APHG: Chapter 9

A large-scale farming enterprise

Deliberate modification of Earth’s surface through cultivation of plants and rearing of animals to obtain sustenance or economic gain.

Population growth compels subsistence farmers to consider new farming approaches that produce enough food to take care of the additional people.

Defined the concept of cultural landscape as the fundamental unit of geographical analysis. This landscape results from interactions between humans and the physical environment. Also introduced the distinction between vegetative and seed planting. Supported vegetative (or root) planting as earliest form.

A crop that is unnecessary for survival, but can be sold for a large profit.

Agriculture undertaken to sell the products; it is routinely practiced in MDCs

An agricultural technique in which plowing and harvesting are done parallel to the topographic contours of the land, in order to prevent erosion.

The practice of rotating use of different fields from crop to crop each year, to avoid exhausting the soil.

The process of changing plants or animals to make them more useful to humans

Harvesting twice a year from the same field.

consists of any agricultural economy in which the crops and/or animals are used nearly exclusively for local or family consumption on large areas of land and minimal labor input per acre

cultivated land that is not seeded for one or more growing seasons

a building where livestock are fattened for market

a mix of genetic material of two or more species that would not mix in nature

the introduction of pesticides and high-yield grains and better management during the 1960s and 1970s which greatly increased agricultural productivity