AP HUG Unit 7 Study Guide

Survey systems?

Different ways to observe the land. - Township and Range (used in the USA) - Long Lots (Used in French) - Metes and Bounds (English)

Desertification (Sahel)

Overgrazing leads to desertification if lands are not allowed to fully recover between one grazing period and the next (Ex: Sahel in Africa)

Commercial vs Subsistence agriculture

Subsistence agriculture is the production of food primarily for consumption by the farmer's family. - Personal consumption - On average 55% of the workforce is engaged in farming - Human and animal powered tools - Very small farms - Occasional surplus is sold Commercial agriculture is the production of food primarily for sale off the farm for profit. - On average 5% of the workforce is engaged in farming - Mechanized farm machines, computer technology and science - Large farms (US average in 2008 was 418 acres) - Agribusiness: Farms one part of a large food production industry including food processing, packaging, sorting, distributing, and retailing.

What is multi-cropping?

growing 2 or more crops in the same space during a single growing season. Ex: Growing rice and corn on the same land.

Life expectancy

(infant and child mortality rate) a figure undicating

What are Whittlesey agricultural regions?

- 11 main agricultural regions: 5 in LDC's and 6 in MDC's - Plus 1 where agriculture is nonexistent - The aspect of Whittlesey's map that indicates plantation agriculture in North America is obsolete because it no longer exists - Relationship exists between climate and agriculture as you can see with both Whittlesey's agricultural regions map and Koppen's climate region map - Dry climate often equate to livestock ranching rather than farming.

What are some advantages of domesticating animals?

- Animals provide meat, milk, fur, and skin - Animals were beasts of burden

What is intensive subsistence agriculture wet-rice not dominate?

- Areas with low precipitation - Crops: Wheat, barley, legumes, etc. - Crop rotation - Common in Communist China

What is intensive commercial agriculture?

- Commercial agriculture dominates MDC's - Due to globalization and competition, profit margins have decreased - Farmers must specialize in order to stay competitive - Farmers are part of a complex and highly integrated system called agribusiness - the trend whereby large corporations buy and control many different steps in a food processing industry (vertical integration) - Ex: Dairy, truck farming, mixed crop and livestock, and horticulture. - Environmental impacts include over harvestings of ocean fisheries, deforestation, erosion of top-soil, and chemical contamination of drinking water.

Barbed wire

- Cowboys took too many herds and overgrazed open range - Oversupplied market which dropped prices - Droughts and blizzards destroyed entire herds - In all 90% of cattle was killed off in 1886 - Introduction of barbed wire (Joseph Glidden 1874) defined private land boundaries and limited the open range for grazing; caused range wars of the wild west

Carl Sauer (agricultural hearths and innovation)?

- Domestication probably did not develop in response to hunger, since starving people must spend every waling hour searching for food. - It was probably started by people who had enough food to remain settled in one place. - It did not occur in grasslands or river floodplains because of thick sod and periodic flooding. - It must have started in regions where many different kinds of wild plants grew - it started in hilly district areas, where climates change with different sun exposure and altitude. - Carl Sauer identified 11 areas (independent hearts) where agricultural innovations occurred specifically plants domestication none of which were located in Europe. He believed these hearts developed in areas with high biodiversity though a gradual process. - He believed vegetative planting (transplanting part of actual plant) started 1st in Southeast Asia because the region's biodiversity allowed people to become more sedentary, which naturally led to experimentation with plants, eventually to seed planting. - Defined cultural landscape, as an area fashioned from nature by a cultural group. A combination of cultural features such as language and religion; economic features such as agriculture and industry; and physical features such as climate and vegetation. - "culture is the agent, the natural area is the medium, the cultural landscape is the result."

Von Thunen model applications?

- Farmers living in a village farm both lands close to the village and far away intensively - Methods varied spatially, resulting in land improvement (by adding organic material) close to village and land degradation (lots of pesticides and fewer conservation tactics) farther from village.

Regions of agricultural production?

- Hog (Pig/swine) production is nearly nonexistent in Southwest Asia and North Africa because cultural taboos exist on eating pork in those areas (vegetarian) - Low to nonexistent in predominantly Muslim (and Jewish) regions due to religious taboos on pork - In the last twenty years Sub-Saharan Africa has experienced a decline in food production compared to its population growth - North America is the region with the lowest percent of the labor force directly engaged in agriculture (2-5%) - Fishing dominated the economy of Maritime provinces - Timber production is most prevalent in British Columbia

Way for a country or region to increase the food supply?

