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