unit 5 vocab | 1 +2+3 Flashcards
agriculture
the process by which humans alter the landscape in order to raise crops and livestock for consumption and trade
subsistence farming
when farmers consume the crops that they grow and raise, usually using simple tools and manual labor; raising food they need to live
animal domestication
raising and caring for animals by humans for protection or food
plant domestication
the growing of crops that people planted, raised, and harvested, probably began after animal domestication
Columbian Exchange
the global movement of plants and animals between Afro-Eurasia and the Americas
terrace farming
when farmers build a series of steps into the side of a hill
irrigation
the process of diverting water form its natural course or location to aid in the production of crops
carrying capacity
the number of crops or people that an area can support
deforestation
the removal of large tracts of forest, has occurred throughout human history
desertification
the transition of land from fertile to desert
slash-and-burn agriculture
all vegetation in an area of forest is cut down and burned in place, is likely one of the earliest agricultural practices
commercial agriculture
when farmers focus on raising one specific crop to sell for profit
Enclosure Acts
a series of laws enacted by the British government that enabled landowners to purchase and enclose land for their own use that had previously been common land used by peasant farmers
Green Revolution
the development of higher-yielding, disease-resistant, faster-growing varieties of grains
hybrids
the process of breeding together two plants that have desirable characteristics
GMOs
a process by which humans use engineering techniques to change the DNA of a seed
Machinery
agricultural technologies assisted in production and challenges traditional labor-intensive farming practices
first agricultural recolution
the origin of farming
second agricultural revolution
1700s, used the advances of the industrial revolution to increase food supplies and support population growth
third agricultural revolution
1960s; includes the green rev.
pastoral nomadism
is when people travel from place to place with their herds of domesticated animals (subsistence + in LDC); practiced in arid/semi-arid climates
ranching
when livestock graze over large areas while the owners remain in the same place (commercial agri. + in MDC)
shifting cultuvations
when farmers move from one field to another (aka slash-and-burn, swidden agri)
crop rotation
when farmers change which crops are grown within a field
plantation agriculture
the use of plantations; a large farm that specializes in one crop (commercial + found in low lats, hot+humind climates w/ substantial precipitation
mixed crop/livestock farming
an integrated system where the majority of the are grown to be fed directly to livestock; MDC
grain farming
when farmers (in regions too dry) raise wheat/grains
commercial gardening
where products were traditionally driven to urban market to be sold; market gardening or truck farming
dairy farming
the creation of dairy products; exists in some LDC and more MDC
milk shed
the geographic distance that milk is delivered
mediterranean agriculture
practiced in regions w/ hot-dry summers, mild winters, narrow valleys, and some sort of irrigation system; where herders often practice transhumance
transhumance
the seasonal herding of animals from higher elevations in the summer to lower elevations and valleys in the winter
livestock ranching
the grazing of animals confined to a specific area; commercial
extensive farming
agri. that uses fewer inputs of capital and pard labor relative to the amount of space being used
intensive farming
agri. that involves greater inputs of capital and paid labor relative to the space being used
double cropping
technique to maximize output on a small amount of land
intercropping
method when farmers grow two or more crops simultaneously on the same field; aka multicropping
feed lots
confined spaces in which cattle an dhogs have limited movement
agribusiness
the integration of various steps of production in the food-processing industry; includes large-scale commercial agri. + the steps of processing and productions, transportation, marketing, retail, research and development
supply chain
the system of resources, producer transportation, communication, information, and consumers
vertical integration
when a company owns several smaller businesses involved in different steps in developing a product
monoculture
the raising of a single cash crop on large plots of land
suitcase farm
no one lives on the farm and the harvesting and planting is preformed by farmers who live nearby or by migratory labor
commodity chain
a process used by corporations to gather resources and transform them into goods and then transport them to consumers
cool chains
transportation networks that keep food cool throughout a trip
luxury crops
ones not essential to human survival but that have a high profit margin
neocolonialism
the use of economic, political, and social pressures to control former colonies
fair trade movement
was an effort to promote higher incomes for producers and for more sustainable farming practices; increased prices for consumers, but provide a bigger share of $$ to producers and growers in LDC
subsides
public support to farmers to ensure that consumers have a dependable + low-cost supply of food; often provided by govs. of MDC
infrastructure
roads, bridges, tunnels, ports, etc
spring wheat
grown in early spring and harvested early autumn; colder regions
winter wheat
grown in fall, harvested in early summer; in warmer regions
clustered settlements
groups of homes located near each other in a hamlet or village
dispersed settlements
a pattern in which farmers in homes spread throughout the countryside
metes and bounds system
-bounds cover larger areas + were based on larger features; streams or roads
townships
areas 6 miles wide and long
section
aka: a square mile; 640 acres; can be divided into smaller lots
french long-lot system
when farms were long thin sections of land that ran perpendicular to a river; Quebec + Louisiana
isotropic
flat + featurless
horticulture
a type of agri. that includes market gardening/truck farming, and dairying; produces perishable items
bit rent curve
aka bid price curve; used to indicate the staring position for each land use relative to the market, as well as where each land would end
non-isotropic
land with unique physical features; river, mountains, etc
comparative advantage
naturally occurring beneficial conditions that would allow farmers to plant crops different from those predicted by von Thunen’s model
multiple markets
von Thunen’s assumption that farmers had one primary market, but they often have secondary markets as well
greenbelt
an area of recreational parks or other underdeveloped land, rather than a source of fuel
genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
plants or animals are modified by extracting genes of one species and inserting them into the DNA of another species (done by scientists)
aquaculture
the practice of raising and harvesting fish and other forms of food that live in water; blue revolution
open-pen systems
a system in which a cage or net is moored to the seafloor and the farm fish are able to interact w/ wild surroundings (to an extent)
monocropping
specializing in one crop; monoculture
overgraze
damage to grasslands to the extent that the vegetation will not refresh itself even after the animals leave
fair trade movement
designed to get more money into the hands of the small farmers in poor countries who actually raise the crops, rather than supporting large transnational corps. that manage trade in these products
“eat local”
seeking out foods produced nearby
modern chemical farming
utilizing synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides
organic farming
more expensive than chem. farming; more profitable through further intensification
