Unit 5: Agriculture Flashcards
sedentary societies
- ppl began living in permanent settlements instead of moving constantly.
- led to the development of villages, towns & early civilizations.
- larger populations required organized leadership & centralized governments.
Neolithic Agriculture Revolution
- Also called the First Agricultural Revolution.
- Transition from hunting & gathering → farming & settlements.
- Used seed agriculture & domesticated animals.
The Second Agricultural Revolution (List 5 points)
- Began in the 17th century in Europe & North America.
- Increased efficiency of crop production & distribution
- (New inventions: Cotton gin, steel plow, seed drill, McCormick reaper, harvester.)
- More food → Lower prices → Healthier diets.
- As death rates decreased, populations increased rapidly
- Mechanization transformed agriculture into an industry in the 20th century
Agribusiness
- Farming shifted from family farms to commercial enterprises.
- Focus on single crops and profits.
Mechanization
- Replaced human labor in fields with machines.
- Chemical fertilizers replaced animal fertilizers to enhance soil fertility.
The Green Revolution
began in the mid-1970s when scientists developed hybrid higher-yield seeds & new fertilizers to use w/ them.
- scientists were trying to use intensive agricultural technology to help poor countries produce larger harvests w/o farming larger acreage.
These new seeds + fertilizers were diffused from core to periphery countries during this time to aid in producing a larger harvest + to eradicate hunger. Define periphery countries.
less developed countries that often rely on wealthier, industrialized nations (core countries) for resources & support.
Modern commercial agriculture (MCA)
large-scale agricultural production for profit using specialized methods, technological & genetically engineered seeds
- MDCs, like the U.S & Canada, use specialized agricultural methods to raise crops for profit.
China is ranked No. 1 by Agricultural Ouput (2009). What main crops does China produce?
- rice
- maize
- wheat
India is ranked No. 2 by Agricultural Ouput (2009). What main crops does India produce?
- Rice
- Wheat
- Millets
- Maize
- Pulses
U.S is ranked No. 3 by Agricultural Ouput (2009). What main crops does U.S produce?
- corn
- soybeans
- barley
- oats
Brazil is ranked No. 4 by Agricultural Ouput (2009). What main crops does Brazil produce?
- coffee
- sugar
- cacao
Japan is ranked No. 5 by Agricultural Ouput (2009). What main crops does Japan produce?
- rice
- vegetables
- fruits
- green tea
Vertical integration
contracts between farmer & purchasing/processing company
- caused farm outputs to increase by the 1990s
Subsistence Agriculture
growing food mainly for personal or local use, not for sale.
Where is farming the chief occupation?
- in most of Africa
- Latin America
- South Asia
- East Asia
Forms of subsistence agriculture: Intensive Agriculture
farming that maximizes crop output using labor & capital.
- located near urban areas
- ex: large commercial vegetable farms near cities.
Forms of subsistence agriculture: Shifting Agriculture
rotating crop fields & using slash-and-burn techniques.
- ex: slash-and-burn (also called swidden agriculture) farming in the Amazon Rainforest.
Intensive subsistence agriculture
small-scale farming with heavy inputs of fertilizer & human labor.
- most common in densely populated areas where rice or other staple crops are grown.
Extensive agriculture
farming on large land areas w/ minimal labor & capital
- ex: cattle ranching in the U.S & Australia
- China, India & Southeast Asian countries rely on this type of agriculture to double-crop or even triple-crop rice to support their large & rapidly growing populations.
Urban Subsistence Farming
growing food in urban gardens for family & community use
- ex: community gardens in urban neighborhoods.
- a rapidly growing activity
- these gardens form an imp. source of sustenance for poor urban families unable to buy adequate food for their families.
Forms of subsistence agriculture: Pastoralism
animals are herded in a seasonal migratory pattern
- found in arid, marginal lands such as deserts & steppes where rainfall is scarce & unreliable– sufficient for grazing grasses but not enough for other forms of subsistence farming
- widely practiced in North Africa, the steppes of Central Asia & the Middle East
Grain Farming
farmers grow 1 crop (monoculture) for commercial markets.
Plantation Agriculture (also called mono cropping)
large-scale farming of cash crops in former colonial areas.
- ex: tea or coffee plantations in Africa & Asia.
- plantations are most often found in tropical regions of the world where ample rainfall & fertile soils allow the crop to be produced in abundance.
- climate is the most imp. requirement for producing a plantation crop (rice, cane sugar, rubber, cacao, tea, coffee)
- most plantations are located near the coasts for easy shipping access.
