human geo (Unit 5)

changing diets

- MDCs: continued demand for meat - LDCs: growing demand for meat, as well as convenient, processed foods (western

early hearths of domestication of plants and animals

- Southwest Asia (Fertile Crescent) - Indus River Valley (India) - Southeast Asia - Central America (Mesoamerica)

shifting cultivation (slash and burn)

- cultivation of crops in tropical forest clearings using a natural rotation system - the forest vegetation is cleared by cutting and burning - the result is a layer of ash that contributes to the soil's fertility - farmers move to another parcel of land when the soil becomes infertile

long lot survey system

- divided land into narrow parcels stretching back from rivers, roads or canals each household equal access to water resources - reflects a particular approach to surveying that was common with French areas in America

economic purpose

- farmers in LDCs growing cash crops for consumers in MDCs instead of food for local people - farmers in LDCs growing crops for illegal drugs instead of food crops - farmers in MDCs and LDCs growing crops for bio-fuel

township and range survey system

- rectangular survey system used by US fed. gov. to divide the land into a grid like pattern - designed by Thomas Jefferson to facilitate the dispersal of settlers evenly across farmlands of US

metes and bounds survey system

- survey of irregularly shaped tracts of land (does not conform to rectangular system of surveys) - relies on descriptions of land ownership in reference to natural features such as streams, hills, trees, etc. that was common in English areas in America

issues with agricultural innovations

- sustainability - soil and water usage - reductions in biodiversity - extensive fertilizer/pesticide use

economic effects on food production practices

- the location of food processing facilities and markets - economies of scale - distribution systems - government policies

bid rent theory

- theory that shows what various land users are prepared and able to pay for access to the center market (CBD) - the further from the center market (CBD), the lower the cost for a site - intensive and extensive farming practices are in part by land costs - extension of the von Thünen model

agribusiness

a large-scale mechanized farming business that is controlled by corporate interests, agriculture is gradually being controlled by a small number of large corporations instead of many independent farmers

global supply chain

a worldwide network to maximize profits in production

commodity chain

activities involved in the creation of a product: design, production of raw materials, manufacturing and assembly, distribution

adverse weather

agricultural production can be affected by high temperatures, drought, flooding, storms, freezes

suburbanization

agricultural production can be affected by the growth of residential areas

urban farming

agriculture takes the form of roof-top, balcony, backyard gardening, as well as in vacant lots and parks in an urban area

feedlots/ CAFOs

animals kept and raised in confined spaces and given hormones and/or antibiotics and/or fattening grains to prepare them for slaughter at a much quicker pace than traditional forms e.g. cattle, swine, poultry

irrigation

artificial application of water to land for the facilitation of agriculture

plantation agriculture

cash crops (cotton, coffee, sugar, tea) grown on large estates usually for export

slash and burn

clearing an area in a tropical forest for planting by burning the vegetation

deforestation

clearing of forest to make the land available for other uses (agriculture/livestock)

rural settlement patterns

clustered, dispersed, linear

mixed crop/livestock systems

combination of cash crops and livestock to complement land and labor demands across the year

economies of scale

cost advantages gained by an increased level of production

organic farming

crops produced without the use of synthetic or industrially produced pesticides and fertilizers or genetically engineered seeds

First Agricultural Revolution

dating back 10,000 years, when humans achieved plant and animal domestication

draining wetland

drainage for agricultural purposes

von Thünen model

explains what economic activities are located where and why - explains the location of agricultural activities by emphasizing the importance of transportation costs associated with distance from the market - describes what should be grown where in relation to the market - illustrates the relationship between land cost and transportation cost - distributes various farming activities into concentric rings around a central market city - regions of specialty farming do not always conform to concentric rings

