Unit 5 - Agricultural & Rural Land-use Patterns & Processes Flashcards
agribusiness
the set of economic and political relationships that organize food production for commercial purposes. It included activities ranging from seed production, to retailing, to consumption of agricultural products
animal husbandry
the art & science of producing food from the land & tending livestock for the purpose of human consumption
biotechnology
a form of technology that uses living organisms, usually genes, to modify products, to make or modify plants & animals, or to develop other microorganisms for specific purposes
capital-intensive agriculture
form of agriculture that uses mechanical goods, such as machinery, tools, vehicles, and facilities, to produce large amounts of agri goods–a process requiring very little human labor
commercial agricultural economy
all agricultural activity generated for the purpose of selling, not necessarily for local consumption
commodity chains
a linked system of processes that gather resources, convert them into goods, package them for distribution, disperse them, and sell them on the market
dairying
an agricultural activity involving the raising of livestock, most commonly cows and goats, for dairy products such as milk, cheese, and butter.
desertification
the process by which formerly fertile lands become more and more arid, unproductive, and desert-like
domestication
the conscious manipulation of plant & animal system species by humans in order to sustain themselves
extensive agriculture
an agricultural system characterized by low inputs of labor per unit land area [low yield, but large amount of land required] ex: ranching, nomadic herding, and shifting cultivation
feedlots
places where livestock are concentrated in a very small area and raised on hormones and hearty grains that prepare them for slaughter at a much more rapid rate than grazing; often referred to as factory farms
fertile crescent
an area located in the crescent-shaped zone near the osutheastern Mediterranean coast (including Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey), **one of the first hearths of domestication and thus agricultural activity,
food security
people’s ability to access sufficient safe & nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life
genetically modified foods
foods that are mostly products of organisms that have had their genes altered in a laboratory for specific purposes, such as disease resistance, increase productivity, or nutritional value, allowing growers greater control, predictability, and efficiency
green revolution
the development of higher-yield & fast-growing crops thru increased technology, pesticides, and fertilizers transferred from the developed to developing world to alleviate the problem of food supply in those regions of the globe
horizontal integration
a form of corporate organization in which several branches of a company or several commonly owned companies work together to sell their products in different markets
industrial revolution
the rapid economic changes that occurred in agriculture and manufacturing in England in the late 18th century and that rapidly spread to other parts of the developed world
intensive cultivation
any kind of agricultural activity that involves effective and efficient use of labor on small plots of land to maximize crop yield
labor-intensive agriculture
type of agri which needs a lot of labor
mechanization
the replacement of human labor with machines
Mediterranean agriculture
an agricultural system practiced in the Mediterranean-style climates of Western Europe, California, and portions of Chile & Australia, in which diverse specialty crops such as grapes, avocados, olives, and a host of nuts, fruits, and vegetables make up profitable agricultural operations
organic agriculture
the use of crop rotation, natural fertilizers, and no chemicals to promote healthy, vigorous crops
pastoralism
livestock raising
planned agricultural economy
an agricultural economy found in communist nations in which the gov controls both agri production & distribution
salinization
a process that occurs when soils in arid areas are brought under cultivation thru irrigation. In arid climates, water evaporates quickly off the ground surface, leaving salty residues that render the soil infertile
shifting cultivation
the use of tropical forest clearings for crop production until their fertility is lost. Plots are then abandoned, and farmers move on to new sites
slash-and-burn-agriculture
system of cultivation that usually exists in tropical areas, where vegetation is cut close to the grounds, and then ignited. The fire introduces nutrients into the soil, thereby making it productive for a relatively short period of time
specialty crops
crops, usually including peanuts, pineapples, that are produced, usually in developing countries, for export
swidden
land that is prepared for agriculture by using the slash-and-burn method
transhumance
the movements of livestock according to seasonal patterns, generally low-land areas in the winter, and highland areas in the summer
urban sprawl
the process of urban areas expanding outward, usually in the form of suburbs, and developing over fertile agricultural land
vertical integration
a form of corporate organization in which one firm controls multiple aspects or phases of a commodity chain
Von Thunen Model
An agricultural model that spatially describes agricultural activity in terms of rent. Activities that require intensive cultivation and cannot be transported over great distances pay higher rent to be close to the market. Conversely, activities that are more extensive, with goods that are easy to transport, are located farther from the market where rent is less.
