Unit 5 Comprehensive Review: Agriculture and Rural Land Use

Agriculture

The deliberate modification of Earth's surface through cultivation of plants and rearing of animals to obtain sustenance or economic gain.

Primary Economic Sector

The sector of the economy that involves extracting natural resources directly from the earth, such as agriculture, mining, fishing, and forestry.

Arithmetic Density

A measure calculated by dividing the total population by the total land area.

Physiological Density

A measure that calculates the number of people per unit area of arable land.

Agricultural Density

The ratio of the number of farmers to the amount of arable land.

Clustered Settlements

Rural settlement pattern where homes are grouped closely together near a central node, common in Europe and parts of Africa/Asia.

Dispersed Settlements

Rural settlement pattern where homes are spread far apart, often found in the North American Midwest and Australia.

Linear Settlements

Settlement pattern where buildings are arranged along fixed landscape features like roads or rivers.

Metes and Bounds

A land survey system using physical features to define irregular property boundaries, originating from England.

Township and Range

A land survey system that divides land into 6x6 mile townships and 1x1 mile sections, established by the U.S. Land Ordinance of 1785.

Long Lot System

A French land survey method that divides land into narrow parcels stretching from a river or road.

Shifting Cultivation

Also known as slash-and-burn agriculture, a farming method involving clearing land for cultivation and then moving to a new plot after soil depletion.

Pastoral Nomadism

A form of subsistence agriculture based on the herding of animals, typically practiced in arid regions.

Intensive Subsistence Agriculture

Farming practice involving high labor inputs to produce food primarily for the farmer's family.

Columbian Exchange

The global movement of plants and animals between the Old World and the New World following Columbus's voyages.

First Agricultural Revolution

The transition from hunting and gathering to settled agriculture that began around 10,000 BCE.

Green Revolution

A period of agricultural transformation in the mid-20th century characterized by the development of high-yield crop varieties and increased use of chemical fertilizers.

Vertical Integration

A business strategy where a company owns multiple stages of production from farms to processing facilities.

Food Deserts

Urban or rural areas with limited access to fresh, affordable, and nutritious food.

Environmental Consequences of Agriculture

Negative effects of agricultural practices, including desertification and aquifer depletion.

GMO

Genetically modified organisms that have been altered to enhance agricultural productivity and resistance to pests.

Agribusiness

Commercial agriculture characterized by the integration of different steps in the food production process.

Milkshed

The area surrounding a city from which milk can be supplied without spoiling.

Intensive Agriculture

Farming that employs heavy inputs of labor and capital relative to land area.

Extensive Agriculture

Farming that uses low inputs of labor and capital relative to land area.

Bid-Rent Theory

The theory that land value decreases as the distance from the central market increases.

Horticulture

The cultivation of plants for food, materials, comfort, and beauty.

Sustainable Agriculture

Farming practices that maintain environmental health and profitability over the long term.

Aquaculture

The cultivation of aquatic organisms, such as fish and shellfish, under controlled conditions.

Cash Crops

Crops produced for commercial value rather than for use by the grower.

Mechanization

The process of using machines to perform agricultural tasks.

Terracing

An agricultural technique used in hilly terrains to reduce soil erosion and manage water.

Neocolonialism

The practice of using economic, political, and social pressures to control countries, particularly former colonies.

Fair Trade Movement

A social movement aimed at helping producers in developing countries achieve better trading conditions.

Deforestation

The clearing or thinning of forests by humans to make the land available for other uses.

Biotechnology

The use of living systems and organisms to develop or create products, often used in agriculture.

Hydroponics

A method of growing plants without soil, using mineral nutrient solutions in an aqueous solvent.

Transhumance

The seasonal migration of livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures.

Ranching

A form of agriculture focused on raising animals on large tracts of land.

Commercial Gardening

Farming for sale off the farm, often using migrant labor for cultivation.

Slash-and-Burn Agriculture

A method of agriculture involving the cutting and burning of plants to create fields.

Soil Depletion

The reduction of the soil's fertility and potential to support plant growth, often due to over-farming.

Population Pressure

The strain on land and resources as population size increases.

Biodiversity Loss

The decline in the variety of life in a particular habitat or in the world as a whole, often due to agriculture.

Cultural Landscape

The visible imprint of human activity on the landscape.