Agriculture and Rural Land Use

early hearths of domestication of plants and animals

fertile crescent, indus river valley, southeast asia, central america

what is part of the global supply chain?

food and other agricultural products

where does the role of females in agriculture vary?

food production, distribution, and consumption depending on type of production involved

what are patterns of food production and consumption influenced by?

individual food choice - urban farming, CSA, organic farming, value-added specialty crops, fair trade, dietary shifts

second agricultural revolution

new tech and increased food production led to better diets, longer life expectancies, and more people available for work in factories

how are agricultural production regions defined?

the extent to which they reflect subsistence or commercial practices

what links production and consumption of agricultural products?

complex commodity chains

what are some agricultural innovations and what have they led to?

biotechnology, GMOs, and aquaculture have led to debates over sustainability, soil and water usage, reductions in biodiversity, extensive fertilizer/pesticide use

societal effects of agricultural practices

changing diets, role of women in agricultural production, economic purpose

3 rural settlement patterns

clustered, dispersed, linear

von thunen model

explains rural land use with importance of transportation costs and distance from market

challenges of feeding a global population

lack of food access (food insecurity/food deserts), problems with food distribution, adverse weather, land use lost to suburbanization

how are intensive and extensive farming practices determined?

land costs (bid-rent theory)

relationship between large scale and small farms

large scale commercial agricultural operations are replacing small family farms

environmental effects of agricultural land

pollution, land cover change, desertification, soil salinization, conservation efforts

economic effects on food-production practices

location of food-processing facilities, economies of scale, distribution systems, government policies

intensive farming practices

market gardening, plantation agriculture, mixed crop/livestock systems

3 rural survey methods

metes and bounds, township and range, long lot

what are agricultural practices mainly influenced by?

physical environment and climatic conditions

what are the main elements of global food distribution networks affected by?

political relationships, infrastructure, patterns of world trade

extensive farming practices

shifting cultivation, nomadic herding, ranching

how do agricultural practices alter the landscape?

slash and burn, terraces, irrigation, deforestation, draining wetlands, shifting cultivation, pastoral nomadism

what are rural land-use patterns influenced by?

specific agricultural practices

what affects the economies of scale?

technology has increased economies of scale in the agricultural sector and carrying capacity of land

how did patterns of diffusion affect agricultural spread?

the columbian exchange and agricultural revolutions resulted in the global spread of various plants and animals

green revolution

use of high-yield seeds, increased use of chemicals, and mechanized farming that had positive and negative consequences for human populations and environment