- Increase the amount of land in productivity - Increase agricultural productivity - Identify new sources of food - Import more food

What is intensive subsistence agriculture wet-rice dominate?

- Intensive: Farmers work more intensively to subsist. - Areas of high population density resulting in less land available/farmers - Some are wet rice areas - Some have double cropping

What is intertillage?

- Intertillage: Spread of food production over the farming season - It is the process where people engaged in shifting cultivation interplant crops of varying heights in order to protect lower crops. - It reduces the loss from disease or pests or drought. It helps control soil erosion and soil depletion. - Hill planted crops have deeper root systems and tall stalks while flat earth crops are spreader - No expensive fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides or machines are necessary.

What are mixed crops and livestock?

- Most common form of commercial agriculture in the US - Most crops are fed to animals rather than for human consumption (corn and soybeans common) - Uses crop rotation

Agriculture MDCs vs LDCs

- LDCs: Subsistence agriculture - MDCs: Commercial agriculture Ex: Farmers in Ghana practice subsistence agriculture while farmers in France practice commercial agriculture.

LDC: Plantation farming

- Large scale estate owned by an individual, family, or corporation and organized to produce a cash crop (commercial agriculture) is called plantation agriculture - a hold over from the colonial period - generally focus on one or 2 crop - Governments in core countries set quotes for imports and subsidize domestic production - Practiced in the tropics and subtropics - Bananas, tobacco, cotton, sugar, palm oil, coffee, cacao, rubber and tea are examples - Sugar cane is a cash crop that drives the economies of many Caribbean nations - Globalization has impacted and changed agricultural practices with respect to plantation agriculture by: - Increasing the use of machinery - Displacing more workers - Increasing migration rates from rural to urban areas - Many have been divided into smaller holdings, or reorganized as cooperative (owned by a group of individuals) - Increase concentration of ownership from MDC companies - Multinational corporations protect their interest -

MDC: Grain (Cereal) farming

- Most widely produced grains in the world are wheat, rice, barley, millet, oats and maize (corn) - Crops grown primarily for human consumption - Stored easily and transported long distance - North American Prairies world's "breadbasket" - Uses in America for grain: - Most are fed to livestock - Purchased by food processing companies for baked products - Sent to Sub-Saharan Africa for famine relief -Area in Canada most associated with grain farming is the Prairie Provinces

MDC: Mediterranean agriculture

- Products include grapes, olives, dates, lemons, oranges, and cereals - The most important of which are grapes and olives - Most Mediterranean farmers make their money off of fruits and vegetables - Mostly horticulture: fruits, vegetables, and flowers, and commercial tree crops - Most of the world's olives and grapes are produces in Mediterranean areas (France) - Through relocation diffusion, Mediterranean agricultural products are grown in Chile, the Central Valley of California, southern Spain, SW Australia and North Africa (All of the above border seas, most on west coast off continent) - Even though North Africa is capable of producing wine because their climate is suitable to growing grapes, they do not largely because it is not a cultural tradition to consume wine in this region

Persistence of agriculture

- The US only has 2 millions farmers - Mechanization and farm consolidation have forced out many small scale farmers. - Yet US farm production is at an all time high - In most of the world, agriculture remains the leading employment sector (40% of the world's population are farmers).

How do countries increase their food supplies?

- Putting more land into production - Increasing the yield of land under cultivation - Identifying new food sources - Increasing food imports

Von Thunen model assumptions?

- There is a flat isotopic plane - There are uniform soils across the landscape - There are no physical feature present, such as rivers or mountains - All goods use the same form of transportation

Farm crisis in the us 1970 and 1980

- corporate farms were playing a large role in rural America - Increased size of the average farm - Many family farms went bankrupt - they have to be bigger to compete and buy the latest machinery which then they cannot replay the loans for which makes it much more difficult for an individual to become a farmer

Globalization impact on dairy farming

- once only in MDCs now more common in s and e asia - we are seeing an increase in the use of feedlot - India is the number 1 producer of dairy - increase in size of farms - increased use of mechanization on dairy production

What is shifting cultivation (Swidden)?

A form of agriculture, used especially in tropical Africa, in which an area of ground is cleared of vegetation and cultivated for a few years and then abandoned for a new area until its soil has been naturally restored. Characterized by: - Slash and burn agriculture: An agricultural technique that involves the cutting and burning of plants in forests or woodlands to create fields. - Using field for only a few years. Cleared land called Swidden or lading, milpa, chena or kaingin. Crops: Southeast Asia: Rice South America: Maize and cassava Africa: Millet and sorghum

What is a luxury crop?

