human geo (Unit 5)
changing diets
- MDCs: continued demand for meat - LDCs: growing demand for meat, as well as convenient, processed foods (western
early hearths of domestication of plants and animals
- Southwest Asia (Fertile Crescent) - Indus River Valley (India) - Southeast Asia - Central America (Mesoamerica)
shifting cultivation (slash and burn)
- cultivation of crops in tropical forest clearings using a natural rotation system - the forest vegetation is cleared by cutting and burning - the result is a layer of ash that contributes to the soil's fertility - farmers move to another parcel of land when the soil becomes infertile
long lot survey system
- divided land into narrow parcels stretching back from rivers, roads or canals each household equal access to water resources - reflects a particular approach to surveying that was common with French areas in America
economic purpose
- farmers in LDCs growing cash crops for consumers in MDCs instead of food for local people - farmers in LDCs growing crops for illegal drugs instead of food crops - farmers in MDCs and LDCs growing crops for bio-fuel
township and range survey system
- rectangular survey system used by US fed. gov. to divide the land into a grid like pattern - designed by Thomas Jefferson to facilitate the dispersal of settlers evenly across farmlands of US
metes and bounds survey system
- survey of irregularly shaped tracts of land (does not conform to rectangular system of surveys) - relies on descriptions of land ownership in reference to natural features such as streams, hills, trees, etc. that was common in English areas in America
issues with agricultural innovations
- sustainability - soil and water usage - reductions in biodiversity - extensive fertilizer/pesticide use
economic effects on food production practices
- the location of food processing facilities and markets - economies of scale - distribution systems - government policies
bid rent theory
- theory that shows what various land users are prepared and able to pay for access to the center market (CBD) - the further from the center market (CBD), the lower the cost for a site - intensive and extensive farming practices are in part by land costs - extension of the von Thünen model
agribusiness
a large-scale mechanized farming business that is controlled by corporate interests, agriculture is gradually being controlled by a small number of large corporations instead of many independent farmers
global supply chain
a worldwide network to maximize profits in production
commodity chain
activities involved in the creation of a product: design, production of raw materials, manufacturing and assembly, distribution
adverse weather
agricultural production can be affected by high temperatures, drought, flooding, storms, freezes
suburbanization
agricultural production can be affected by the growth of residential areas
urban farming
agriculture takes the form of roof-top, balcony, backyard gardening, as well as in vacant lots and parks in an urban area
feedlots/ CAFOs
animals kept and raised in confined spaces and given hormones and/or antibiotics and/or fattening grains to prepare them for slaughter at a much quicker pace than traditional forms e.g. cattle, swine, poultry
irrigation
artificial application of water to land for the facilitation of agriculture
plantation agriculture
cash crops (cotton, coffee, sugar, tea) grown on large estates usually for export
slash and burn
clearing an area in a tropical forest for planting by burning the vegetation
deforestation
clearing of forest to make the land available for other uses (agriculture/livestock)
rural settlement patterns
clustered, dispersed, linear
mixed crop/livestock systems
combination of cash crops and livestock to complement land and labor demands across the year
economies of scale
cost advantages gained by an increased level of production
organic farming
crops produced without the use of synthetic or industrially produced pesticides and fertilizers or genetically engineered seeds
First Agricultural Revolution
dating back 10,000 years, when humans achieved plant and animal domestication
draining wetland
drainage for agricultural purposes
von Thünen model
explains what economic activities are located where and why - explains the location of agricultural activities by emphasizing the importance of transportation costs associated with distance from the market - describes what should be grown where in relation to the market - illustrates the relationship between land cost and transportation cost - distributes various farming activities into concentric rings around a central market city - regions of specialty farming do not always conform to concentric rings
Columbian exchange
facilitated the global diffusion of plants, animals, diseases, human population, culture, technology, and ideas
sustainable agriculture
farming methods that are profitable, environmentally sound and good for communities
intensive farming practices
farming that uses significant amounts of labor/money
extensive farming practices
farming that uses smaller amounts of labor/money in relation to the land area
