Unit 5 Test Flashcards
agribusinesses
Large corporation that provides a vast array of goods and services to support the agricultural industry
agrichemicals
Chemical compounds obtained from petroleum and natural gas for use in agriculture; agrichemicals include fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides
Agricultural cooperative
An organization where farmers pool their resources in certain areas of activity such as services or production; services or production resources are provided to individual farm members
Agricultural landscape
The visible imprint of agricultural practices
agriculture
The planting and harvesting of domesticated plants and the raising of domesticated animals for food
aquaculture
The cultivation and harvesting of aquatic organisms under controlled conditions
aquifer
Underground water deposited hundreds of thousands of years ago
arid climate
A climate that receives less than 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain annually
bid-rent theory
Explains how the demand for and price of land decrease as its distance from the central business district increases
biodiesel
Fuel made from vegetable oils
biodiversity
The variety and variability among species and ecosystems
biofuel
A fuel derived from organic wastes or plant materials
cadastral survey
Systematic documentation of property ownership, shape, use, and boundaries
capital expedentures
Assets that cost money, such as land, machinery, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, seeds, and livestock feed
cash crops
A crop raised to be sold for profit rather than to feed the farm family and the livestock; common cash crops are cotton, flax, hemp, coffee, and tobacco
cassava
A root vegetable native to South America
central business district
A dense cluster of offices and shops located at a city’s most accessible point, usually its center
cereal grains
Seeds that come from a wide variety of grasses cultivated around the world, including wheat, barley, sorghum, millet, oats, and maize (corn)
climate
The average pattern of weather over a 30-year period for a particular region
clustered settlement or farm village
A tightly bunched farm settlement that has anywhere from a few dozen to several hundred inhabitants
colombian exchange
The interaction and widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, disease, and ideas between the Americas, West Africa, and the Old World in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
commercial agriculture
Farming oriented exclusively toward the production of agricultural commodities for sale in the market
commodity
A primary agricultural product or raw material that is bought, sold, and traded
commodity chain
A series of links connecting a commodity’s many places of production and distribution
community-supported agriculture
A direct-to-consumer marketing arrangement in which farmers are guaranteed buyers for their produce at guaranteed prices and consumers receive fresh food directly from the producers
concentrated animal feeding operations
Animal rearing system that confines livestock (such as cattle, sheep, turkeys, chickens, and hogs) in high-density cages only large enough to allow the animal body to grow and to accommodate equipment for feeding and waste removal
continental climate
A climate that has a large range of temperatures and moderate precipitation; found in the interior of continents, north of the moderate climate zones
contract farming
Arrangement between an independent farmer and an agribusiness company to produce a crop; the agribusiness provides the farmer with all the supplies needed to produce a crop in exchange for a guaranteed price and buyer
conventional agriculture
Farming that depends on manufactured synthetic inputs, GMO seeds, and other industrial practices
cool chain
The system that uses refrigeration and food-freezing technologies to keep farm produce fresh in climate-controlled environments at every stage of transport from field to retail grocers and restaurants
crossbreeding
The act of mixing different species or varieties of plants or animals to produce hybrids
dairying
A farming system that specializes in the breeding, rearing, and utilization of livestock (primarily cows) to produce milk and its various by-products, such as yogurt, butter, and cheese
dead zones
Sections of a body of water where there is very little aquatic life
deforestation
Clearing and destruction of forests to clear land for agriculture use
desertification
The process by which once-fertile land becomes desert as a result of climate variation or human activities
dispersed or isolated settlement pattern
A settlement pattern in which families live relatively distant from one another
division of labor
How a group divides the range of tasks within a social system; in subsistence systems, tasks are generally divided based on age and gender
domesticated animal
An animal that depends on people for food and shelter and is different from its wild ancestors in looks and behavior as a result of close contact with humans
domesticated plant
A plant that is deliberately planted, protected, cared for, and used by humans and is genetically distinct from its wild ancestors
domestication
The long-term process through which humans selectively breed, protect, and care for individuals taken from populations of wild plant and animal species to create genetically distinct species, known as domesticates
double-cropping
Planting another crop on the same plot of land as soon as the first crop has been harvested
endemic
Native to or characteristic of a certain environment
environmental contamination
Chemical residue that builds up with each application of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides
export commodity
A cash crop that is produced for export to wealthier countries at the expense of crop production for local consumption
extensive agriculture
Crop cultivation and livestock rearing systems that require little hired labor or monetary investment to successfully raise crops and animals
fair trade
A certification program that supports good crop prices for farmers and environmentally sound farming practices
family farm
A farming operation wholly owned by a family or family corporation that sells its products to some defined market, either directly or through a cooperative
