Unit 5: Agriculture Flashcards
Mediterranean agriculture
an agricultural practice that consists of growing hardy trees and shrubs and raising sheep and goats (ex. orchards)
subsistence agriculture
an agricultural practice that provides crops or livestock to feed one’s family and close community using fewer mechanical resources and more people to care for the crops and livestock
commercial agriculture
an agricultural practice that focuses on producing crops and raising animals for the market for others to purchase
bid-rent theory
The most desirable land is located at or near urban centers, therefor that land is limited and more expensive
intensive agriculture
a large amount of labor or capital, small plots of land, high population density
monocropping
the cultivation of one or two crops that are rotated seasonally
monoculture
the agricultural system of planting one crop or raising one type of animal annually
crop rotation
the practice of growing a series of different types of crops in the same area across a sequence of growing seasons
plantation agriculture
a type of large-scale commercial farming of one particular crop grown for markets often distant from the plantation
market gardening
a type of farming that produces fruits, vegetables, and flowers and typically serves a specific market or urban area
mixed crop and livestock systems
both crops and livestock are raised for profit
extensive agriculture
fewer inputs of labor, large plots of land, away from major population centers/rural
shifting cultivation
taking your crops and moving it to a different parcel of land after a period of time usually when the nutrients run out
slash and burn
existing vegetation is cut down and burned off before new seeds are sown; often used when clearing land
nomadic herding
people moving their domesticated animals seasonally or as needed to allow the best grazing
transhumance
movement of herds between pastures at cooler, higher elevations during the summer months and lower elevations during the winter
domestication
deliberate effort to grow plants and raise animals, making plants and animals adapt to human demands and using selective breeding to develop desirable characteristics
Fertile Crescent
hearth in Southwest Asia (arcs from the eastern Mediterranean coast into western Turkey)
Columbian Exchange
exchange of goods and ideas between the Americas, Europe, and Africa that began after Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas in 1492
first agricultural revolution
shift from foraging for food to farming about 11,000 years ago (marks the beginning of agriculture)
Second agricultural revolution
a change in farming practices, marked by new tools and techniques, that diffused from Britain and the Low Countries starting in the early 18th century/industrial revolution
Green Revolution
beginning in the 1950s and 1960s in which scientists used knowledge of genetics to develop new high-yield strains of grain crops
agribusiness
the large-scale system that includes the production, processing, and distribution of agricultural products and equipment
dual agricultural economy
an economy having two agricultural sectors that have different levels of technology and different patterns of demand
vertical integration
combining of a company’s ownership of and control over more than one stage of the production process of goods
commodity chain
network of people, information, processes, and resources that work together to produce, handle, and distribute a commodity or product
von thunen model
suggests that perishability of the product and transport costs to the market each factor into the location of agricultural land use and activity
cash crop
a crop produced mainly to be sold and usually exported to larger markets
fair trade
a movement that tries to provide farmers and workers in peripheral and semi-peripheral countries with a fair price for their products by providing more equitable trading conditions
agroecosystem
an ecosystem modified for agricultural use
agricultural landscape
a landscape resulting from the interactions between farming activities and a location’s natural environment
terracing
the process of carving parts of a hill or mountainside into small, level growing plots
reservoirs
artificial lake used to store water
aquifers
layers of sand, gravel, and rocks that contain and can release a usable amount of water
desertification
a form of land degradation that occurs when soil deteriorates to a desertlike condition
biodiversity
the variety of organisms living in a location
salinization
the process by which water-soluble salts build up in the soil, which limits the ability of crops to absorb water
Biotechnology
the science of altering living organisms, often through genetic manipulation, to create new products for specific purposes, such as crops that resist certain pests
precision agriculture
a farming management concept that uses technology to apply inputs with pinpoint accuracy to specific parts of fields to maximize crop yields, reduce waste, and preserve the environment
food security
reliable access to safe and nutritious food that can support an active and healthy lifestyle
food insecurity
the disruption of food intake or eating patterns because of poor access to food
suburbanization
the shifting of population away from cities into surrounding suburbs
food deserts
area where residents lack access to healthy, nutritious foods because stores selling these foods are too far away
economy of scale
the reduced cost of producing food items as the quantity of production increases