A legal crop like coffee, tea, cocoa, and tobacco grown on plantations in the tropics for export to more developed countries (MDCs). Ex: Tobacco, and sugarcane.

What is double cropping?

A second crop is planted after the first has been harvested. This is an agricultural technique that allows subsistence farmers in tropical and sub-tropical areas to support a large population with a small amount of land. Ex: Planting rice, harvesting it and then planting corn on the same land.

What is a commodity chains (agribusiness)?

A sequential process used by firms to gather resources, transform them into goods or commodities and finally distribute them to consumers (agribusiness). All levels of the economic sector. Ex: From horticulture, to mixed crop and livestock to truck farming to dairy, to the store

What was the second agricultural revolution?

A series of innovations, improvements, and techniques used to improve the output of agricultural surpluses (started before the industrial revolution - allowed the industrial revolution to happen but then the new technology helped increase agricultural production). Ex: - Seed drill helps increase production - New crops (potatoes and corn) - Advances in livestock breeding led to increase production of meat and dairy - New soil preparation methods and new fertilizers - The wealthy bought more land and began to experiment. Results: - Tried new agricultural methods - Small farmers were forced to become tenant farmers or give up farming and move to cities because there were larger farms now - Prices of food decreased which will lead to population increasing

What is the Von Thunen model?

A series of rings with the market in the middle describing how far each agricultural sector is from the market. What farmers produce varies by distance from the town, with livestock raising farthest from town. - The first ring is used for dairy - Forestry ring is included in his model because wood was used for construction purposes and heating, and it is heavy therefore expensive to transport - The outermost concentric ring for agriculture would be used for grazing Concentric rings in order from market: 1. Dairy and market gardening 2. Forestry (wood and lumber) 3. Increasingly extensive field crops, and grains 4. Ranching, and livestock

What was the green revolution?

A set of research, development, and technology transfer initiatives occurring between the 1930s and the late 1960s that increased agricultural production worldwide, particularly in the developing world, beginning most markedly in the late 1960s. Ex: Bringing high value seeds to India and Africa.

What is the cadastral system?

A survey system that determines the value, extent, and ownership of land for purposes of taxation (method of land survey).

What is pastoral nomadism?

A type of subsistence agriculture where livestock are herded in order to find fresh pastures on which to graze. Strictly speaking, true nomads follow an irregular pattern of movement, in contrast with transhumance where seasonal pastures are fixed. - Dominant in Central Asia (Typically occurs in semi-arid deserts) - Also called extensive subsistence agriculture or nomadic herding (animal husbandry). - Estimated 30-40 million worldwide but use 20% of Earth's land area - Livestock are herded towards fresh pastures in an irregular pattern of movement. Livestock may include cattle, yaks, sheep, goats, reindeer, horses, donkeys, or camels. - Pastoral nomads consume mostly grains rather than meat and trade meat and skins they do have for grains. They primarily depend on animals for their survival. They generally stay in one place when rainfall is plentiful. - Livestock ranching and pastoral nomadism both exist in environments too harsh for crop production. Threatened way of life for the following reasons: - Competition for resources - Nomads often cross international borders - Not an economically viable livelihood - Increased population pressures - Increased enclosures and fencing means less land is available for this practice.

Economic classification of agriculture?

Agriculture is associated with the primary sector of the economy. - Primary (Extractive): - Hunting and gathering - Farming - Livestock raising or herding - Lumbering - Mining - Quarrying - Working in the natural environment - often the environment suffers - Second: - The stages are: Stone age, copper age, bronze age, iron age - Manufacturing: Converting raw materials into finished goods. - Major changes in human history marked by new ways to convert raw materials into finished goods - Tertiary: - Provide essential services in a complex society - Selling the finished goods - Doctors, dentist, hospitals - Lawyers, banks, offices, teachers - Stores and shops - Quaternary: - Describes the knowledge-based part of the economy, which typically includes services such as information technology. - Quinary: - where high-level decisions are made by top-level executives in the government, industry, business, education, media and nonprofit organizations. - The top most economic sector.

What is intensive subsistence agriculture?

Agriculture that is for the farmer and his family and that uses not a lot of land but higher labor, which leads to higher yield. Most commonly seen with year round paddy rice farming. Irrigation is essential to intensive subsistence agriculture. Lands that used to be used for family subsistence are now used for commercialized farming with revenues going to the men. Women do the work of rice production and see little of the benefit because of the power relations in Gambia. Ex: Producing rice on a small farm, for me and my family.