famine
Extreme scarcity of food
farmers
Farmers who raise crops and livestock to sell in the market at a profit rather than raising them for their own consumption
farmers’ market
A venue (ranging from a few stalls in the street to covered enclosures extending a few city blocks) in which farmers sell their produce directly to consumers
farmstead
Center of farm operations, which includes the farmhouse, barns, shed, livestock pens, and family garden
feedlot
A fenced enclosure used for intensive livestock feeding that serves to limit livestock movement and associated weight loss
fertile crescent
Area in Southwest Asia that includes the river valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates; the earliest center for domestication of seed plants
first agricultural revolution
Period during which the early domestication and diffusion of plants and animals and the cultivation of seed crops led to the development of agriculture
food desert
Area with limited access to fresh, nutritious foods
food insecurity
Occurs when large numbers of people experience long periods of inadequate diets
food security
According to the United Nations, the situation in which all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to enough safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life
genetically modified organism (GMOs)
A living organism, including crops and livestock, that is produced through genetic engineering
Global Supply Chain
Agribusinesses, organized at the global scale; encompasses all elements of growing, harvesting, processing, transporting, marketing, consuming, and disposing of food for people
grain elevator
Large storage facility for grain
Grain Farming
A highly mechanized commercial farming system that specializes in the production of cereal grains; requires large farms and widespread use of machinery, synthetic fertilizer, pesticides, and genetically engineered seeds
Green Revolution
The U.S.-supported development of high-yield seed varieties that increased the productivity of cereal crops and accompanying agricultural technologies for transfer to less developed countries
hearth
A center where innovations or new practices develop and from which the innovations or new practices spread or diffuse
herbicide
Pesticide designed to kill or inhibit the growth of unwanted plants (weeds) that compete with crops
Hierarchical Diffusion
Occurs when ideas leapfrog from one important person, community, or city to another, bypassing other persons, communities, or rural areas
hinterland
The area surrounding a city
humid cold climate
A climate with frigid temperatures nearly year-round; found in northern reaches of the continental climate zone and often described as subarctic
humid continental climate
A climate with a wide range of temperatures, moderate precipitation, and four distinct seasons; experiences warm to hot summers, moderate to abundant rainfall (20–50 inches [50–150 centimeters] annually), and cold winters with precipitation falling as snow
humid subtropical climate
A climate with long, hot summers and short, mild winters with variable precipitation; found on east coasts of continents
hybrid
The offspring of two plants or animals of different species or varieties
Indus River Valley
Area along the Indus River that flows from the highlands of Tibet and continues down along the border between present-day Pakistan and India; a site of the earliest domestication of plants and herd animals
intensive agriculture
Crop cultivation and livestock rearing systems that use high levels of labor and capital relative to the size of the landholding
intercropping
The farming practice of planting multiple crops together in the same clearing
irrigated agriculture
Farming that relies on the controlled application of water to cultivated fields
large-scale commercial operation
A large-scale farm oriented exclusively toward the production of agricultural commodities for sale in the market
linear Settlement pattern
A settlement pattern in which buildings are arranged in a line, often along a road or river; limited to areas where legal systems dictated that property lines must be rectangular
livestock fattening
An intensive system of animal feeding utilizing fenced enclosures to fatten livestock, mostly cattle and hogs, for slaughter and processing for the market
livestock ranching
The practice of using extensive tracts of land to rear herds of livestock to sell as meat, hides, or wool
locavores
People who dedicate themselves to slow-food diets and to obtaining as much of their nutrition as possible from local farmers
long-lot survey system
A unit-block surveying system whose basic unit is a rectangle that is typically 10 times longer than it is wide
mariculture
The farming of saltwater species such as shrimp, oysters, and marine fish
marine West coast climate
A climate found along western coasts of continents closer to the poles; characterized by moderate temperatures during long summers and cool winters
market gardening
A small-scale farming system in which a farmer plants one to a few acres that produce a diverse mixture of vegetables and fruits, mostly for sale in local and regional markets
mechanical reaper
A machine used to harvest grain crops mechanically; patented by Cyrus McCormick in 1831
mechanical reaper
A machine used to harvest grain crops mechanically; patented by Cyrus McCormick in 1831
mediteranean climate
A climate with winter precipitation, unusually mild winters, and clear skies with abundant sunshine; found along the Mediterranean Sea and a few coastal regions
mesoamerica
The cultural region in the Americas that includes the diverse civilizations in the modern-day countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica
metes and bounds
Survey system that uses natural features such as trees, boulders, and streams to delineate property boundaries
millet
A fast-growing cereal plant that is widely grown in warm regions with poor soil
mixed crop/livestock agriculutre
A diversified system of agriculture based on the cultivation of cereal grains and root crops (such as potatoes and yams) and the rearing of herd livestock
moderate climate
A climate with an average year-round temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Celsius); found north and south of the equator on the edges of tropical climates