first agricultural revolution
Neolithic revolution
what was the Neolithic Revolution
the first agricultural revolution, the wide-scale transition of many human cultures during the Neolithic (New stone age) period from a lifestyle of hunting and gathering to one of agriculture & settlement
Vegetative Propagation
aka root propagation, means growing a new plant from a piece of the old plant, theorized to be the first method of ppl purposefully growing food to consume
seed cultivation
marked the beginning of the First Agricultural Revolution when societies became settled & civilization formed
irrigation
led to the formation of farming societies; by allowing farmers to grow crops on a consistent schedule, it created more reliable food supplies, INDEPENDENT INNOVATION
early hearths of agriculture
fertile crescent (Anatolia/Mesopotamia), Indus River Valley, Southeast Asia, Central America (Mesoamerica)
what was southeast Asia a major hearth for
vegetative planting; Plants domesticated in Southeast Asia include Bananas, citrus fruits, coconuts, sugarcane, rice, tea, and yams (among others). This region is tropical, so from here they diffused to other tropical climates (such as Central America and the African rainforests). The Chicken was also domesticated in this region
what did Central Africa give us
coffee, cotton, **millet, **sorghum, and okra
what did Mesoamerica give us
maize [corn], potatoes, squash, beans
Columbian exchange
the widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, diseases, and ideas between the Americas, West Africa, and the Old World in the 15th & 16th centuries
What did the Columbian Exchange do in regards to biodiversity?
It actually reduced the biodiversity of the world by making places more similar as far as the plants and animals available in different places
influence of the industrial revolution
population growth, displaced commoners, increased urban population, shift from primary to secondary economic activity [spurred the industrial revolution]
cultivate
to grow
domesticate
raise for human use
tropical climate zone
South America, central Africa, and Southeast Asia
desert climate zone
located on the sides of the tropical zones
polar/tundra zone
not suitable for cultivation
temperate zone
northern US, Canada, Europe, Asia
Mediterranean crops
citrus fruits, olives, figs, cereal grains, eggplant, chili peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, zucchini, cucumber, and all peas (ORCHARD FARMING, VINEYARDS, CEREAL & VEGGIES)
cash crops typically grown in the tropics
bananas, pineapple, coconut, cocoa, coffee, sugarcane
plantation agriculture
intensive form of commercial farming where crops are grown for profit.
mixed crop/livestock systems
form of intensive agri
intercropping
a multiple cropping practice involving growing two or more crops in close proximity; the most common goal is to produce a greater yield on a given piece of land
intertillage
the practice of planting crops along the same row or mound
pastoral nomadism or nomadic herding
the practice of caring for roaming groups of livestock over a large area
metes & bounds system
uses landmarks including rivers, roads, stakes, or
other such natural or manmade markers. Metes and bounds descriptions are typically used whenever land survey areas are irregularly sized and/or shaped so that the boundaries of the property can be more clearly defined. As a result, properties or political boundaries surveyed using this system (typically after it was settled) have irregular shapes and tend to be smaller **SHORT DISTANCES & LANDMARKS
township & range
a system of surveying the sparse population (or uninhabited) land and mapping it in a nice, neat, and orderly rectangular system, then dividing each of the rectangles into smaller plots and granting/selling them to people who wanted to move out into the frontier and start a farm. It was a way for the US to spread the population out over the Great Plains** SURVEY METHODS VS LANDMARKS & GRID SYSTEM
long lots
creates linear settlement patterns, Each property (lot) is long and narrow and has access to the river, canal, or road. This system gave farmers access to the transportation route while keeping the size of the parcels relatively equal **RIVER
large scale agricultural operations
shift from small family farms to large commercial farms = AGRIBUSINESS
agrarian capitalism
a mode of production in which the forms of production vary according to the internal distribution of property rights (how land is divided and owned) and market involvement
