Agricultural Geography PDF

AGRICULTURAL GEOGRAPHY The emergence and diffusion of agriculture occurred in many geographic locations, + The Prehistoric period is the time in human history commonly known...

AGRICULTURAL GEOGRAPHY The emergence and diffusion of agriculture occurred in many geographic locations, + The Prehistoric period is the time in human history commonly known as hearths, across the globe. before the invention of writing systems, which is The era characterized by significant estimated to have lasted from 2.5 million years ago to advancements is commonly referred to as the 3,600 BCE. It's also known as pre-literary history. First Agricultural Revolution. + Lifestyle: early humans lived in caves or simple huts or tepees and were hunters and Origins of Agriculture gatherers. They used basic stone and bone The concept of agriculture has often been constrained in tools, as well as crude stone axes, for hunting its breadth, with a tendency to concentrate on specific birds and wild animals. activities and creatures, such as the cultivation of + The three prehistoric ages are the Paleolithic, wet-rice in Asia and cow ranching in the Americas. Mesolithic, and Neolithic Nevertheless, a more expansive perspective posits that people might be seen as environmental engineers that This particular method of sustenance persisted as the purposefully alter terrestrial environments in discernible sole means of survival until the conclusion of the ways. As a result, a specific geographical area Mesolithic era, approximately 12,000 to 10,000 years in possesses the capacity to support a higher number of the past. plant and animal species that are valued for their use + also known as the Middle Stone Age, was a sustaining human life, driving technological progress, transitional period between the Paleolithic and serving therapeutic needs, and fulfilling various other Neolithic Eras practical functions. + Lifestyle: Mesolithic people were hunter-gatherers who moved around in search Domestication can be described as a biological of food. They also began to practice some basic phenomenon wherein organisms undergo a process of agriculture. selection by humans, resulting in the development of traits that enhance their usefulness. The Neolithic revolution was characterized by the This phenomenon is seen in plant species that progressive replacement of the hunting and gathering display enlarged seeds, fruits, or tubers in system with agriculture. comparison to their wild progenitors. Termed as + also known as the New Stone Age, was a cultigens, domesticated plants have their period in human history that began around origins in several botanical families, which are 10,000 BC and ended around 3,000 BC. classified as clusters of closely related species + Lifestyle: It was a time when humans that possess a shared ancestral lineage. transitioned from hunting and gathering to Domesticated animals have typically originated farming, and when the first pottery was made from socially inclined species in their natural and permanent settlements were established. habitats, which, akin to plants, could be selectively bred to enhance qualities that are + The Prehistoric period is the time in human history beneficial to humans. before the invention of writing systems, which is estimated to have lasted from 2.5 million years ago to Agriculture in Less Developed 3,600 BCE. It's also known as pre-literary history. + Lifestyle: early humans lived in caves or Countries simple huts or tepees and were hunters and In several nations, a significant portion of the population gatherers. They used basic stone and bone engages in agricultural activities primarily to meet the tools, as well as crude stone axes, for hunting subsistence needs of their households rather than birds and wild animals. engaging in commercial trade. The three prehistoric ages are the Paleolithic, Each of the four basic methods of subsistence Mesolithic, and Neolithic farming demonstrates a strong compatibility with the particular physical and climatic AGRICULTURE - The term "agriculture" encompasses circumstances within which it is practiced: the practice of cultivating crops and rearing livestock Shifting agriculture, Sedentary farming, Nomadic with the dual purpose of providing subsistence and herding, Intensive subsistence farming. generating economic benefits. ○ Shifting cultivation, also referred to as The origins of agriculture can be traced back to slash-and-burn agriculture, is a prehistoric periods, marked by the domestication customary agricultural technique of plants and animals by early human characterized by the clearance of land civilizations. through the cutting down of vegetation + Domestication is the process of adapting wild followed by its subsequent burning. plants and animals to be used by humans + this method involves clearing The origins of agriculture can be traced back to a plot of land, usually a forest, prehistoric periods, marked by the domestication and using it for a few years. of plants and animals by early human Once the soil's nutrients are civilizations. The domestication of plants and depleted, the land is abandoned animals, a pivotal event in human history, is and another plot is cleared. This