Agricultural Techniques and Land Use Explained
Vocabulary: Agriculture and Land Use
Irrigated Agriculture
A cultivation technique that provides plants with additional water inputs, enabling intensive agriculture. However, it can lead to problems such as water overexploitation. Most irrigated areas are found along the Mediterranean coast, and in the valleys of the Ebro, Duero, and Tagus rivers.
Extensive Agriculture
Practiced on large tracts of land, requiring little labor.
Intensive Agriculture
Located in very limited areas of land, it utilizes more capital and labor to achieve high yields, involving the use of modern methods.
Waters
Refers to the fishing Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of individual countries. In 1982, the UN established limits at 200 miles, affecting fisheries.
Sharecropping
A system of land tenure that relates the owner of the land to the tiller.
Fallow
A traditional farming practice in dryland areas where the land is left to rest for a variable period. During this time, the soil crust is broken to allow rainwater penetration and facilitate weeding.
Industrial Crops
Crop species cultivated for obtaining non-food products, such as tobacco.
Holding
The basic unit of agricultural production.
Ranching
Practiced in large areas that require little labor.
Latifundio
Large land ownership, often characterized by absentee ownership and poor performance.
Smallholder
A small farm. This type of farm can hinder competitive agriculture and tends to disappear.
Monoculture
A cropping system that involves producing a single crop.
Plot of Cultivation
Cultivation of species to obtain non-food use products, such as tobacco.
Deep Sea Fishing
Develops offshore using vessels and advanced techniques that allow for higher catches.
Inshore Fishing
Takes place near the shore using small boats, with artisanal methods employed during the day.
Community Agricultural Platform
Emerged atop continental blocks, extending from the low tide limit to the continental slope, characterized by an increase in slope.
Irrigation
Relates to irrigated agriculture.
Crop Rotation
Aims to prevent soil depletion by resting the land, a practice now often replaced.
Seasonal Migration
The seasonal movement of livestock to access new pastures, primarily influenced by climate.