🟣Population And Environement - Farming And Soils Flashcards
1
Q
Intensive farming
A
A high amount of inputs are put into these systems so that outputs are maximised.
LICS - Labour Intensive, where huge amounts of man power are put into the system to maximise output.
HICS - Capital Intensive, where huge amounts of money for resources and technology are put into the systems to maximise outputs.
2
Q
Extensive farming
A
This farming uses large areas of land with low inputs and outputs per unit area of land.
3
Q
Commercial farming
A
Produce is reared or grown for sale. Ranges from small family farms to huge TNC backed farming corporations.
4
Q
Subsistence farming
A
Food is grown largely for the consumption by people growing it with little or no surplus for sale
5
Q
Arable farming
A
The growth of crops (eg. barley, wheat, cotton, rice)
6
Q
Pastoral farming
A
The rearing of animals for their milk, eggs, skins and meats
7
Q
Mixed farming
A
Combination of growing crops and keeping animals
8
Q
Farming physical inputs
A
Temperature
Soil type/fertility
Precipitation
Topography of the land
Seasonal variation
9
Q
Farming human inputs
A
Workers / labour
Technology - irrigation systems
Any machinery
Expertise
Addition of pesticides
10
Q
Farming processes
A
Adding fertiliser
Grazing
Harvesting
Milking
Ploughing
11
Q
Farming outputs
A
Fruit
Cereal crops
Meat
Fish
Marker garden crops
Other animal products
12
Q
Extensive farming
A
The amount of labour and capital are small in relation to the amount of land being farmed (extensive grain cultivation USA/AUS)
13
Q
Intensive farming
A
The amount of labour is high even if the capital is low in relation to the area being farmed (eg. Wet rice cultivation)
14
Q
Temperature effect on crop farming
A
10-36 degrees C = optimum
Extremes of temperature can kill the plant
The higher the temperature the more water is lost = plants can shrivel and die (transpiration)
15
Q
Water supply effect on farming
A
Amount, reliability, frequency and intensity of rainfall
Photosynthesis
Translocation of nutrients and ions and sugars
Different amounts of water determin which species will thrive (eg. Rice = lots of water required)
Lots of water - fruits swell and split
Humid = increase fungal diseases
Irregular water supply - problems
Keeps structure of plant
16
Q
Artificial ways to control water and temperature for crops
A
Fertilisers
Irrigation = drainage
Crop choice
Aeroponics
Hydroponics
Greenhouses - control temperatures / polytunnels / sprinkler systems
17
Q
Polar farming locations
A
Northern and southern extremes
Populated areas - Alaska / Northern extremes of Asia / Iceland / Greenland / Canada / Norway / Sweden / Finland / Russia
Arctic and Antarctic circles (above 66.5 degrees N/S of the equator)
18
Q
Polar farming climate characteristics
A
Extremely cold / 10 months below freezing / long and cold winter / short summer - just above freezing / low precipitation (snow) / frozen ground - permafrost
19
Q
Polar regions main activities
A
Land based agriculture - herding reindeer (Arctic Europe / Norway / Sweden), hunting reindeer in North USA / Canada. Modifies arable framing - Tim Meyers
Adventure based tourism
Fishing
Mineral extraction - willow project oil
20
Q
Polar farming - Low productivity due to albedo
A
The high albedo: In areas of continuous snow cover, much of the incoming solar radiation is reflected off the ice/snow surface. This reduces the amount that can actually contribute to the warming of the atmosphere.
21
Q
Polar farming - Low productivity due to high pressure
A
The high pressure systems of polar regions means that frontal systems rarely penetrate these areas, giving low levels of precipitation.
22
Q
Polar farming - Low productivity due to katabatic winds
A
Katabatic winds: In Antarctica, masses of cold dense air flow down the valleys and off upland areas. Such movements are known as katabatic and are strong in Antarctica where there is a real difference between the interior and coastal areas. With few obstacles to hinder air movement, such winds can exceed 200 km/hr.
23
Q
Polar farming - Low productivity due to frozen ground
A
Cold temperatures - link to permafrost. Soil is covered in ice throughout the year. Plants (lichen / moss) survive the harsh conditions.
24
Q
What is albedo?
A
The amount of energy that is reflected by a surface is determined by the reflectivity of
that surface, called the albedo. A high albedo means the surface reflects the majority
of the radiation that hits it and absorbs the rest.
25
Polar farming - nomadic pastoralism
Livestock are herded in order to seek for fresh pastures on which to graze, they follow irregular patterns of movement and seasonal changes.
26
Polar farming - seasonal changes to farming patterns
Reindeer herding and breeding, moving herd to the shelter of coniferous forests on lower slopes in winter forage for ground lichen under the snow and trees. Higher mountains for lichen grazing in the summer.
