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Agriculture

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Deliberate modification of Earth's surface through cultivation of plants and rearing of animals to obtain sustenance or economic growth

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Domestication

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The conscious manipulation of plant and animal species by humans in order to sustain themselves Examples: Crops and animals on farms

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Hearths of Domestication

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Areas of settlement during the Neolithic period, especially along major rivers, from where farming and cultivation of livestock was created

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First Agricultural Revolution (Neolithic Rev.)

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Humans were able to stay in one place, grow their populations, and start to build communities. The ability to produce food without roaming for it increased the carrying capacity of Earth, which charted the path towards the development of civilization.

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The Fertile Crescent

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An area of river valleys in the Near East where conditions are optimum for crop production.

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Columbian Exchange

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The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Americas and the rest of the world following Columbus's voyages.

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Terrace Farming

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Cutting of "steps" into the mountains that allowed for more agriculture

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Irrigation

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A way of supplying water to an area of land

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Deforestation

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The removal of trees faster than forests can replace themselves.

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Wetland Draining

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Draining water from a wetland to clear an area for farming; may have negative affects on the environment

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Second Agricultural Revolution

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Tools and equipment were modified, methods of soil preparation, fertilization, crop care, and harvesting improved the general organization of agriculture made more efficient

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Third Agricultural Revolution (Green Rev.)

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Began in 1960's - the application of Genetically Modified Organisms, improved techniques and technologies to agriculture like pesticides - greatly increased production

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High-yield Seeds

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Genetically modified seeds that survive longer and produce more crop

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Chemical Farming

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Application of synthetic fertilizers to the soil and herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides to crops in order to enhance yields

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Mechanized Farming

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The replacement of human farm labor with machines; characteristic of large scale commercial or plantation farming.

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Pesticides

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Chemicals used on plants that do not harm the plants, but kill pests and have negative repercussions on other species who ingest the chemicals.

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Herbicide

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A substance used to destroy plants, especially weeds

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Fertilizer

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A chemical that provides nutrients to help crops grow better. Example: animals poop on plants which helps them grow

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Bioclimatic Zones

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Areas that have similar climate and biological makeup of plants and animals

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Mediterranean Climate

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Mild and constant climate thought to be ideal for most crops to grow in

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Shifting Agriculture

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Method of farming where farmer clears a field using the slash and burn technique that he uses for about 3 years before letting the depleted soil rest for 6-20 years and moving to a new field

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Pastoral Nomadism

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Type of agriculture that relies on animals rather than crops where a group wanders its territory with a herd that represents the group's power and prestige but still eats grain usually farmed by the women and children

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Subsistence Farming

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The production of food primarily for consumption by the farmer's family Example: Developing countries

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Commercial Farming

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The production of food primarily for sale off the farm Example: Developed Countries

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Intensive Land Use

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Using a little bit of land for a crop that requires more individual care Example: Flowers

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Market Gardening

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The small scale production of fruits, vegetables, and flowers as cash crops sold directly to local consumers.

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Plantation Agriculture

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Production system based on a large estate owned by an individual, family, or corporation and organized to produce a cash crop.

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Mixed Crop/Livestock Systems

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Type of agriculture where both plants and animals are grown for their produce and often the leftover plants are used to feed the animals, who in turn produce dung that is used as fertilizer for the plants

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Extensive Land Use

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Farming that uses large area farms and has low input per acre (von Thunen outer rings) Example: Ranching

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Shifting Cultivation

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From of agriculture 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 fertility has been naturally rest

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Nomadic Herding

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The raising of livestock for food by moving herds from place to place to find pasture and water

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Transhumance

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The seasonal migration of livestock between mountains and lowland pastures.

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Ranching

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A form of commercial agriculture in which livestock graze over an extensive area.

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Agribusiness

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Commercial agriculture characterized by integration of different steps in the food-processing industry, usually through ownership by large corporations.

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Commodity Chain

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Series of links connecting the many places of production and distribution

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Global Supply Chain

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The network created among different worldwide companies producing, handling, and distributing specific Example: Countries work together to trade crops that they produce

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Clustered Settlement Pattern

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A settlement that is arranged in a roughly concentric shape around a central point

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Dispersed Settlement Pattern

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A settlement that has no specific arrangement and has a large amount of space between houses

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Linear Settlement Pattern

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A settlement arranged around a central linear object that goes through it, like a river or a road

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Von Thünen's Model

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A circular model created by Johann Heinrich von Thunen in the early 1800s arranged in concentric rings containing different agricultural activities of varying distance from the market or city, with the first being perishables like dairy, fruits, and vegetables, the 2nd being lumber, the third being grain farming, and the fourth being livestock grazing grounds

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Specialty Farming

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Farming that grows crops to provide small upscale niche markets with fresh produce

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Desertification

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Degradation of land, especially in semiarid areas, primarily because of human actions like excessive crop planting, animal grazing, and tree cutting.

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Biotechnology

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A form of technology that uses living organisms, usually genes, to modify products, to make or modify plants and animals, or to develop other microorganisms for specific purposes.

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Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

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Foods that are mostly products or organisms that have their genes altered in a laboratory for specific purposes, such as disease resistance, increased productivity, or nutritional value allowing growers greater control, predictability, and efficiency.

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Organic Farming

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A method of farming that does not use artificial means such as synthetic pesticides and herbicides, antibiotics, and bioengineering

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Aquaculture

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Raising fish and other aquatic species in captivity for harvest.

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Sustainability

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A set of policies or practices by which societies can ensure that the people of the future have the same access to resources and thus the same economic and environmental opportunities as people living today.

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Soil Degradation

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The decline of the quantity and quality of soil.

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Biodiversity

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The number of species within a specific habitat.

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Overgrazing

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Destruction of vegetation caused by too many grazing animals consuming the plants in a particular area so they cannot recover

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Aquifer Depletion

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The removal by humans of more groundwater than can be recharged by precipitation or melting snow

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Value-Added Specialty Crops

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Crops that have another item added to them that increases the value and price)

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Fair Trade

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System where producers get fair prices on their produce Example: Farmer gets good amount of money for their crops.

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Local-Food Movements

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Increase in demand for locally grown foods due to a resulting sense of community

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