terraces
flat steps are created on the sides of hills to create more land for farming
value added foods
foods that have increased in value due to alterations in production, size, shape, appearance, location, and/or convenience
food desert
geographic area where large grocery stores are scarce or missing and residents have limited access to fresh nutritious foods, typically found in urban, low-income neighborhoods
global food distribution
global hunger and food insecurity are the result of complex factors including increased demand for grain to be used to feed animals and for bio-fuels (grains are fed to animals for human consumption and in bio-fuels)
monoculture
growing one crop in a farm system at a given time
mono-cropping
growing one crop in a farm system year after year
multi-cropping
growing several crops in a farm system
fertile crescent
hearth of early agriculture and early civilization (cradle of civilization) most credited with Southwest Asia
Green Revolution (The Agricultural Revolution)
high yield seeds (hybrid and/or GMOs), increased use of chemicals, mechanized farming, and elaborate irrigation systems positive: increase, in food supply, more crops grown on same size land, improvements in varieties negative: destroying local land and traditional agriculture production, decreasing biodiversity, impact of chemicals
commodity dependency
highly dependent on one or more export commodities
tropical climate
hot humid climate that produces certain fruits, vegetables, and grains such as grapes, olives, figs, dates, tomatoes, zucchini, wheat, barely and prevails on Mediterranean shores
climatic conditions
how weather affects agricultural practices and products
conservation efforts of agricultural land
improve soil structure to protect against erosion and nutrient losses
Second Agricultural Revolution
improved methods of cultivation, harvesting, and storage or food that started in the Middle Ages and THEN benefited from the Industrial Revolution with the use of new technology effects: better diets, longer life expectancies, increase in population, more people available to work in factories
Globalization of Agriculture
improvements in transportation and communication technologies create a variety of goods offered year round, when they traditionally were only available seasonally
food distribution problems
inadequate transportation networks to markets, inability to afford the costs of production and consumption, inadequate number of markets and ways to access those markets
role of women in agriculture
increased contributions to rural economies, especially in LDCs
role of females
increased role in food production and consumption that varies depending on the region/community
community supported agriculture
individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the growers and consumers provide mutual support
dietary shifts
movement from a diet of processed food, meat, fat, and sugar to one that will promote good health, ideal weight, and prevent chronic disease (fruits, vegetables)
local food movements
movement of people who prefer to eat foods which are grown relatively close to the places of sale and preparation
global food distribution
networks that are affected by political relationships, infrastructure, and patterns of world trade
subsistence agriculture
only enough food is cultivated to survive (no surplus to sell) and often land is held in common
pastoral nomadism
pasture land that is used for animal grazing
genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
plants or animals whose DNA has been genetically modified, often through combination of DNA from a similar plant or animal species for desired traits positive: greater outputs of smaller pieces of land, less need for chemicals negative: unknown health effects, unknown effects on pollinating insect population
land cover change
process by which agricultural areas are lost to development
desertification
process by which fertile land becomes desert as a result of human activity
pollution
process by which soil is contaminated by chemicals
soil salinization
process by which the amount of salt increases in the soil (irrigation)
aquaculture
raising of fish and shellfish in ponds and controlled saltwater hatcheries
nomadic herding (pastoral nomadism/transhumance)
seasonal migration of domesticated livestock, usually fixed territory between highlands and lowlands
rural land use patterns
shaped by agricultural practices
market gardening
small scale food production (fruits/veggies? for sale at local markets
ranching
the business of raising livestock
commercial agriculture
the production of crops for sale (profit)
food insecurity
the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food
industrial revolution
the transformation from an agricultural society to an industrial society with the introduction of power driven machines in manufacturing, mining, transportation, and agriculture
agricultural biotech
the use of scientific tools and techniques to modify plants/animals
fair trade
trade between companies in MDCs and LDCs in which fair prices are paid to the producers