HC Population and the Environment Flashcards
What are the definitions of population - parameters, density and distribution?
Parameters - A numerical value that describes the population.
Density - The number of people living in a specific area, usually expressed as ppl per km².
Distribution - The pattern of where people live globally, but can also be considered at local and regional scales.
What is the definition of climate?
A region’s long-term weather patterns measured in terms of average prceipitation, temperature etc.
What is the definition of topography?
Relief (height and shape of the land) and drainage of an area.
What is the definition of soils?
A material typically consisting of a mixture of organic remains, clay, and rock particles. The most important feature is soil fertility.
What is the definition of water supply?
The supply of treated and purified water for a community.
What is the definition of resource distributions?
The distribution of resources including land, water, minerals, fuel and wealth.
What factors affect population change?
Soil, climate, resource availability, development process and human behaviour.
What is health? And what factors can affect a person’s health?
Health is the physical, mental and social well-being of a person.
Age:
- Immune system is weaker in infants and the elderly
- The elderly are more likely to have health plans
- The elderly are generally more vaccinated
Gender:
- Child birth (women)
- Work environment (men typically work in more dangerous environments)
- Gender specific diseases
- Lifestyle
- War related deaths
What can affect both population distribution and density?
- The distribution of resources
- Supply of water
- Topography of the land
- Climate
- Soil
What is intensive and extensive farming?
Intensive - Farming which involves high investment in labour and/or capital such as machinery, glasshouses and irrigation systems. Generally produces higher yields per hectare from small areas of land.
Extensive - Farming which involves low investment of labour, machinery and capital. Usually involves large areas of land where yields per hectare are low. This is a highly sustainable farming practice.
What are problems with intensive farming?
- It can spread disease between animals
- The use of antibiotics in animal feed can result in germs becoming antibiotic resistant
- There can be increased air pollution in the surrounding area (use of machinery and transport)
What are inputs, processes, outputs and feedbacks in agricultural systems?
Inputs - The physical, human and economic factors that determine the type of farming in an area.
Processes - The activities carried out (farming methods) to turn inputs to outputs. These vary on the inputs and the level of technology available.
Outputs - The products from the farm.
Feedbacks - Unprofitable outputs that can be used as an input to enhance the yield of the farm.
What are some examples of inputs, processes, outputs and feedbacks in agricultural systems?
Inputs - Climate, relief, soil fertility and drainage (physical). Labour (human). Seeds, agrochemicals, machinery, energy/fuel & electricity, fodder crops, mortgage/rent/taxes (economic).
Processes - Growing crops, rearing livestock, seasonal patterns and hazard perception.
Outputs - Crops, livestock and livestock products (e.g. milk or calves etc).
Feedbacks - Profit for reinvestment, manure for fertiliser and hay/silage for fodder.
What is malnourishment and undernourishment?
Malnourishment - Consuming an unsuitable amount of energy, protein and nutrients.
Undernourishment - Consuming too little food, leading to a loss of body weight.
What is the depth of the food deficit?
A measure of the difference between the average food consumption and average food requirements (in kilocalories per person per day).
What are some physical environmental factors that influence agriculture?
Temperature - This dictates the growing seasons of many crops.
Precipitation - This is important in determining the water supply. Seasonal rainfall distribution is more important than annual rainfall as it dictates when crops can be grown. E.g. if the South-East Asian monsoon season is later or earlier, or if drought in the Sahel is prolonged, famine can occur due to lower yields of crops being produced.
Wind - This can restrict the cultivation of many grain crops, but can also be beneficial e.g. the warm chinook wind that melts the snow in North American prairies, increasing the length of the growing season.
Soil quality - This is determined by factors including soil depth, texture, structure, mineral content, pH, aeration, capacity to retain water and vulnerability to leaching. This can restrict the growing of certain crops but increase the yield of others.
Relief variables - This includes altitude, angle of slopes and aspect (the direction in which a place is facing e.g. on the south slope of a mountain).
What is commercial and subsistence farming?
Commercial - This involves farmers and agribusinesses maximising profits by specialising in monoculture (single crops) or raising one type of animal. This will often involve high investment of capital into land, machinery, contractors, agrochemicals (fertilisers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides) and animal welfare.
Subsistence - This involves the direct production of sufficient food to feed the family or community involved, with any excess produce sold.
What is arable, pastoral and mixed farming?
Arable - This is the farming of cereal and root crops, usually on flatter land where soils are of a higher quality. This can be both commercial (potato cultivation in the UK) or subsistence (slash-and-burn shifting cultivation in S. America, Africa and SE. Asia).
Pastoral - This involves the rearing of livestock. This can be both commercial (beef cattle ranching in S. America) or subsistence (nomadic pastoralism in semi-dessert regions of W. Africa).
Mixed - The production of both arable crops and livestock. This is the most common form of agriculture in the UK.
What is nomadic herding?
The wandering, but controlled movement of livestock which is solely dependant on the natural foliage. This is mainly the herding of cattle, sheep, goats and camels. The Sahel is a region in which nomadic cattle herding occurs.
What is desertification?
A type of land degradation that occurs in dryland in which biological productivity is lost due to natural or human induced process that leads to the soil becoming increasingly arid.
