Changing Urban Environments Flashcards
Define a ‘rural area’.
An area in the country which is less densely populated.
What are the pressures faced in rural areas?
- Decline in primary employment - Due to mechanisation and importing of food.
- Rural urban migration - Better work in urban areas, and discouragement due to natural disasters such as drought and flooding. This results in a lower availability of land for subsistence farming.
- Commuting areas - In MEDC’s, rural areas benefit from cheaper housing and more green space. Improvements in transport have allowed this to happen. Pressure for good links.
- Retirement homes - In MEDC’s, people often downsize to smaller homes in quiter environments, as they no longer need to live close to work.
- Second homes - In national parks and other areas in the UK, wealthy urban residents may buy a second home to use in their leisure time. This pushes up the price of homes in the area and means less are available for the local residents.
- Land use - Deforestation, mining and cash crops cause pressure. Effects can include soil erosion. Also pressure to use rural alnd to build on, new retail centres and homes are being built on greenfield sites.
- Infrastructure - Roads to help movement of people. This has put pressure on the Amazon rainforest in Brazil for the ecosystem, and has allowed greater access by farmers into fragile areas.
What are the social and economic changes in rural areas in MEDC’s?
- Job losses - Mechanisation, importing.
- House price increases - Restrictions on new developments in National Parks, second homes.
- New homes - Greenfield sites. Traffic congestions and more car journeys.
- Competition from abroad - Importing. Tourist accommodation. Seasonal.
- Rural depopulation - Push factors such as shortage of jobs/lack of social life. However, there is counter urbanisation.
- Decline in services - Depopulation means local service decline.
What is the declination cycle for rural areas?
- People, especially the young, leave for more opportunities in urban areas.
- Employers find it difficult to recruit labour.
- Less investment happens in the area and businesses shut.
- Less money, less employment and fewer people leads to shops and services declining.
- People notice the decline and the lower quality of life.
Name ways we can make rural areas sustainable in MEDC’s?
- Form co-operatives to provide services. e.g: Berrynarbor, Ilfracombe, is a community shop in which nearly half of the villagers invested in.
- Government Environmental Stewardship Scheme (ESS) pays farmers to improve landscape, promote public access and conserve wildlife.
- EU can fund more deprived rural regions through funds such as the European Regional Development Fund.
- National parks are managed with sustainability in mind. Conflicts can be avoided by using clear signage, restrictions on development and traffic/park and ride schemes.
What are the changes in rural areas for LEDC’s?
- Changes are important, as LEDC’s import less food from other countries than MEDC’s.
- Rural to urban migration - Migrants are able to send money home however, often young males who move so remaining family may be less physically able, and due to absence of young males, children may have to work on the farm rather than going to school.
- Subsistence farming converted for cash crops - Higher income and more jobs however, less land available to feed population, water supplies used, fertiliser may enter local water supply, rates of soil erosion increase and local ecosystems may be damaged.
- Population increase - Pressure on food supply.
- Hazards and diseases - Epidemics raising death rate. Fewer older people to work on fields to produce food.
- Environmental degradation - Desertification and deforestation resulting in soil erosion and loss of ecosystem.
- Globalisation of tourism - Some rural areas attract tourists. e.g: Maasai Mara in Kenya.
What is the cycle of decline for LEDC’s?
- Fewer people to farm the land.
- Farming decreases and less food is produced.
- Food insecurity occurs.
- Rural-urban migration.
Name ways we can make rural areas sustainable in LEDC’s?
- Improve rural economy - Encourage income generation. Less rural-urban migration.
- Increasing rural food production - In an environmentally sensitive way.
- Improving rural standard of living - Clean water and safe sewage disposal. Access to education and healthcare for everyone.
- Improvements in communication.
- Charity work - Teaching natural farming methods to boost crops and increase yields, ‘pass on’ knowledge/seeds for others, training to reduce soil erosion, helping people to help themselves to boost confidence/community spirit, self-sufficiency.
What is a subsistence farm?
When crops and animals are used sustain the needs of the farmer themselves, and their family.
What is sedentary farming?
When a farm is based in the same location all the time.
What is nomadic farming?
When a farmer moves from one place to another. Common in some LEDC’s.
What is commercial farming?
When crops and animals are produced to sell at market for a profit.
What are arable farms?
Farms that grow crops.
What are pastoral farms?
Farms to rear animals.
What are mixed farms?
Farms that grow crops and rear animals.
What is extensive farming?
Where a relatively small amount of produce is generated from a large area of farmland.
What is intensive farming?
When a large amount of produce is generated from a relatively small area of land.
Inputs (Fertilisers, machines or labour) will be high to achieve a high yield.
Why is farming in the UK today no longer as profitable for everyone as it has been?
- Supermarkets buy in bulk and are driving down the price of food.
- Imported food is often cheaper.
- Mechanisation and changes to grants have meant smaller farms and hill farms go out of business.
Draw The Burgess Model (MEDC Model).
Rural-Urban fringe on outside.
Price of housing increases away from CBD.
Draw The LEDC Model.
Price of housing increases towards CBD.
