchasing inexpensive, high-calorie, nutritionally poor foods

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35
Q

food-processing facilities

A

a type of food service establishment that is a commercial operation that processes food for human consumption, and provides processed food for sale and distribution to other business entities such as other food establishments
ex: grains, sugar, edible oils, beverages and dairy products

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36
Q

global supply chain (food & agriculture)

A

networks that can span across multiple continents and countries for the purpose of sourcing and supplying goods and services
ex: arming, refining, design, manufacturing, packaging, and transportation

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37
Q

government subsidies (farming)

A

a government incentive paid to agribusinesses, agricultural organizations and farms to supplement their income, manage the supply of agricultural commodities, and influence the cost and supply of such commodities
ex: These “government subsidies” help reduce the risk farmers endure from the weather, commodities brokers, and disruptions in demand

38
Q

GMO

A

genetically modified organisms

ex: Corn is the most commonly grown crop in the United States, and most of it is GMO

39
Q

grain farming

A

grow grains such as corn, wheat, rye, used for animal feed or as food for people
ex: because grain farming is highly mechanized, farmers invest heavily in equipment, land, and buildings

40
Q

green revolution

A

a large increase in crop production in developing countries achieved by the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and high-yield crop varieties
ex: notable increase in cereal-grains production in Mexico

41
Q

herbicides

A

a substance that is toxic to plants, used to destroy unwanted vegetation
ex: diclofop, dinoseb, diquat, and paraquat

42
Q

high-yield seeds

A

seeds are of better quality than normal quality seeds, producing more and yielding a healthier crop
ex: Paddy, Wheat, Maize

43
Q

horticulture

A

the art or practice of garden cultivation and management

ex: tree, bush and perennial vine fruits

44
Q

Indus River Valley (relate to farming)

A

a cultural and political entity which flourished in the northern region of the Indian subcontinent between c. 7000 - c. 600 BCE
ex: farmed wheat, barley, peas, lentils, linseed, and mustard; also developed watering systems

45
Q

intensive farming practices

A

system of cultivation using large amounts of labor and capital relative to land area
ex: Pasture intensification,
Rotational grazing,
Concentrated animal feeding operations

46
Q

irrigation

A

the supply of water to land or crops to help growth, typically by means of channels
ex: flooding an entire field, channeling water between rows of plants, spraying water through large sprinklers, or letting water drop onto plants through holes in pipes

47
Q

land cover change

A

the loss of natural areas, particularly loss of forests to urban or exurban development, or the loss of agricultural areas to urban or exurban development
ex: dams currently impact over half of the major river basins across the globe, and future dams are planned in many parts of the developing world for water security

48
Q

land reclamation

A

process of creating new land from oceans, seas, riverbeds or lake beds
ex: Ijsselmeer in the Netherlands

49
Q

linear rural settlements

A

buildings clustered along a road, river, or dike to facilitate communications
ex: Quebec, Canada

50
Q

livestock

A

farm animals regarded as an asset

ex: cattle, chickens, sheep

51
Q

local-food movements

A

to connect food producers and consumers in the same geographic region, to develop more self-reliant and resilient food networks; improve local economies; or to affect the health, environment, community, or society of a particular place
ex: shopping at a farmers market instead of bulk produce from commercialized businesses

52
Q

long lots

A

granted large acreages of land to seigneurs, who were expected to bring in tenants to settle and work the land
ex: Canada

53
Q

market gardening

A

a place where vegetables and fruit are grown for sale

ex: operation in North America might involve one farmer working full-time on two acres

54
Q

mechanized farming

A

the process of using agricultural machinery to mechanize the work of agriculture, greatly increasing farm worker productivity
ex: hay baler

55
Q

mediterranean climate

A

a climate distinguished by warm, wet winters under prevailing westerly winds and calm, hot, dry summers
ex: California, Chile, South Africa, and southwestern Australia

56
Q

metes and bounds

A

limits or boundaries of a tract of land

ex: natural landmarks, such as rivers, or by man-made structures, such as roads

57
Q

milkshed

A

a region producing milk for a specific community

ex: St. Louis milkshed

58
Q

mixed crop farming

A

a type of farming which involves both the growing of crops and the raising of livestock
ex: raising cattle and farming wheat

59
Q

monocropping

A

agricultural practice of growing a single crop year after year on the same land, in the absence of rotation through other crops or growing multiple crops on the same land
ex: soybeans, corn

60
Q

monoculture

A

the cultivation of a single crop in a given area

ex: corn, wheat, rice, clover, cotton

61
Q

nomadic herding

A

the wandering, but controlled movement of livestock, solely dependent on natural forage – is the most extensive type of land use system
ex: sheep and goats

62
Q

organic farming

A

farming reliant on natural substances and physical, mechanical, or biologically based farming methods to the fullest extent possible
ex: use of cover crops, green manures, animal manures and crop rotations to fertilize the soil

