Employing nearly half of the world's workforce, agriculture is clearly of great economic and social importance. An incredible variety of methods are used globally; the Western world has the latest scientific and industrial advancements at its disposal, yet in the Thrid World a living is made using tools that have hardly changed in two thousand years. An Introduction to Agricultural Geography provides an extensive guide through this diverse and increaslingly important geographical subject, aiming to show that a wide range of factors explain how agricultural practices differ from place to place. Dealing with the physical environment, economic behaviour and demands, institutional and social influences and the impact of farming upon the environment, the author has produced an important introductory text that is topical, incisive and ultimately essential to reach an understanding of the remarkable diversity of the world's major industry.

Agricultural Systems, Second Edition, is a comprehensive text for developing sustainable farming systems. It presents a synthetic overview of the emerging area of agroecology applications to transforming farming systems and supporting rural innovation, with particular emphasis on how research can be harnessed for sustainable agriculture. The inclusion of research theory and examples using the principles of cropping system design allows students to gain a unique understanding of the technical, biological, ecological, economic and sociological aspects of farming systems science for rural livelihoods. This book explores topics such as: re-inventing farming systems; principles and practice of agroecology; agricultural change and low-input technology; ecologically-based nutrient management; participatory breeding for developing improved and relevant crops; participatory livestock research for development; gender and agrarian inequality at the local scale; the nature of agricultural innovation; and outreach to support rural innovation. The extensive coverage of subjects is complemented with integrated references and a companion website, making this book essential reading for courses in international agricultural systems and management, sustainable agricultural management, and cropping systems. This book will be a valuable resource for students of agricultural science, environmental engineering, and rural planning; researchers and scientists in agricultural development agencies; and practitioners of agricultural development in government extension programs, development agencies, and NGOs. - Provides students with an enhanced understanding of how research can be harnessed for sustainable agriculture - Incorporates social, biological, chemical, and geographical aspects important to agroecology - Addresses social and development issues related to farming systems

Agricultural geography is defined as the study of the geographical and locational attributes, patterns, and processes of crop and animal farming, and related subjects such as farm land, farm-associated human geographers, environmental issues, and theoretical works on the location of agricultural activities. The study of agricultural geography has produced a large amount of literature. This volume records and presents, in an organized manner, as much as possible of this literature. The entries of this compendium are written in a wide array of languages, including English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German, Swedish, Danish, Dutch, Russian and others in order to provide the widest coverage possible. The entries include atlases, books, book chapters, scholarly articles from professional journals, conference proceedings, doctoral dissertations, and master's theses. Over 12,000 entries have been recorded here, with the hope that such references will encourage and support the work of students, faculty, and other users.

The classic text originated by Terry Jordan remains a bestselling classroom favorite, continually offering students a cohesive framework for exploring both the defining core topics of human geography and the most important, emerging issues in the field. In the new edition, authors Mona Domosh, Roderick Neumann, and Patricia Price offer their take on Terry Jordan's unique approach, organizing each chapter around five essential themes: • Region • Mobility • Globalization • Nature-Culture • Cultural Landscape Within this thematic approach, the new edition offers fully updated coverage, new features and pedagogy, and new media options.

Even though Geographic Information Systems GIS have been available for over 20 years, they have only recently become accessible to geographers and others as a useful tool in spacial analysis. This book assembles a balanced sample of written works covering important aspects of the basic principles of GIS and selected examples of applications.

Simply stated, geography studies the locations of things and the explanations that underlie spatial distributions. Profound forces at work throughout the world have made geographical knowledge increasingly important for understanding numerous human dilemmas and our capacities to address them. With more than 1,200 entries, the Encyclopedia of Geography reflects how the growth of geography has propelled a demand for intermediaries between the abstract language of academia and the ordinary language of everyday life. The six volumes of this encyclopedia encapsulate a diverse array of topics to offer a comprehensive and useful summary of the state of the discipline in the early 21st century. Key Features Gives a concise historical sketch of geography′s long, rich, and fascinating history, including human geography, physical geography, and GIS Provides succinct summaries of trends such as globalization, environmental destruction, new geospatial technologies, and cyberspace Decomposes geography into the six broad subject areas: physical geography; human geography; nature and society; methods, models, and GIS; history of geography; and geographer biographies, geographic organizations, and important social movements Provides hundreds of color illustrations and images that lend depth and realism to the text Includes a special map section Key Themes Physical Geography Human Geography Nature and Society Methods, Models, and GIS People, Organizations, and Movements History of Geography This encyclopedia strategically reflects the enormous diversity of the discipline, the multiple meanings of space itself, and the diverse views of geographers. It brings together the diversity of geographical knowledge, making it an invaluable resource for any academic library.