Unit 5.1: Agriculture and the Environment
Tropical, dry, temperate, continental, polar
KOPPEN climate regions
Clustered Settlement Pattern
aka nucleated segment; rural settlement pattern when residents live pretty close to each other with farmland surrounding the settlement.
temperature
key factor for determining the growing season
commercial agriculture
production for markets/selling
subsistence agriculture
production for self and family
agriculture
purposeful cultivation of plants or animals to produce goods for survival
continental climate
significant change in seasons; usually in the middle of landmasses
shifting cultivation
slash and burn (depletion of soil and nutrients); stay for a few years before moving again
tropical climate
warm year-round, high and varied precipitation
Plantation Agriculture
type of large-scale commercial farming of one specific crop often grown far from receiving markets.
tons/acre per year
yield
decrease of 3.6 degrees f
increase of 1000 ft above sea level
grazing (only grass can grow)
(SA) higher
barley and potatoes
(SA) higher elevations
bananas and sugarcane
(SA) hotter lowlands
coffee, corn, and veggies
(SA) next highest zone
nomadic
(usually livestock herding) production that changes place
Marine west coast, Mediterranean, and humid temperature
3 types of temperate
Nomadic Herding
Ag based on moving livestock seasonally to graze best.
capital-intensive agriculture
Agriculture in which a large amount of capital and low amount of labor is applied per unit of output.
labor-intensive agriculture
Agriculture in which a low amount of capital and high amount of labor is applied per unit of output.
Green Revolution
Brings in GMOS and increase in fertilizer and chemical use to intensify agriculture.
Second Agricultural Revolution
Introduction of mechanization due to Industrial revolution and development of commercial agriculture.
Mixed crop and livestock system
Type of farming where livestock and crops are both grown for profits.
Mediterranean climate
a climate marked by warm, dry summers and cool, rainy winters (good for hardy crops)
slope of land
affects ability of soil to stay in place as well as sun and shade
Topography
area's land features
irrigation
artificial watering
soil
biologically active coating of Earth's surface (takes lots of time to form by rock weathering)
First Agricultural Revolution
change from nomadism to agriculture and increase in communication; famous example is Columbian exchange
polar
cold af
plantation
commercial and intensive agriculture (usually in the tropics) usually associated with colonialism.
Domestication
deliberate effort to grow and raise animals that adapt to human demands using selective breeding
tropical wet and dry
distinct rainy season with less precipitation than tropical monsoon
sedentary
farmers/ranchers who grow in set location
dry climate
found in landlocked areas, arid or grasslands at most
climate, elevation, soil, topography
four environmental factors that affect agriculture
Capital
goods used in production of other goods
Fertile Crescent
hearth in SW Asia that forms an arc from east Mediterranean coast to western Turkey along Tigris and Euphrates
tropical monsoon
heavy summer rains and dry winters
elevation
height above sea level
Agribusiness
industrialized, corporate form of agriculture.
climate
long-term patterns of weather
extensive agriculture
method that spreads labor over lots of land; smaller yield per acre
intensive agriculture
method that uses capital and labor to produce large yield per acre
temperate
mild, moderate
Dispersed Settlement Pattern
rural settlement pattern where houses and buildings are isolated from each other and spread far apart.
Linear Settlement Pattern
rural settlement pattern where houses/buildings follow long line around physical feature or transportation route.
Market Gardening
type of farming that produces fruit vegetables and flowers and typically serves a market or urban area.