What is extensive subsistence agriculture?

An agricultural technique where a vast expanse of land is cultivated to yield minimal output of crops and animals for the primary consumption of the grower's family. - This predominately occurs in semi-arid deserts - Ex: Slash and burn agrixu.clture and nomadic herding.

What is animal domestication?

Animals such as goats, pigs, and sheep were domesticated about 8,000 years ago. Domesticated animals in captivity are very different from their wild counterparts. Only about 40 species were domesticated. The best animals to farm are large, plant eating mammals. Over the years, humans have probably tried to domesticated all of them, usually without success. Despite repeated efforts, Africans have never domesticated the elephant. The big four livestock animals: - Cows - Pigs - Sheeps - Goats All four big livestock animals were native to the Middle East.

What is hunting and gathering?

Before the invention of agriculture, all humans probably obtained the food they needed for survival by hunting for animals, fishing, or gathering plants (including berries, nuts, fruits, and roots). Hunters and gatherers lived in small groups, usually fewer than 50 persons, because a larger number would quickly exhaust the available resources within walking distance. - Settlements are not permanent - Population remain small and are rapidly declining - they tend to be isolated from modern societies - provide insight into prehistoric cultures - Early hunter-gatherers lived in wetter and better environments and had an easier life than those of the modern day - Food production, preparation and consumption plays a major role in all cultures - Food taboos by custom or religion, food intolerance - dairy, eggs or fish, peanuts, etc Today: - Estimated 250,000 people living in isolated areas still live as hunter-gatherers (in the Artic, the interior of Africa, South America and Australia) -Technology improved slowly - Bone and stone tools and weapons - Learned to control fire-protection-cooking - Even pre-agricultural societies had complex tools, utensils, and weapons

What is food irradiation?

Began in the early 1900s; provides the same benefits as when food is processed by heat, freezing or treated with chemicals to destroy insects, fungi, bacteria, or viruses that cause food to spoil or cause human disease; makes it possible to keep food longer and in better condition in ware houses and homes. Ex: Heating meat to destroy all the viruses and bacteria that are on it.

Nutrition and diet

Caloric intake: often excessive in the core and deficient in the periphery. More than 50% of US adults population is overweight. Dietary balance: calories alone does not determine a balanced diet, but necessary requirement for the body to function and survive (food pyramid). Hidden hunger: People who may consume enough calories to survive, by lack certain nutrients - specifically protein (protein deficiency in the first 3 years can causr permanent damage)

Horticulture

Cultivation of flowers, fruits, and vegetables. - Includes market gardening, truck gardening, and Mediterranean agriculture - China's vegetables are increasingly being grown in urban plots because if increaded interregional migration

Dairy farming and the milkshed

Dairy farms must be located close to the consumer due to the high perisability and high transportation cost. Milkshed: ring of dairy suppliers around a city. Cheese and butter are generally produced in Wisconsin rather than fresh milk because the entire is their market area for these products.

Wheat yield production

Dramatic increases in wheat yields has been seen in developed countries since the 1950's due to: - Increased use of machinery - Increased use of pesticides - Increased use of fertilizers - Development of improved seed varieties

Benefits and drawbacks?

Drawbacks: - Governments must allocate funds to subsidizing the cost of seeds, fertilizers and machinery. Benefits: - Invention of high-yield grains, especially rice, with goal of reducing hunger - Increased production of rice - New varieties in wheat and corn - Double and tripled crop yields in many developing countries - Technological advancements helped increase yield throughout the world - High yield varieties (HYV's) increased yields in many parts of the world - Reduced famines due to crop failure, now most famines are due to political problems - The US provided massive relief to prevent worldwide famine - Impact (in terms of hunger) is greatest where rice is produced - Sub-Saharan Africa benefitted least from the Green Revolution

What is sustainable yield?

Ecological yield that can be extracted without reducing the base of capital itself, the surplus required to maintain nature's services at the same or increasing level over time. Examples, in fisheries the basic natural capital decreases with extraction, but productivity increases; so the sustainable yield is within the ranch that the natural capital together with production are able to provide satisfactory yield.

Ester Boserup (2nd agricultural revolution) (anti-malthusian - but what were Malthus' ideas)?

