5.

1 Introduction to
Agriculture
Objective and Essential Learning

Explain the connection between physical geography and

agricultural practices.
▪ Agricultural practices are influenced by the physical environment and climate conditions, such as the
Mediterranean climate and tropical climates.
▪ Intensive farming practices include market gardening, plantation agriculture, and mixed
crop/livestock systems.
▪ Extensive farming practices include shifting cultivation, nomadic herding, and ranching.

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What factors impact the type of
agriculture grown around the
world?

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What factors impact the type of agriculture grown around the world?

1. The Physical Environment

▪ Climate - Agricultural output is
determined by bioclimatic zones.
Includes amounts of precipitation.

▪ Space/Landforms- Is the land

arable or non-arable? Mtn. ranges,
deserts

▪ Soil/Nutrients- Are nutrients

naturally occurring in the soil? If not
how are the nutrients supplied? 4
What factors impact the type of agriculture grown around the world?

Tropical & Subtropical

● Shifting Cultivation
● Plantation
● Characteristics:
○ High temperatures,
○ abundant rainfall,
○ humidity,
○ high amounts of
vegetation
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What factors impact the type of agriculture grown around the world?

Drylands/Desert
● Pastoral Nomadism
● Livestock Ranching
● Characteristics:
○ High temperatures,
○ Little rainfall,
○ Mountainous,
○ Little vegetation
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What factors impact the type of agriculture grown around the world?

Temperate (Mid-Latitude)
● Mixed Crop & Livestock
● Commercial Grain Farming
● Commercial (Market) Gardening
● Dairy
● Mediterranean
● Characteristics:
○ Seasonal changes between
summers and winters,
○ Moderate temperatures,
○ Moderate rainfall

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What factors impact the type of agriculture grown around the world?

Environmental Possibilism: The physical environment can impact the ways

in which human society develops, however humans can utilize technology
in order to combat natural limitations.

▪ Climate: Greenhouses

▪ Space/Landforms: Terrace Farming, Clearing

Trees & Vegetation
▪ Soil/Nutrients: Fertilizers, Slash & Burn
Agriculture

▪ Water/Precipitation: Irrigation, Draining

Note: These human modifications do have
Wetlands impacts on environmental sustainability.
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What factors impact the type of
agriculture grown around the
world?

THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

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What factors impact the type of agriculture grown around the world?

2. Economic Forces - The cost of land, labor and machinery.

INTENSIVE
● Large amount of labor and/or capital
● Small plots of land - land is scarce or
expensive
● Usually located near areas with high
population density
● Examples: Market Gardening,
Plantation Agriculture, Mixed Crop &
Livestock, Mediterranean
EXTENSIVE
● Fewer inputs of labor and/or capital
● Large plots of land - land is plentiful,
costs little
● Usually located away from major
population centers
● Shifting Cultivation, Livestock
Ranching, Nomadic Herding,
Commercial Grain Farming
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What factors impact the type of
agriculture grown around the
world?

ECONOMIC FACTORS

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Objective and Essential Learning

Explain the connection between physical geography and

agricultural practices.
▪ Agricultural practices are influenced by the physical environment and climate conditions, such as the
Mediterranean climate and tropical climates.
▪ Intensive farming practices include market gardening, plantation agriculture, and mixed
crop/livestock systems.
▪ Extensive farming practices include shifting cultivation, nomadic herding, and ranching.

12
Types of Agriculture
Shifting Cultivation
▪ Climate: Tropical

▪ Where: Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia

▪ Types of Crops: rice, maize (corn), millet and sorghum

▪ Intensive or Extensive: Extensive

▪ Commercial or Subsistence: Subsistence

▪ Description: Farmers move from one field to

another; aka slash-and-burn agriculture because
farmers clear and fertilize the land by burning
vegetation. When the soil loses fertility, the farmers
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move to a different plot of land and repeat.
Types of Agriculture
Nomadic Herding/Pastoral Nomadism
▪ Climate: Drylands/Desert

▪ Where: Northern Africa, Southwest Asia, Central

Asia, East Asia
▪ Types of Livestock: Cattle, Camels, Reindeer,
Goats, Yaks, Sheep, Horses