63
Q

overfishing

A

removal of a species of fish from a body of water at a rate that the species cannot
replenish
ex: sharks, rays and turtles

64
Q

pastoral nomadism

A

a way of life of peoples who do not live continually in the same place but move cyclically or periodically
ex: Kenya, Iran, India, Somalia

65
Q

pesticides

A

a substance used for destroying insects or other organisms harmful to cultivated plants or to animals
ex: glyphosate, Acephate, Deet

66
Q

plantation agriculture

A

large-scale estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops
ex: cotton, coffee, tea

67
Q

prime agricultural land

A

land which is capable of producing acceptable yields of crops with acceptable inputs and minimal
environmental damage
ex: best suited to food, feed, forage, fiber, and oilseed crops

68
Q

ranching

A

an establishment maintained for raising livestock under range conditions
ex: typically cattle

69
Q

ridge tillage

A

a form of conservation tillage where the farmer builds ridges or raised beds
ex: “Ridge tillage” can improve soil health, reduce erosion and runoff

70
Q

rural land-use patterns

A

pattern characterized by isolated farms rather than clustered villages
ex: typically used for farming due to more land area

71
Q

sawah

A

n irrigated rice or paddy-field

ex: found in Indonesia or Malaysia

72
Q

Second Agricultural Revolution

A

revolution involving the introduction of new crop rotation techniques and selective breeding of livestock, and led to a marked increase in agricultural production
ex: aka British Agricultural Revolution

73
Q

shifting cultivation

A

form of agriculture in which an area of ground is cleared of vegetation and cultivated for a few years and then abandoned for a new area until its fertility has been naturally restored
ex: tropical Africa

74
Q

slash-and-burn agriculture

A

a form of shifting agriculture where the natural vegetation is cut down and burned as a method of clearing the land for cultivation
ex: Central Africa, northern South America, and Southeast Asia

75
Q

soil salinization

A

the process of increasing the salt content in soil
ex: a major process of land degradation that decreases soil fertility and is a significant component of desertification processes in the world’s dryland

76
Q

subsistence agriculture

A

form of farming in which nearly all of the crops or livestock raised are used to maintain the farmer and the farmer’s family, leaving little, if any, surplus for sale or trade
ex: Sub-Saharan Africa

77
Q

survey methods (land)

A

making relatively large-scale, accurate measurements of the Earth’s surfaces, used for mapping or construction
ex: GPS, laser rangefinder and field computer

78
Q

sustainable land management

A

a knowledge-based procedure that aims at integrating the management of land, water, biodiversity, and other environmental resources to meet human needs while sustaining ecosystem services and livelihoods
ex: regional planning and soil or environmental protection but also in property and estate management

79
Q

swidden

A

an area of land cleared for cultivation by slashing and burning vegetation
ex: monoculture plantations, mostly increases farmers’ incomes and give them more access to health and education

80
Q

terraces (farming)

A

method of growing crops on sides of hills or mountains by planting on graduated terraces built into the slope; though labor-intensive, the method has been employed effectively to maximize arable land area in variable terrains and to reduce soil erosion and water loss
ex: rice paddies of Asia

81
Q

Township and Range system

A

measures the distance north or south from the base line which is a designated parallel and measures east or west from the principle meridian which is a designated meridian
ex: range is usually six miles

82
Q

transhumance

A

the action or practice of moving livestock from one grazing ground to another in a seasonal cycle, typically to lowlands in winter and highlands in summer
ex: James Ranch in Colorado

83
Q

tropical climate

A

a type of climate typical in the tropics. It is a damp climate in which all twelve months have mean temperatures above 18°C
ex: Hawaii, Brazil

84
Q

truck farming

A

horticultural practice of growing one or more vegetable crops on a large scale for shipment to distant markets
ex: tomatoes, lettuce, melons

85
Q

undernourishment

A

having insufficient food or other substances for good health and condition
ex: Central African Republic

86
Q

urban farming

A

growing or producing food in a city or heavily populated town or municipality
ex: Food Field company

87
Q

value-added specialty crops

A

change in the physical state or form of the product, in a manner that enhances its value
ex: milling wheat into flour or making strawberries into jam, organic products

88
Q

Von Thunen Model

A

a predictive theory in human geography that predicts humans will use land in relation to the cost of land and the cost of transporting products to market
ex: 1) intense farming, 2) forest lands, 3) extensive farming, and 4) grazing

89
Q

wet rice farming/cultivation

A

the cultivation of rice by planting on dry land, transferring the seedlings to a flooded field, and draining the field before harvesting
ex: Vietnam

90
Q

wetland drainage

A

water is drained by cutting ditches into the ground which collect and transport water out
ex: South Florida for agriculture, sugarcane

US Human Geography (5 decks)

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