Ester Boserup was a 20th century Danish writer who focused her work on economic and agricultural development. Agricultural output depends on the population (Anti-malthusian). this undoes the assumption dating back to Malthus's time that agricultural methods determine population. Instead, Boserup argued that population determines agricultural methods. It was her great belief that humanity would always find a way and was quoted saying, " The power of ingenuity would always outmatch that of demands." She theorized that when population increased in a subsistence agriculturally based community the level of technology and labor efforts must increase to meet the demands of increased population pressures, so the higher the population the more machines and technology we will build (invent) to meet that population's needs. 5 stages of intensification of farmland: 1. Forest fallow 2. Bush fallow 3. Short fallow 4. Annual cropping 5. Multicropping

The evolution of crop rotation systems?

Europeans evolved from farming a single field in early medieval times to rotating crops into 4 different sections of field by the 18th century (4 field system). - This increases yields and soil fertility - This allowed more food to be grown which in turn meant a city could be supported. Ex: - Year 1: Wheat (exhausted soil nutrients) - Year 2: Root crop like turnips (restore nutrients) - Year 3: Barley - Year 4: Clover

Governmental agricultural subsidies?

Farm subsidies (a sum of money given by the government for a particular reason): - Give farmers a minimum price for their product regardless of market conditions - Establish import barriers on imported products - Pay farmers not to produce more than a certain quantity of a particular crop - Give farmers special tax incentives for conservation efforts

What is ridge tillage?

Farming practice that helps preserve soil conservation by panting crops on the tops of hills. This system is usually used on soils that may drain poorly or warm slowly in the spring. The rows are maintained in the same position each season and at planting the top of the ridge are leveled off. Planting on these ridges provides warmer conditions for early plant growth. In most cases, the residue on the soil surface between ridges is not disturbed and provides for moisture conservation during the season.

What are suitcase farms?

Farms in which no one lives, planting and harvesting are done by hired migratory crews. Typically seen in American commercial grain agriculture.

What are feedlots?

Feedlots are fat fattening farms. They tend to locate mainly in the south and west and that area tends o have less severe weather. Advantages of weather include: - They combine a number of steps in the meat packing industry in one location - They are more efficient at adding weight to cattle - They reduce transportation costs of cattle prior to being slaughtered - They reduce transportation costs of the finished products

What are genetically modified organism (GMO)?

Foods that have had their genes altered in a laboratory for specific reason (Ex: Disease resistance, nutritional value, or increased productivity). Grant producers greater control, predictability, and efficiency. Ex: Altering the genes of a potato to make it bigger.

What is extensive commercial agriculture?

Generally seen with wheat and grain farming and livestock ranching. The geographic factor that best explains why a piece of land is used intensively or extensively for agriculture is the distance to the market, and the ratio of size of land to amount of labor on said land. If it is closer to the markets then it will be intensive because the price of the land is higher so they will need a higher yield and they will do that by working it intensively. If it is far away from the market, the price of the land will be low so they will not need such a high yield. As for the ratio of size of land to amount of labor on the land, - Extensive uses more land with less labor, lower labor density (lower yield) - Intensive uses less land with more labor, higher labor density (higher yield)

Regional and local change?

Geographer Judith Carney finds that changing agricultural practices alter the rural environment and economy and also relations between men and women. Lands used traditionally by women to grow food for their families. In Gambia, international development projects have converted wetlands in to irrigated agricultural lands, in order to make production of rice year around. In India, the Green Revolution has increased environmental damage due to the increased use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, increased interregional migration, and increased the gap between wealthy and poor farmers.

What was the Columbian exchange?

Global transfer of foods, plants, and animals from Europe to the Americas. - Pigs, horses, sheep, and cows brought from Europe to Americas - Diseases were also brought, killing millions of natives - Led to changes in diets - Example of relocation diffusion - Corn and potatoes were taken from Americas to Europe (Miracle crops).

What is sustainable agriculture?

Goals: - Reduce pesticide and fertilizer usage - Help preserve the social fabric of rural communities - Preserve the long term productivity of the land - Return to a better system of integrating crops and livestock Examples: - Intensive subsistence farming - Organic truck farming

What is monoculture?

Growing or raising a single specialty crop on large tracts of land. Ex: Growing only corn on your land.

What is transhumance?

Herders who seasonally move their animals between fixed summer and winter pastures (unlike nomadic pastoralism, where movement is always occurring). - Typically moving between mountain pastures in the summer and lowland valleys in the winter.

Longlot linear?

Houses erected (build) on narrow lots perpendicular along a river, so that each original settler had equal river access. Found in Canadian Maritimes, Quebec, and Louisiana, a remnant of French rule. People live In nucleated villages and land ownership is highly fragmented.

