Agriculture

Question 1

Define agriculture

Answer 1

The production of crops or livestock

Question 2

Arable farming and Pastoral

Answer 2

Arable: grow crops
Pastoral: rearing of animals

Question 3

Intensive and Extensive farming

Answer 3

Intensive:
- Normally a smaller farm
- Relatively high inputs per hectare
- Relatively high yields per hectare
Extensive:
- Normally a larger farm
- Relatively few inputs per hectare
- Relatively low yields per hectare

Question 4

Inputs, Process and Ouputs

Answer 4

• Human Inputs: things that are built or made by humans and added to a farm.
  + Labour, machinery, pesticides, fertilisers
• Physical Inputs: natural things that are either found on a farm or are added to a farm.
  + Relief, temperature, soils, precipitation
• Process: the events that take place on a farm to turn inputs into outputs.
  + Arable: harvesting, planting, irrigating, fertilising
  + Pastoral: feeding, milking, shearing
• Outputs: things that are produced on a farm and are often sold.
  + Arable: cereals, flowers, veggies
  + Pastoral: milk, wool, meat

Question 5

Inputs, Process and Ouptputs of a large-scale system of commercial farming

Answer 5

• Inputs are usually human inputs (examples)

- Process: pest control, milking, shearing (anything involves the use of machinery

Question 6

Inputs, Process and Outputs smallscale subsistence farming

Answer 6

• Inputs are usually physical inputs (examples)

- Process: planting, harvesting

Question 7

Define subsistence farming

Answer 7

farming that involves only rearing enough animals and/or growing enough crops to support immediate friends and family

Question 8

Define sedentary farming

Answer 8

farming that takes places in a permanent location. The farm and the farmer stays in the same place every year.

Question 9

Define shifting cultivation

Answer 9

farming that moves from one location to another every couple of years.

Question 10

Define yield

Answer 10

the amount of crops that are harvested

Question 11

Define cash crops

Answer 11

crops that are normally grown in large plantations for the purpose of selling (making a profit). Cash crops are often grow in LEDCs and refer to things like tea, rubber, coffee beans, cocoa beans but they can also refer to corn, wheat, barley, etc. grown in MEDCs.

Question 12

Human causes of famine

Answer 12

• Overpopulation
• Overgrazing
• Overcultivation: Trying to grow much on land can cause soil degradation
• Deforestation: soil erosion

Question 13

Physical causes of famine

Answer 13

• Temperature
• Rainfall
• Natural disasters

Question 14

Problems caused by famine

Answer 14

• Loss of income
• Death
• Illness

Question 15

Solutions

Answer 15

• Crop Rotation and Fallow Periods: By using different crops and allowing the land to rest it gives nutrients and minerals chance to return to soil making it more fertile and hopefully increase yields over longer periods.
• Afforestation: ensure that the nutrient cycles are maintained
• Fertlisers and Pesticides: Although overuse of fertilisers and pesticides can damage the soil and pollute nearby water courses, if they are used properly they should improve the amount of nutrients present in the soil.