CH 10 KI 1 STUDY GUIDE READING OUTLINE - PART 2
Read Study Guide Unit 5 pages 135-137

Define: enclosure
Early 1700’s, wealthy landowners in England began to enlarge their farms fencing large blocks of land for
experiments with new techniques of farming

Define: crop rotation
the practice of rotating use of different fields from crop to crop each year to avoid exhausting the soil;
annual alternation of crops that make different demands on the soil- adding or using nutrients that affect
fertility

What was the second agricultural revolution and when did it occur?
Began in Western Europe in the 1600’s, intensified agriculture by promoting higher yields per acre & per
farmer; allowed a change beyond subsistence agriculture to allow labor to work in factories; major
practices include Enclosure Act and Crop Rotation
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CH 10 KI 1 RUBENSTEIN READING OUTLINE- PART 2
R330 Classifying Agricultural Regions

What kind of farming is usually practiced in MDCs? In LDCs?
MDCs - usually commercial agriculture
R330
LDCs - usually subsistence agriculture
Differences Between Subsistence & Commercial Agriculture

Define: subsistence agriculture
agriculture designed primarily to provide food for direct consumption by the farmer & farmer's family

Define: commercial agriculture
agriculture undertaken primarily to generate products for sale off the farm

What are the five principal features that distinguish commercial agriculture from subsistence agriculture?
Use these features as headings for the chart below and then complete the chart:
LDCs
MDCs
1 Purpose of Farming
most people produce food for their
own consumption
farmers grow crops and raise animals
primarily for sale off of the farm
2 Percentage of
Farmers in Labor
Force
more than ½ (50%) of labor force
engaged directly in farming
less than 1/10 (10%) of labor force
engaged directly in farming
(ex: United States & Canada = less
than 2%)
3 Use of Machinery
small use of machinery - most
farmers do much of the work with
hand tools and animal power
heavy use of machinery - increases
productivity so a small number of
farmers can feed a large society
4 Farm Size
small farms
relatively large farms
5 Relationship of
Farming to Other
Businesses
not closely related to other
businesses - most are subsistence
farmers with little surplus
closely tied to other businesses - often
referred to as agribusiness

Purpose of Farming
What is the basic difference between agriculture in MDCs vs. in LDCs?
MDCs = to sell

LDCs = to provide for family
Percentage of Farmers in the Labor Force
What has technology done to the number of small farmers?
# of farmers declined dramatically during 20th century in MDCs

Use of Machinery
How have transportation improvements aided commercial farmers?
transport crops & livestock faster so crops can reach markets without spoiling

What roles do large corporations play in commercial farming?
the farm is integrated into a large food-production industry

What kind of scientific advances (at least three) are available to commercial farmers? What technological
advances have allowed commercial farmers in the U.S. and Canada to produce higher crop yields?
tractors, combines, corn-pickers
new fertilizers, herbicides, hybrid plants, animal breeds, and farming practices in addition to using GPS

Farm Size
How big is the average American farm? How many of them are family owned and operated?
171 hectares (444 acres); 98%

What happened to the number of farmers and available farmland between 1900 and 2000?
number of farms and farmers decreased significantly (60% fewer farms & 85% fewer farmers) but amount
of land devoted to agriculture increased by 13%

Define: prime agricultural land
the most productive farmland

Relationship of Farming to Other Businesses
Define: agribusiness
Commercial agriculture characterized by the integration of different steps in the food-processing industry,
usually through large corporations; the business or industry of farming or agriculture : farming thought of
as a large business
R333
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Mapping Agricultural Regions
Describe the agricultural regions Derwent Whittlesey identified. List the 11 main agricultural regions in the
world and name 1 country in each region.(see world map in text)
Ag Region
Shifting Cultivation
Intensive Subsistence - wet rice dominant
Intensive Subsistence - wet rice not dominant
Pastoral Nomadism
Mixed crop and livestock
Dairy
Grain
Livestock Ranching
Mediterranean
Commercial Gardening
Plantation
Country
Brazil
China
India
Somalia
France
United Kingdom
Ukraine
Argentina
Italy
United States
Costa Rica

How and why did Whittlesey sort these regions? How might climate determine the type of agriculture in a
particular region?
by climate - climate zones are classified by average temperature, annual precipitation (amount), etc.
which directly influences the crop that is grown or whether animals are raised instead of growing any crop

How does environmental determinism support climate’s impact on agriculture?
the type of climate (an environmental factor) determines the type of crop grown and/or whether animals
are raised; ex: pastoral nomadism in the Middle East because of the arid climate vs. shifting cultivation in
central Africa because of the tropical climate

How do cultural preferences explain agricultural differences in areas that have the same climate?
hog/pig production is virtually nonexistent in predominately Muslim regions because of that religion’s
taboo against consuming pork products
wine production is relatively low in Africa and Asia (even though the climate is favorable for growing
grapes) because of alcohol avoidance in predominantly non-Christian countries)
R334 Contemporary Geographic Tools: Protecting Farmland

How does GPS help farmers?
GPS units determine the precise coordinates for spreading different types and amounts of fertilizers; also
used to monitor the location of cattle on large ranches

How has GIS helped agriculture in Maryland?
identify which farms should be protected and preserved - allowed GIS consultants to identify the “best”
lands according to economic and environmental factors; part of an overall strategy to minimize urban
sprawl (suburbanization) and keep new developments tightly packed around existing urban areas