What are illegal drugs?

Illegal cash crops are typically grown in the periphery and sold to the core. Ex: Coca (cocaine; more than 50% grown in Columbia); Poppy (heroin, opium; more than 90% grown in Afghanistan and Myanmar); marijuana (or cannabis).

Slash and Burn agriculture?

In tropical areas red soil is heavily leached, tropical soils are nutrient poor so the same plot is generally farmed for only one or two years. Plot of land is cleared by burning - ash replenished soil (land cleared is called Swidden). Crops are grown until the nutrients in the soil are depleted. - A type of crop rotation - tuber in warm tropics, grain in humid subtropics, fruit in cooler regions. - Not nomadic - central, small villages with parcels of land worked in succession usually farmers return to the same area approximately 20 years later. - Conserves forests and soil, requires organization - Still practiced in many parts of South America - Is threatened because of competition for resources from logging and mining companies and population increases.

Chemical farming?

Increased use of fertilizers with nitrogen phosphorus, and potassium. The development of higher-yield crops has produced a 'miracle wheat seed' which is shorter and stiffer, less sensitive to variation in day length, responds better to fertilizers, and matures faster; a similar miracle rice seed, that was heartier and has increased yield; a high-yield corn seed is currently being developed. Ex: Spraying your crops with fertilizers that have nitrogen.

What was the 3rd agricultural revolution?

Invention and quick diffusion of agricultural techniques during 1960's - 80's. Main techniques: - Genetic engineering: - Higher-yield seeds (Norman Borlaug) - Drought/disease resistance - Quicker growing season (double-cropping) - Expanded use of fertilizers - Mechanization: Farmers need tractors, irrigation pumps, and other machinery to make the most effective use of the new miracle seeds. Farmer's in LDC's cannot afford this machinery of the fuel to run the equipment, so governments must allocate funds to subsidizing the cost of seeds, fertilizers and machinery.

Von Thunen?

Johann Heinrich von Thunen (1783-1850) wrote Der Isolierte Staat (The Isolated State) which is the foundation of the location theory. First effort to analyze the spatial character of economic activity. Noted that transportation and land costs governed land use.

What is Koppen climatic classification system?

Koppen was the first to devise a scheme for classifying the world's climates on the basis of average temperature and precipitation. It is important to have a sense of where the major world climate types are located. - For all but B climates, the basis is the amount of precipitation and when it falls - B is both temperature and precipitation. - A climates are hot or very warm and humid - The Af regions are equatorial rainforests - The Am climate is known as the Monsoon climate - farmers here are dependent on monsoon rains to grow crops - Aw are hot dry grassland or savanna - The yellow and light brown colors mean dry climates, BW are deserts and BS are steppes (few live in A or B climates) - The Koppen map explains why the world faces a long-term world wide water crisis.

What is truck farming?

Land is valuable and a growing population requires that every square inch of fertile land is used to produce food. Sometimes called market gardening but generally is on a larger scale than market gardening. Also called specialty farming, intensive commercial agriculture, or commercial gardening and fruit farming. Ex: A truck (an old English word for trade or barter) farmer in the city of Jakarta, Indonesia raises vegetables within sight of great skyscrapers.

What is enclosure?

Land went from being held in common with grazing and communal gardens to being appropriated by the government who in turn sold it or gave it away to increase tax revenue. People put hedges or other barriers up to clearly define the boundaries of their property. Encouraged the use of more farm machinery. Consolidated oddly shaped field. Ex: Putting a fence around your land after it was sold to you by the government.

What is livestock ranching?

Livestock ranching is done on semiarid or arid land. It is practiced in MDCs where the vegetation is too sparse or soil is too poor to support crops - Both livestock ranchers and pastoral nomads operate most efficiently in similar climates. Livestock ranching has been responsible for a lot of the deforestation in the rainforest in parts of Central and South America. Commercial grazing of livestock over an extensive area. Introduction of new cattle breeds.

US wheat production

Major wheat producing states include North Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Montana.

What is fair trade agriculture?

Making sure that farmers get a fair profit for the products. - Shade grown coffee produced by certified fair trade farmers, who then sell the coffee directly to coffee importers - Guarantees a "fair trade price" - Fair trade movement - significantly reduces the commodity chain for agricultural products - Over 500,000 farmers - Produced in more than 20 countries - Often organically produced - Generally not consumed where it is produced unlike tea.

What are some opposition to the green revolution?

