Unit 5: Agriculture (Extensive Notes) Flashcards
What are the two types of agriculture? Explain
Intensive agriculture: requires high level of physical labor and many resources. ex. plantation farming
Entensive agriculture: requires little labor or resourses. ex. ranching and nomadic herding
What are three examples of intensive farming?
- Plantation farming: farming large swathes of land - usually cash crops
- Market gardening: farming fruits, flowers, and vegetables on a small scale to be sell directly to customers (think farmers market)
- Mixed crop/livestock systems: mix between animals and plants; both cultivated on the same land
What are three examples of extensive agriculture?
- Nomadic herding: continuously moving animals around in search of grazing land
- Ranching: allowing livestock to roam freely over a certain area of land.
- Shifting cultivation : farm one place, then move to a new place while the old place returns to its natural state.
Slash and burn agriculture is also an example of estensive agriculture.
What is the difference between subsistence and commercial agriculture?
Include where each practice is common and its rural settlement.
Subsistence farming is the practice of farming for the sole purpose of feeding yourself and one’s family. Commerical agricultural is the practice of farming for profit (usually cash crops on large industrial farming projects –> connection to intensive agriculture and plantations.)
Subsistence is most common in Africa, South America, and parts of Asia (India clustered rural settlements) whereas as commerical is more common in the US (after the Green Revolution - midwestern, dispersed settlements)
Identify and define three types of rural settlements and an example of each.
- Clustered: several houses close to one another surrounded by fields (farming villages in India).
- Dispersed: Isolated farmed (midwest United States.
- Linear: communities established along a street or river to access communication (ex. River settlements, the Nile)
Identify and define 3 land survey methods.
Include pros and cons of each
- Metes and bounds: ancient, used landmarks and paces. Pro: easy to understand and funnctional, Con: landmarks can disappear, inconsistent metrics.
- Township and Range: Government sets of equal (usual square townships) Pro: easy and standardized, Con: may disrupt existing, unofficial boundaries.
- Long Lot: allocation of farmland along rivers - used long rectangular lots to maximize access to the river (common to linear rural settlements).
How do some organizations/people decided whether to undertake intensive of extensive agriculture? Explain.
Think Bid Rent Theory
Whether a person decides to undertake intensive or extensive agricultural projects is in part determined by land costs.
Bid Rent Theory - the closer land is to the main city (Central Business District - CBD), the more expensive it is to rent. Businesses are willing to pay high prices to be closer to the CBD because they benefit from being closer to consumers, paying lower prices for transportation, and having easy access to the main marketplace (dairy products expire easily so close distant is beneficial for these industries.)
What are the environmental effects of agricultural land use?
soil salinization, pollution, conservation efforts, desertification, land cover change (suburbanization)
What are the societal effects of agricultural land use?
changing diets, more proactive role of women in agricultural production, and economic purpose
Why are industrial farms replacing family farms and what are the effects of this?
*hint: negative environmental/moral impacts
Standardization and specialization increases profits
Effects: Animal cruelty, displacement of family farmers, erosion of natural resources
What is carrying capacity?
The impact of population distribution and density on the environment and natural resources; how many people can land sustain? (can be connected to Malthusian theory)
Alternative definition: Carrying capacity - the effect that population distribution and density has on the environment and natural resources
Explain Von Thünen’s model
relates transportation costs to distance from main city.
- main city
- intensive farming and dairying - closer to city (lower production costs, less likely to spoil, don’t need much spance and can offord higher rent prices –> Bid Rent Theory)
- forest (fuel source) - don’t want to carry heavy loads of fuel long distances
- increasingly extensive field crops -grains needd lots of space to cultivate, they are lightweight and don’t spoil easily so transportation isn’t an issue
- ranching, animal products - livestock need the most space
Von Thünen’s model helps to explain rural land use by emphasizing the importance of transportation costs associated with distance from the market; however, regions of specialty farming (monocultural farms) do not always conform to von Thünen’s concentric rings.
What are main elements of global agricultural distribution networks?
What factors impact global supply chains?
- Infrastructure: railroads, boats for transporting goods
- Political relationships: ex. Russia and Ukraine –> international resistance to Russia’s effrts has disrupted the oil supply chain (boycotts equal raised prices).
The main elements of global food distribution networks are affected by political relationships, infrastructure, and patterns of world trade.
What is a banana republic? Give an example.
Banana republics are countries whose economies are reliant on one crop/export commodity.
ex. Guatemala is reliant on exporting bananas to the US. The US government has interfered with Guatemalan politics in order to continue benefiting from their banana industry.
Some countries have become highly dependent on one or more export commodities.
How has technology impacted agriculture and economics?
Faster to produce goods
Goods get cheaper (since they’re easier to make)
Much more crops can be harvested per unit of land
Increased carrying capacity → land can sustain more people
Increased economies of sale: idea that the cost per unit of production decreases as volume of product increases