27
Polar farming case study nomadic pastoralism
Sami communities in Northen Scandinavia use nomadic pastoralism.
The Sami reindeer industry has specific seasons for calving, marking, counting, castrating and slaughtering.
28
Polar farming - nomadic pastoralism challenges
Disease - Reindeer herders become more vulnerable to diabetes, mental illness if they stop moving.
Habitat changes for reindeer - Lichen may be outcompeted, may not grow as much
Accidents - Thinning ice, falling and drowning in water
Reindeer important for mitigation - Reindeer grazing slows melting of snow
Sami culture threatened - Traditional way of life threatened due to GW and climate change
29
Polar farming arable case study
Tim Meyers, Alaska
Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta on the west coat in the Alaska (US). Mostly Tundra.
25,000 residents. City of bethel = 6,219 population.
Bethel surrounded by 49 smaller villages with the largest village contains 1,000 people.
Very isolated area - travel is by bush plan, river boats, snow machines.
Arable fafrming - mostly root vegetables (spinach/cabbage/rhubarb/cauliflower)
30
Polar farming - arable climate limitations
Short growing season / permafrost / snow cover in winter / low temperature / blizzard / low precipitation.
Due to climate = short growing season / poor soil
31
Polar farming - arable farming methods
Arable farming - root vegetables
Composting / irrigation / field preparation / seeding
32
Polar farming - sustainability of arable farming
Seeding - underground in heated space or polytunnels.
Compost - organic fish slurry -now uses mainly chicken manure in winter - brings biological life to the soil.
Raised beds and tunnels mitigate cold temperatures and short growing season.
Underground root cellar extends lifespan of the harvest.
Fields are prepped over a 2 year period - Tundra is cleared allowing the soil to thaw and slurry/manure added and then planting can take place
33
How do monsoons / monsoon season impact human activities
Agriculture is massively impacted by the monsoon, rainfall levels make rice growth possible and the green revolution has added a second artificial monsoon to allow double cropping each year.
Rice production fluctuates year to year depending on the monsoon strength and frequency.
Diseases breed in bodes of water made my monsoons and rains - malaria and dengue cases increase.
A weak monsoon resulted in a large GDP loss in India - 1987, also effected Afghanistan and The Philippines, damaged livestock and crops due to less rainfall, winter crops were harvested in lower amounts causing malnutrition amongst many.
34
How do higher temperatures impact agriculture
Scientific research shows that the climate - that is, the average temperature of the planet's surface - has risen by 0.89 °C from 1901 to 2012. Compared with climate change patterns throughout Earth's history, the rate of temperature rise since the Industrial Revolution is extremely high.
35
How does changing rainfall impact agriculture
There have been observed changes in precipitation, but not all areas have data over long periods. Rainfall has increased in the mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere since the beginning of the 20th century. There are also changes between seasons in different regions. For example, the UK's summer rainfall is decreasing on average, while winter rainfall is increasing. There is also evidence that heavy rainfall events have become more intensive, especially over North America.
36
How do changes in nature impact agriculture
Changes in the seasons (such as the UK spring starting earlier, autumn starting later) are bringing changes in the behaviour of species, for example, butterflies appearing earlier in the year and birds shifting their migration patterns.
37
How do rising sea levels impact agriculture
Since 1900, sea levels have risen by about 10 cm around the UK and about 19 cm globally, on average. The rate of sea-level rise has increased in recent decades.
38
How have retreating glaciers impacted agriculture
Glaciers all over the world - in the Alps, Rockies, Andes, Himalayas, Africa and Alaska - are melting and the rate of shrinkage has increased in recent decades.
39
How has sea ice and melting ice sheets impacted agriculture
Arctic sea-ice has been declining since the late 1970s, reducing by about 4%, or 0.6 million square kilometres (an area about the size of Madagascar) per decade. At the same time Antarctic sea-ice has increased, but at a slower rate of about 1.5% per decade.
The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, which between them store the majority of the world's fresh water, are both shrinking at an accelerating rate.
40
Soil functions
Carbon sink
Outermost layer of the earths crust
Pedesphere
Acts as a separator between biosphere and lithophere
1/32 of the earths surface is available for soil and food production
Food security dependant on it
Foundation of plant life
Habitat of thousands of organisms
Important regulator of water
41
Vegetation and soil link
Determions the amount of nutrients getting recycled back into the soil as it provides the dead matter that decomposes are able to break down. High vegetation content means that more nutrients will be returned into the soil making it more fertile. The acids released by the roots of some plants act to breakdown the rock on which the soil is forming.
42
Climate and soil link
Increased rainfall can lead to flooding which can decrease productivity and can leach them out. Organic matter decomposes faster in warm, humid climates and slower in cool, dry climates
43
Organisms and soil link
Decomposers assist in breakdown of organic matter, dead organisms provide nutrients, mix nutrients within the soil.