Oppositions argue Green Revolution has led to: - Vulnerability to pests - Soil erosion - Water shortages - Micronutrient deficiencies - Dependency on chemicals for production - Loss of control over seeds Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are yielding some ethical problems. In the semi-periphery, farmers typically keep seeds from crops so that they can plant the seeds the next year. Companies that produce genetically engineered seeds do not approve of this process. Generally, they want farmers to purchase new seeds each year. Many semi-periphery farmers can not afford the new seeds, fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. Some of the poorest areas of the world have benefited the least from the Green Revolution, especially Africa. Small farms cannot take advantage of the innovations. India 4 acres, Bangladesh 1.8 acres, China 1/2 acres. Many countries in Europe are reluctant to importing GMO produced foods from the US for many reasons including: - They could severely alter local agricultural economies - They could possibly crossbreed with domestic varieties - They would cause economic dependence on US corporations - They are considered less nutritious

Advances in transportation and food storage?

Refrigeration: - Increases the distance food can be transported without spoiling. - Ex: Refrigeration of containers, as they wait transport in Dunedin, New Zealand. Containerization: - containerization has changed the geography linkages between production areas and location of consumers and has made that link longer. - Economies of scale, production areas have shifted to many Less Developed Countries (LDCs) - It has made the Suez and Panama Canals less important (they can travel long distances now) - It has made long distance trade more efficient and more profitable - Ex: Containerization of seaborne freight traffic.

What is market gardening?

Small-scale farm usually under 1 acre that grows a diverse range of products from fruits, to vegetables, and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. farms located close to large urban areas because: - The expensive land costs force farmers to grow crops with a higher profit margin (Intensive agriculture) - The products tend to be highly perishable - Farmers need large amount of capital for specialized machinery Dominates NJ, Delaware, parts of FL, and the central valley of California - On a larger scale it is called a truck farm

What is subsistence farming?

Subsistence farming is growing just enough to feed themselves and their families. Intensive subsistence agriculture is the most practiced economic activity in the world. - They find building material and fuel in the natural environment - no cash economy. - Small fields: Intensive farming on land they often don't own. - Methods and tools used are generally very low tech. - Found in South and Central America, Africa, South Asia and South East Asia. Dominates less developed countries. - Farmers often hold land in common. - Some are sedentary, some practice pastoral nomadism, and some practice shifting cultivation (which is slash and burn farming: they only farm the cleared land for 1-2 years swidden)

Township and range?

Survey's used west of Ohio, after the purchase of Louisiana Purchase. Land is divided into 6 miles square blocks (township), which is then divided into 1 mile square blocks (range). Ranges were then broken into smaller parcels to be sold given to people to develop. The township and range system is the single most important factor contributing to rural land use patterns for most of the Great Plains in the US. Responsible for dispersed rural settlements in many parts of the US. Township and range land division system most closely resembles a square.

What is primogeniture?

System in which the eldest son in a family (or daughter if necessary) inherits all of a dying parent's land (tradition brought by the Normans to England). - Occurs in North America, Northern Europe, Australia etc. - In Southern Europe, Asia, Africa, and South-America land is divided up among sons with much fragmentation of farmland. Ex: being the 1st child in your family and inheriting your dad's farm when he dies.

What is commercial agriculture?

Term used to describe highly efficient large scale farming, usually the average size is hundred of acres and ranching operations that employ vast land bases, have a heavy reliance on large mechanized equipment, factory-type labor forces, and the latest technology. - Roots are in colonial agriculture - Today, global production made possible by advances in transportation and food storage - Product is consumed off the farm - A small percentage of the workforce is engaged directly in agriculture because of it in the U.S. only 2-5% of people in the labor force work directly in agriculture. - Purpose is to make a profit Commercial vs. Subsistence farming differences: - Where the product is consumed - Commercial focuses on profit whereas subsistence motivation is to feed one's family - Land ownership in subsistence agricultural communities is generally communal

Food manufacturing?

The Green Revolution has increased production to avoid widespread famine. Allowing the world population to grow about 4 billion since started, also allowing populations in developing nations to consume about 25% more than before. This increase in diets is questioned by the content in diets; Asian farmers are eating more rice than fish and other vegetables because they can rely on rice to grow efficiently. Because of the Green Revolution, agricultural productivity at a global scale has increased faster than the population (e.g. major impact in Mexico, India, China).

World corn (maize) production

The United States is the leading producer of corn (maize) in the world. Much of the corn is used for animal feeding.

What is hybridization?