List the main crops warm, mid-latitude climates (Southern China, Southern Part of the U.S) produce
- fruits
- rice
List the main crops cold, mid-latitude climates (Southern Canada, Eastern Europe) produce
- wheat
- barely
- livestock
List the main crops a tropical climate, like Indonesia, produces
- coffee
- sugar
- tea bags
Mediterranean climate
hot, dry summers; ideal for drought-resistant crops like grapes, olives, citrus & figs
Grassland continental steppe climate
semi-arid conditions; vast open land; supports livestock & some grain farming.
- ex: cattle ranching in Mongolia & Northern Africa
The bid rent theory
explains how land price and demand vary based on proximity to the Central Business District (CBD).
- land closer to the CBD → more competition for it bc businesses will want to maximize profits
Von Thünen’s Model
- explains agricultural land use—farmers choose where to grow crops based on land and transport costs.
- closer to the city → land is more expensive, so only high-value, perishable goods (e.g., dairy, vegetables) are grown.
- farther from the city → land is cheaper, allowing for lower-value crops (e.g., grains) & livestock farming.
List 3 of the main assumptions of the Von Thünen model
- isolated state; no trade w/ the outside world
- flat land w/ uniform fertility around the transportation
- simple transport (carts & horses)
Rural Land Use + Settlement Patterns: A clustered settlement pattern
a type of rural settlement in which homes + other structures are concentrated in a specific area
- often found near natural resources (e.g., water, fertile land) or economic opportunities (e.g., transportation routes, resource extraction).
Advantages
- more efficient use of resources + infrastructure
- a sense of community + social cohesion.
Disadvantages
- potential for overcrowding
- the conc. of environmental impacts in a specific area
Rural Land Use + Settlement Patterns: A dispersed settlement pattern
has homes & other structures evenly distributed across the landscape
There are dispersed settlements in a variety of settings:
- agricultural areas
- resource-based economies
- tourist destinations
Common in low population density regions or where resources and economic opportunities are spread out.
- Can result from cultural/social factors like a preference for privacy or traditions of individual land ownership.
Rural Land Use + Settlement Patterns: A linear settlement pattern
type of rural settlement in which homes + other structures are arranged in a long, narrow configuration along a transportation corridor, such as a river, road, or a rail line.
Can be found in a variety of settings:
- agricultural areas
- resource-based economies
- tourist destinations
May emerge in areas w/ limited land for development, or in places where transportation infrastructure is the main economic driver.
- may also develop in response to cultural or social factors, such as a tradition of land ownership along transportation corridors.
Survey methods: Metes and Bounds
defines the boundaries of a piece of land based on the physical landscape, directions + distances
- primarily used in England
- metes = a specific, measured boundary
- bounds = a general boundary (waterway, walls, existing buildings, etc)
Survey methods: Long Lot
the idea was that everybody would have access to the same goods & same type of land as it branched out from the river
- seen in France a lot
Survey methods: Township & Range
- land is divided into 6-mile square blocks (townships) + divided again into 1-mile square blocks (range).
- ranges are broken further into smaller parcels for ppl to develop.
Biotechnology
the application of scientific techniques to modify & improve plants, animals & micro-organisms to enhance their value.
A genetically modified organism (GMO)
created when scientists take 1 or more specific genes from an organism (including plants, animals, bacteria, or viruses) & introduce those genes into another organism.
- the 1st genetically modified food product was a tomato which was transformed to delay its ripening.
Certain food plants (tomatoes, potatoes & tobacco) have been genetically modified to produce insulin & certain vaccines.
- if these vaccines are proven successful in trials, they give the LDCs hope that they can cheaply grow & provide vaccines locally for their populations.
What is an organism that has been transformed using genetic engineering techniques called?
a transgenic organism, or a GMO.
Sustainability
the principle that we must meet our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
Conservation agriculture
a new way of farming based on optimizing crop yields & profits without depleting soil, encouraging erosion & harming the environment.
Methods include:
- reduced use of fossil fuels
- pesticides
- & other pollutants thus keeping the environment safer for the inhabitants, too.
Common conservation practices: Conservation crop rotation
planting low-residue (low-fiber) crops such as soybeans in 1 year, followed by a high-residue crop, such as corn in the following year on the same field
Common conservation practices: Conservation tillage
allowing the crop residue to stay on top of the field, rather than being plowed under when planting begins.
Common conservation practices: Terraces
creating an embankment (a terrace) at a right angle to sloping land in order to allow water to soak into the soil rather than move down the slope, taking the soil with it.
Common conservation practices: Grassed waterways
a shallow channel covered with plants (like grass) that helps slow down & guide rainwater to prevent soil erosion and protect the land.