widely recognized as a momentous and method is sustainable in areas revolutionary process that led to the creation of with low population density, but agriculture. can cause deforestation and soil  erosion in areas with high Hunting and gathering communities are defined by a population density. nomadic lifestyle, which involves the habit of following ○ + Sedentary farming is a type of herds. The animals that form the herds are classified as agriculture where the same crops are non-domesticated, suggesting their inherent wild grown in the same area of land year characteristics. Hunting and gathering communities are after year. characterized by the absence of a distinct set of animals ○ + Nomadic herding also known as that they systematically follow and depend upon. nomadic pastoralism, is the practice of Hunters and gatherers place significant moving livestock from place to place in emphasis on gathering as a means to search of fresh pastures. It's one of the supplement their consumption of meat, whereas oldest forms of herding and is still pastoral nomads generally rely on animals and practiced in some parts of the world: their by-products as their primary source of roam in small tribal or extended sustenance, participating in modest gathering family groups and have no practices. home base. ○ + Intensive subsistence farming a Agriculture in More Developed labor-intensive farming method that involves cultivating a small plot of land Countries using simple tools to produce enough In more developed countries (MDCs), agricultural food for a local community. practices exhibit a higher degree of technological advancement, resulting in increased productivity and The first agricultural system under consideration is better crop yields. pastoral nomadism, which involves a mobile lifestyle Commercial agriculture has several distinct centered around the herding of livestock. This system characteristics: relies on the movement of herds to find suitable grazing ○ A minority of individuals engaged in areas and is commonly practiced in arid or semi-arid agricultural activities within the labor regions. force. ○ Widespread utilization of mechanization in farming practices. Pastoral Nomadism: Dry Regions ○ Considerable scale of agricultural A form of subsistence agriculture based on the herding operations. of domesticated animals. ○ Sale of produced goods to processing May combine some reliance on sedentary entities. agriculture with the herding of livestock. ○ Collaboration and interconnection with Commonly, women and children of a nomadic other commercial enterprises. group tend to crops at a fixed location, while man herd. The Green Revolution Intensive subsistence agriculture with wet rice Norman Borlaug, an American scientist with a keen cultivation does not have a prominent position. interest in agriculture, is frequently credited as a pivotal The concept of plantation is commonly figure in the initiation of the Green Revolution. During the recognized as the fifth agricultural method 1940s, the individual initiated a research endeavor in employed in less developed countries (LDCs). Mexico, which led to the development of novel wheat However, Rubenstein's analysis of agriculture in varieties characterized by enhanced disease resistance more developed countries (MDCs) includes a and increased production potential. discussion on plantation in the corresponding The technologies of the Green Revolution in section. Mexico gained global dissemination during the 1950s and 1960s, owing to its notable Shifting cultivation is a prevalent agricultural method achievements. In the 1940s, the United States observed in regions characterized by low latitudes, and it relied on imports for approximately 50% of its exhibits substantial distinctions as compared to wheat supply. agricultural strategies commonly employed in more Presently, India holds a prominent position as a developed countries (MDCs). The farmers engage in the global rice producer, with its production volume practice of removing all plants and waste from the area, ranking among the highest worldwide. The afterwards disposing of it through the process of burning. adoption of IR8 rice, which originated in India, Hence, the agricultural technique popularly subsequently proliferated across various Asian known as shifting cultivation is also regions during the decades that ensued its initial acknowledged as slash-and-burn agriculture. development. However, it is important to note that tropical rainforests The term "harvest index" pertains to the weight of the play a significant role in the production of a substantial plant's above-ground biomass. portion of the Earth's oxygen. However, the use of irrigation techniques enabled the Pastoral nomadism represents a prevalent farming storage and transfer of water to arid areas, thereby practice. While bearing resemblance to the practices of expanding the agricultural footprint and consequently hunters and gatherers, this phenomenon exhibits a augmenting crop yields on a national scale. higher degree of intricacy. Commercial agriculture is primarily driven by the desire of maximizing profits subsistence agriculture focuses on meeting the basic needs of the farmer and their immediate community.