Columbian exchange

facilitated the global diffusion of plants, animals, diseases, human population, culture, technology, and ideas

sustainable agriculture

farming methods that are profitable, environmentally sound and good for communities

intensive farming practices

farming that uses significant amounts of labor/money

extensive farming practices

farming that uses smaller amounts of labor/money in relation to the land area

terraces

flat steps are created on the sides of hills to create more land for farming

value added foods

foods that have increased in value due to alterations in production, size, shape, appearance, location, and/or convenience

food desert

geographic area where large grocery stores are scarce or missing and residents have limited access to fresh nutritious foods, typically found in urban, low-income neighborhoods

global food distribution

global hunger and food insecurity are the result of complex factors including increased demand for grain to be used to feed animals and for bio-fuels (grains are fed to animals for human consumption and in bio-fuels)

monoculture

growing one crop in a farm system at a given time

mono-cropping

growing one crop in a farm system year after year

multi-cropping

growing several crops in a farm system

fertile crescent

hearth of early agriculture and early civilization (cradle of civilization) most credited with Southwest Asia

Green Revolution (The Agricultural Revolution)

high yield seeds (hybrid and/or GMOs), increased use of chemicals, mechanized farming, and elaborate irrigation systems positive: increase, in food supply, more crops grown on same size land, improvements in varieties negative: destroying local land and traditional agriculture production, decreasing biodiversity, impact of chemicals

commodity dependency

highly dependent on one or more export commodities

tropical climate

hot humid climate that produces certain fruits, vegetables, and grains such as grapes, olives, figs, dates, tomatoes, zucchini, wheat, barely and prevails on Mediterranean shores

climatic conditions

how weather affects agricultural practices and products

conservation efforts of agricultural land

improve soil structure to protect against erosion and nutrient losses

Second Agricultural Revolution

improved methods of cultivation, harvesting, and storage or food that started in the Middle Ages and THEN benefited from the Industrial Revolution with the use of new technology effects: better diets, longer life expectancies, increase in population, more people available to work in factories

Globalization of Agriculture

improvements in transportation and communication technologies create a variety of goods offered year round, when they traditionally were only available seasonally

food distribution problems

inadequate transportation networks to markets, inability to afford the costs of production and consumption, inadequate number of markets and ways to access those markets

role of women in agriculture

increased contributions to rural economies, especially in LDCs

role of females

increased role in food production and consumption that varies depending on the region/community

community supported agriculture

individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the growers and consumers provide mutual support

dietary shifts

movement from a diet of processed food, meat, fat, and sugar to one that will promote good health, ideal weight, and prevent chronic disease (fruits, vegetables)

local food movements

movement of people who prefer to eat foods which are grown relatively close to the places of sale and preparation

global food distribution

networks that are affected by political relationships, infrastructure, and patterns of world trade

subsistence agriculture

only enough food is cultivated to survive (no surplus to sell) and often land is held in common

pastoral nomadism

pasture land that is used for animal grazing

genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

plants or animals whose DNA has been genetically modified, often through combination of DNA from a similar plant or animal species for desired traits positive: greater outputs of smaller pieces of land, less need for chemicals negative: unknown health effects, unknown effects on pollinating insect population

land cover change

process by which agricultural areas are lost to development

desertification

process by which fertile land becomes desert as a result of human activity

pollution

process by which soil is contaminated by chemicals

soil salinization

process by which the amount of salt increases in the soil (irrigation)

aquaculture

raising of fish and shellfish in ponds and controlled saltwater hatcheries

nomadic herding (pastoral nomadism/transhumance)

seasonal migration of domesticated livestock, usually fixed territory between highlands and lowlands

rural land use patterns

shaped by agricultural practices

market gardening

small scale food production (fruits/veggies? for sale at local markets

ranching

the business of raising livestock

commercial agriculture

the production of crops for sale (profit)

food insecurity

the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food

industrial revolution

the transformation from an agricultural society to an industrial society with the introduction of power driven machines in manufacturing, mining, transportation, and agriculture

agricultural biotech

the use of scientific tools and techniques to modify plants/animals

fair trade

trade between companies in MDCs and LDCs in which fair prices are paid to the producers