monocropping (monoculture)
The cultivation of a single commercial crop on extensive tracts of land
monsoon
Seasonal reversal of winds with a general onshore movement in summer and a general offshore movement in winter; onshore winds bring monsoon rains
monsoon rains
Long periods of heavy rains every day at the end of a short dry season
multicropping
Planting two or three crops per year on the same land
nomadic herding
A system of breeding and rearing herd livestock, such as cattle, sheep, or goats, by following the seasonal movement of rainfall to areas of open pasturelands
nutrient pollution
Consequence of overuse of fertilizer; occurs when excess nutrients seep down into groundwater or are carried into nearby waterways as runoff
nutrients
Components of topsoil (such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) necessary for plants to survive, grow, and reproduce
organic farming
The production of crops and livestock using ecological processes, natural biodiversity, and renewable resources rather than industrial practices and synthetic inputs
paddy rice farming
A system of wet rice cultivation on small level fields bordered by impermeable dikes; the fields (paddies) are flooded with 4–6 inches (10–15 centimeters) of water for about three-quarters of the growing season
peasants
Small-scale farmers who own their fields, rely chiefly on family labor, and produce both for their own subsistence and for sale in the market
pesticide
Material used to kill or repel animals or insects that can damage, destroy, or inhibit crop growth
physical geography
The study of Earth’s physical characteristics and processes: how they work, how they affect humans, and how humans affect them
plantation
Large landholding devoted to capital-intensive, specialized production of a single tropical or subtropical crop for the global marketplace
propriety seed
Seeds that are developed and entirely owned by a company
root crops
Vegetables that form below ground and must be dug at maturity, such as cassava, potatoes, and yams
runoff
The flow of rain or irrigation water over land
rural area
Area located outside of towns and cities; all the space, population, and housing not included in an urban area
rural settlement
Small group of people living outside of an urban area
scythe
An agricultural hand tool with a curved blade used for cutting grain in the fields
Second agricultural revolution
Period that brought improved methods of cultivation, harvesting, and storage of farm produce that began in the late 1600s and continued through the 1930s
seed drill
A machine for planting seeds in a row
semiarid (steppe) climates
A climate that receives about 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 centimeters) of rain annually that can support farming; also known as a steppe climate
settlement patterns
The ways in which people organize themselves on the land
shifting cultivation
The cultivation of a plot of land until it becomes less productive, typically over a period of about three to five years; when productivity drops, the farmer shifts to a new plot of land that has been prepared by slash-and-burn agriculture
silo
Round or square tower-like structure that stores feed for the livestock on the farm
slash-and-burn agriculture
Agriculture that involves cutting small plots in forests or woodlands, burning the cuttings to clear the round and release nutrients, and planting in the ash of the cleared plot
slow-food
Movement that resists fast food by preserving the cultural cuisine and the associated food and farming practices of an ecoregion
soil salinty
A measure of the concentration of dissolved salts in the soil; high soil salinity results from poor irrigation practices
soil salinization
The concentration of dissolved salts in the soil
sorghum
A grain plant native to northeast Africa
subsidies
Guaranteed prices for staple food crops
subsistence agriculture
Food production mainly for consumption by the farming family and local community, rather than principally for sale in the market
suitcase farm
In U.S. commercial grain agriculture regions, a farm on which no one lives; planting and harvesting are done by hired migratory crews
survey methods
The methods used by surveyors to lay out property lines
sustainable agriculture
A commitment to satisfying human food and textile needs and to enhancing the quality of life for farmers and society as whole, now and in the future; it requires a balance among feeding the growing population, minimizing environmental impacts, and ensuring social justice
synthetic fertilizer
Industrially manufactured nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, made from petroleum by-products; contains higher concentrations of nutrients for plants than natural fertilizers
teosinte
Large wild grass native to Mexico that produced the small ears of maize (corn) that were a favored food among early groups in Mesoamerica
topography
The arrangement of shapes on Earth’s surface
township and range
Land survey system created by the U.S. Land Ordinance of 1785, which divides most of the country’s territory into a grid of square-shaped townships with 6-mile sides
tropical wet and dry climate
A climate located along the equator that has a dry season with little to no rain, usually in the winter; is often subject to monsoons
tropical wet climate
A climate located along the equator that experiences rain every day of the year
truck farm
A scaled-up version of market gardening, with more acreage, less crop diversity, and a stronger orientation toward more distant markets
tundra
The vast, flat, treeless arctic region of Europe, Asia, and North America in which the subsoil is permanently frozen
urban Farming
The practice of growing fruits and vegetables on small private plots or shared community gardens within the confines of a city
value added specialty crops
A crop whose physical state or form has been changed
water control land reclamation
The process of draining land inundated with either fresh water or salt water to increase areas for agricultural production
water Mining
The use of deep-well drilling technology and powerful industrial pumping systems to remove water in the ground
weather
The day-to-day atmospheric conditions that affect daily decisions
