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The Development of Agriculture: Altering the Natural Environment

This article explores the impact of agriculture on the natural environment and the patterns of agricultural development. It discusses the major centers of domestication, diffusion patterns, and the connection between physical geography and agriculture processes. It also examines agricultural regions and the economic forces that influence agriculture.

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The Development of Agriculture: Altering the Natural Environment

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  1. Agriculture Debra Troxell, NBCT

  2. The development of agriculture led to widespread alteration of the natural environment • Id major centers of domestication of plants and animals and patterns of diffusion in the 1st Ag. Revolution • Early hearths • Patterns of diffusion (Columbian Exchange) • Explain the connection between physical geography and ag. Processes • Ag. Regions are influenced by the natural environment • Populations alter the landscape (terraces, irrigation, deforestation, draining wetlands) to increase food production

  3. Major agricultural regions reflect physical geography and economic forces • Id agricultural production regions associated with major bioclimatic zones • Analyze the economic forces that influence agricultural forces • Explain the spatial organization of large-scale commercial agriculture and agribusiness

  4. Agricultural Hearths – 1st Agricultural Revolution

  5. Carl Sauer’s beliefs on domestication • Domestication probably did not develop in response to hunger • Starving people must spend every waking hour searching for food • Started by people who had enough food to remain settled in one place • Did not occur in grasslands or river floodplains because of thick sod and periodic flooding • Must have started in regions where many different kinds of wild plants grew • Started in hilly district areas, where climates change with differing sun exposure and altitude • Vegetative Planting 1st (transplanting part of actual plant) then Seed Planting

  6. Plant Domestication • Perennial wheat article

  7. Subsistence Agriculture • Found in LDC’s • Commercial Agriculture • Found in MDC’s • Distinguishing features • Purpose of farming • # of farmers in the labor force • Use of machinery • Farm size • Relationship of farming to other businesses Rubenstein p. 330-333

  8. Diffusion along Trade Routes • Columbian Exchange • Responsible for Diffusion of ideas, farming methods and crops • Resulting in Globalization • European Colonization Replaced Indigenous Agriculture and Spread Cash Crop Production

  9. Arable Land • Would you expect MDCs to have a lot of arable or not much? Why? • LDCs? Why?

  10. Arable Land by Country

  11. Percent of Labor Force engaged in Agriculture Rub. Map 331

  12. Rub. Map 331

  13. World Regions of Primarily Subsistence Agriculture On this map, India and China are not shaded because farmers sell some produce at markets; in equatorial Africa and South America, subsistence farming allows little excess and thus little produce sold at markets.

  14. LDC: Shifting Cultivation Characterized by Slash and burn agriculture Using field for only a few years Extensive land use Cleared land called Swidden or ladang, milpa, chena or kaingin Crops SE Asia: rice S America: maize & cassava Africa: millet & sorghum

  15. Why is Shifting cultivation expected to diminish in the 21st century?

  16. LDC: Pastoral Nomadism • A form of subsistence agricultural • Extensive land use • Located in semiarid lands of: N. Africa, Middle East, Central Asia • Only 15 million people are pastoral nomads but use 20% of Earth’s land area • Transhumance

  17. LDC: Intensive Subsistence Agriculture w/wet rice • Intensive: farmers more work more intensively to subsist • Areas of high population density resulting in less land available/farmer • Some are wet rice areas • Some have double cropping (2 harvests/yr) Online Simulation: http://3rdworldfarmer.com/

  18. LDC: Intensive Subsistence Agriculture wet rice not dominant • Areas with low precipitation • Crops: wheat, barley, legumes, etc. • Crop rotation • Common in China

  19. Role of Women • Food Production • Food gathering • 80% Rule: 80% of food eaten on African table is grown by women. • Types of food prepared & consumed • Produced on the farm • Corn tortillas, bread, vegetables

  20. LDC: Plantation Farming • A large farm that specializes in one or two crops: cotton, sugarcane, coffee, rubber & tobacco • Extensive land use • Usually in subtropics • Usually in areas of low population density – must import workers

  21. LDC: Plantation Farming • Rubber Trees • Area 700 miles on each side of equator • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB5wdmbcI3o • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOOTF8vu6ps

  22. MDC: Mixed Crop & Livestock • Most common form of commercial ag in US • Most crops are fed to animals rather than for human consumption – corn or soybeans common • Uses crop rotation Rub. Map 343

  23. MDC: Dairy Farming • Once only in MDC’s, now more common in S & E Asia – • India is the #1 producer • Must be close to market – milkshed • Improved transportation and refrigeration have increased milkshed radius Rub. Map p. 344

  24. MDC: Grain Farming • Crops grown primarily for human consumption • Grains are: wheat, corn, oats, barley, rice, millet, etc. • Stores easily & transported a long distance • N. Am prairies – world’s “breadbasket” Rub. Map 346

  25. MDC: Livestock Ranching • Commercial grazing of livestock over an extensive area • Range wars caused by enclosures • Introduction of new cattle breeds • Ranching: USA, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, southern Brazil & Uruguay Rub. Map 348

  26. MDC: Mediterranean Ag. • S. Europe, N. Africa, w. Asia, California, central Chile, & sw. Australia • All of the above borders seas, most on west coast off continents • Mostly horticulture: fruits, vegetables, and flowers & commercial tree crops • Most of world’s olives & grapes produced in Med. areas

  27. MDC: Commercial Gardening • Predominant in SE US • Aka “truck farming” (truck was a Middle English word for bartering) • Highly efficient large-scale operations • New England has specialty farming – limited but increased demand among affluent, ex: asparagus, strawberries, etc.

  28. Agricultural Regions • By Derwent Whittlesey, 1936 • 11 main agricultural regions • 5 in LDC’s • 6 in MDC’s • including 1 where ag is nonexistent

  29. Koppen Climate System

  30. Koppen Classification System of Climateshttp://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/climate_systems/climate_classification.html Climate Types 1. Humid Equatorial Climates (Tropical: Class A) • Af – no dry season • Am – Short dry season • Aw – dry winters (S.W. Florida) 2. Dry Climates (Dry: Class B) • Bs – Semiarid • Bw – Arid 3. Humid Temperate Climates (Temperate: Class C) • Cf – no dry season • Cw – dry winter • Cs – dry summer 4. Humid Cold Climates (Cold: Class D) • Df – no dry season • Dw – dry winter 5. Cold Polar (tundra and ice) (Polar: Class E) 6. Highland Climates (Vertical)

  31. 1. Humid Equatorial Climates 2. Dry Climates 3. Humid Temperate Climates 4. Humid Cold Climates 5. Cold Polar 6. Highland Climates (Vertical)

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