The cross breeding of plants of different varieties in order to produce a new plant with desirable traits from both parent varieties; the Green Revolution has popularized its use. Benefits of hybridization: - Increased yields, better resistance to pests and diseases - Ability to increase production of a crop in different regions and climates.

What is prime agricultural land?

The most productive farmland. A serious problem in the United States has been the loss of the most productive farmland, known as prime agricultural land, as urban areas sprawl into the surrounding countryside. Areas susceptible to losing prime agricultural land in the US: - California's central valley - The Chicago-Milwaukee-Madison triangle - Coastal California - South Florida

What is aquaculture?

The production and harvesting of fish and shell fish in sectioned off coves and land based pounds. - The cultivation of aquatic organisms especially for food due to over harvesting of fish stocks and increased demand for seafood aquaculture has increased substantially in the last 30 years. Aquaculture has allowed us to use the sea and its abundant sources of food for our benefits.

What is organic agriculture?

The production of crops without the use of synthetic or industrially produced pesticides and fertilizers or the raising of livestock without hormones, antibiotics, and synthetic feeds. - Sales of organic food are on the rise - Production has increased by 20% per year for the last 20 years - Grown everywhere - Demand in wealthier countries - On a global scale most organic products are sold in North America and Europe.

What is agriculture?

The purposeful tending of crops and raising of livestock in order to produce food and fiber. Modern definition is the deliberate effort to modify a portion of Earth's surface through the cultivation of crops and the raising of livestock for subsistence or economic gain. Agriculture is often affected by cultural taboos (restrictions), distance to the market, political policies, and level of economic development. Agrarian: People or societies that are farmers therefore promote agricultural interests.

What was the first agricultural revolution?

The transformation of human societies from hunting and gathering to farming. This transition occurred worldwide between 10,000 BC and 2000 BC. The first domestication of plants was probably in South East Asia. - Southwest Asia domesticated cereal crops such as wheat, barley and oats 10,000 years ago. Generally considered the first area to incorporate domestication of both plants and animals. - Multiple hearths for the 1st agricultural revolution

Globalization and improved transportation links?

They have changed the geography of production areas for products like apples, grapes, and fresh cut flowers because: - Farmers seek out areas with the lowest production costs - North American farmers no longer have a competitive advantage all year - Production areas have become more competitive in LDCs - Southern hemisphere producers have increased production of these items

Metes and bounds?

Uses physical features of the local geography, along with directions and distances, to define the boundaries of a particular piece of land. Metes refers to boundaries defined by a measurement of a straight run, bounds refers to a more general boundary, such as a waterway, public road, wall, or existing buildings. - Found on the East Coast of North America

What is biotechnology?

Using living organisms in a useful way to produce commercial products like pest resistant crops (genetically modified crops). Has helped the farmers grow a more bountiful (large in quantity) harvest through the using of pesticides. Ex: Creating a pest resistant for tomatoes so they are not eaten.

What is polyculture?

Using multiple crops in the same space, and avoiding large stands of single crops. - Imitates the diversity of natural ecosystems. - Helps prevent monocultures' susceptibility to disease. - Can cause agricultural exhaustion if not done efficiently, making people move away from the land. Ex: Planting rice and corn in the same space.

What are agricultural villages?

Villages based on agriculture. - Nucleated settlement: Intense cultivation with homes clustered in a village, most of the world's farms are nucleated. - Dispersed settlement: Individual farm house widely spaced - North America. - Linear village: Follows a stream or road. - Cluster village: (nucleated) Intersection of roads (most commonly associated with New England). - Round (circular) village: To corral (to put together and organize) livestock (rundling - Slavic farmers) - Traditional circular rural land use patterns include Northern Germany and sub-Saharan Africa (area most associated with it today). - Walled village: Surrounded by a wall for protection. (e.g. Medieval Europe) - Grid village: Layout in a grid formed by roads. Spanish colonial villages and modern day planned-towns. Functional differentiation within villages: - Cultural landscape of a village reflects: - Social stratification (how is material well being reflected in the spaces of a village? ) - Differentiation of buildings (What are they used for? How large are they?)

Dept for nature swap

When agencies such as the world bank make a deal with third world countries that they will cancel their debt if the country will set aside a certain amount of their natural resoures.

What is the fertile crescent?

Where the planned cultivation of seed crops began (in the Middle East south of Turkey and North of Saudi Arabia). Because of seed selection plants got bigger over time. Generated a surplus of wheat and barley. First integration of plant growing and animal raising (used crops to feed livestock, used livestock to help grow crops). Agriculture first diffused to Europe from SouthWest Asia.