The Development of Agriculture

GMOs

a process by which humans use engineering techniques to change the DNA of a seed

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

slash and burn

all vegetation in an area of forest is cut down and burned in place, is likely on one the earliest agricultural practices

First Agricultural Revolution

the gradual, global transition of hunting and gathering to farming

plant domestication

the growing of crops that people planted, raised, and harvested

Third Agricultural Revolution

Rapid diffusion of new agricultural techniques between 1970's and 1980's, especially new high-yield seeds and fertilizers. Has caused agricultural productivity at a global scale to increase faster than population growth.

terrace farming

in which farmers build a series of steps into the side of a hill

commercial agriculture

production of food primarily for sale off the farm; found in MDCs

animal domestication

raising and caring for animals by humans for protection or food

Green Revolution

the development of higher-yielding, disease-resistant, faster-growing varieties of grains

carrying capacity

the number of crops or people that an area can support

agriculture

the process by which humans alter the landscape in order to raise crops and livestock for consumption and trade

irrigation

the process of diverting water from its natural course or location to aid in the production of crops

subsistence agriculture

the production of food primarily for the consumption of the farmer's family; little to no surplus

deforestation

the removal of large tracts of forest, has occurred throughout human history

desertification

the transition of land from fertile to desert

Second Agricultural Revolution

uses the advances of the Industrial Revolution to increase food supplies and support population growth