▪ Intensive or Extensive: Extensive

▪ Commercial or Subsistence: Subsistence

▪ Description: Nomads move herds to different

pastures and trade meat, milk, and hides. Rely upon
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animals for survival, not profit.
Types of Agriculture
Livestock Ranching
▪ Climate: Drylands/Desert

▪ Where: Western North America, Southeastern South

America, Central Asia, Australia, South Africa
▪ Types of Livestock: Cattle, Goats, Sheep

▪ Intensive or Extensive: Extensive

▪ Commercial or Subsistence: Commercial

▪ Description: Commercial grazing of

livestock. Eventually they will be sent to
feedlots and then be sent to slaughter. 15
Types of Agriculture
Commercial Grain Farming
▪ Climate: Mid-Latitudes, too dry for mixed
crop & livestock

▪ Where: United States, Canada, Europe,

Russia, Central Asia, China, South Asia
▪ Types of Crops: Wheat
▪ Intensive or Extensive: Extensive

▪ Commercial or Subsistence: Commercial

▪ Description: Crops are grown primarily for human

consumption.Farms sell their output to manufacturers
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of food products, such as breakfast cereals and bread.
Types of Agriculture
Market Gardening/Commercial Gardening/Truck Farming
▪ Climate: Warm Mid-Latitude

▪ Where: Southeastern US, California, Southeastern

Australia
▪ Types of Crops: Fresh fruits and vegetables, lettuce, broccoli, apples,
oranges, tomatoes

▪ Intensive or Extensive: Intensive (reliant on migrant laborers &

machinery)

▪ Commercial or Subsistence: Commercial

▪ Description: Some of the fruits and vegetables are sold fresh to consumers,
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but most are sold to large processors for canning or freezing.
Types of Agriculture
Plantation Agriculture
▪ Climate: Tropical

▪ Where: Latin America, Sub-Saharan

Africa, South & Southeast Asia
▪ Types of Crops: Commodity & speciality
crops such as cacao, coffee, rubber,
sugarcane, bananas, tobacco, tea,
coconuts & cotton.
▪ Intensive or Extensive: Intensive (reliant on cheap labor from former colonies)

▪ Commercial or Subsistence: Commercial

▪ Description: A plantation specializes in one crop that is transported for sale on the global
market. 18
Types of Agriculture
Mixed Crop & Livestock
▪ Climate: Cold & Warm Mid-Latitude

▪ Where: Midwestern United States & Canada,

Central Europe
▪ Types of Crops: Corn, grains, & soybeans
grown to feed to cattle & pigs.
▪ Intensive or Extensive: Intensive (reliant on
high amounts of capital & labor)

▪ Commercial or Subsistence: Commercial

▪ Description: Most money comes from the 19

sale of livestock rather than crop outputs.
Types of Agriculture
Mediterranean
▪ Climate: Mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers,
coastal

▪ Where: Southern Europe & Northern Africa Pacific

Coast of the US, Chile, South Africa, Southern
Australia

▪ Types of Crops: Grapes, olives, dates, figs

▪ Intensive or Extensive: Intensive (land is scarce, hilly, labor intensive)

▪ Commercial or Subsistence: Commercial

▪ Description: Orchards are common, crops produced for the global market.
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Types of Agriculture
Dairy Farming
▪ Climate: Mid-Latitudes

▪ Where: Northern United States, Canada,

Europe, Russia, China, India, Brazil

▪ Intensive or Extensive: Intensive (cows

need to be milked 2x a day; machinery)

▪ Commercial or Subsistence: Commercial

▪ Description: Dairy farmers typically sell

their milk to wholesalers who later
distribute it to retailers. Retailers then sell
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it to consumers in shops or at home.
Objective and Essential Learning

Explain the connection between physical geography and

agricultural practices.
▪ Agricultural practices are influenced by the physical environment and climate conditions, such as the
Mediterranean climate and tropical climates.
▪ Intensive farming practices include market gardening, plantation agriculture, and mixed
crop/livestock systems.
▪ Extensive farming practices include shifting cultivation, nomadic herding, and ranching.

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