44
Topography and soil link
Impacts how compact the soil will be and the steeper the slope the faster the run off and thinner the soil due to gravity.
45
Humans and soil link
Can work soil creating more pore spaces and allowing the transmission of water and nutrients to pass through more easily, however can be overworked- degrading the soil making it arable, artificial fertilisers- add nutrients to the soil, remove and harmful organisms, human induced climate change can affect which organisms live there and climate patterns, changing aspects of the soil.
46
What is a zonal soil
A major soil group often classified as covering a wide geographic region or zone and embracing soils which are well developed and mature, having taken a long time to develop from the parent material.
47
Latosols location
25° N/S of the equator
SAmerica / NAmerica / CAfrica / West Coast of Africa / SW India / Bangladesh / NAustralia
48
Podsols location
Vast continuous belt across North America, Northern Europe, Northern Asia.
Countries - Russia, Mongolia, Japan, Canada, Alaska, Iceland, Finland, US, Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Scotland
50 and 70 degrees North
49
Soil profile meaning
vertical cross-section of the soil divided into horizons or layers
50
Soil profile (top to bottom)
1. Organic layer
2. Biological activity
3. Subsoil
4. Weathered rock
5. Bed rock
51
Describe the organic layer of soil
Made of dead plant matter and lays beneath the twigs and leaf litter
52
Describe the biological activity layer of soil
Topsoil - it has organic matter mixed into it and is darkly coloured
53
Describe the subsoil layer of soil
The transition between top and subsoil can be very sharp and definite or sometimes they can fade into one and other.
Does not contain a large amount of organic matter.
54
Describe the weathered rock later of soil
Large rocks mixed with soil deep underground.
55
Describe the bed rock layer of soil
Lies beneath the soil, can be very deep or closer to the surface depending on locations and soil type.
56
Podsols characteristics
Very acidic
Hard pan of iron
Sandstone and clay parent rock
Clearly divided horizons
57
Podsols physical environment and vegetation
Coniferous - Trees with needles as oppose to broad leaves
58
Podsols climate
Polar and cool temperate climates that have long cold winters and cooler summers.
Precipitation is greater than the evapotranspiration rates
59
Podsols time
Thousands of years to produce the soil
60
Podsols farming
Cultivation possible with modifications however not usually used for farming due to difficulties ploughing and low mineral content and very acidic.
Grazing and pastoral farming.
Tourism for coniferous forests.
Forestry.
61
Podsols limitations for cultivation
Hard iron pan regents roots and water penetrating down.
Water logging - kill plants roots and unstable.
Can’t plough with iron pan.
62
Podsols case study
North York Moors
63
Podsols case study economic uses
North York Moors
- Sheep form most of the hill farmers' income, and the relationship between the sheep and the grouse is very important. Sheep are helpful for pruning the heather and keeping it clear from snow in the winter (grouse are often found feeding where the sheep have trampled down the snow) and they are also an essential tool in the control of tick. However, sheep need careful shepherding to prevent large numbers from concentrating for too long on any one part of the moor.
Having the correct density of sheep, therefore, grazing evenly over the moor is critical. It is important, however, to have sufficient sheep to help in the control of tick, a menace that appears to be spreading with global warming. It is also becoming more popular to keep sheep in specially designed sheds over the winter. This reduces damage to the heather as well as making it easier to manage the nutrition of the flock, and ultimately to improve lambing production.
64
Podsols case study social uses
North York Moors
Stunning heather moorland landscape lies at the very heart of the North York Moors National Park, helping to draw 6.7 million visitors and boost the North York Moors's economy by £411 million a year. The call of the moorland birds, the open vistas and the purple carpet could all have been lost without the careful management by landowners, and England would be very much poorer place." Andy Wilson, Chief Executive, North York Moors National Park Authority. Due to the variety of special plants and animals it supports, the North York Moors is recognised as an important wildlife habitat not only within Britain but also within Europe and has been designated as a:
- Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
- Special Area of Conservation (a European designation to conserve important plant habitats)
- Special Protection Area (a European designation to conserve birds, in particular merlin and golden plover in the North York Moors)
65
Podsols case study environmental uses
- Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
- Special Area of Conservation (a European designation to conserve important plant habitats)
- Special Protection Area (a European designation to conserve birds, in particular merlin and golden plover in the North York Moors)
66
Podsolation definition
Intense form of leaching.
Precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration and the soil becomes waterlogged, can promote downwards infiltration.
Where coniferous forest or heathland provides the vegetation cover (pine needles) provide thin leaf litter and has thick cuticles inhibit formation of humus.
67
Latosols climate
Very hot and humid.
Heavy rainfall (monsoon regions) and alternate dry or wet season.
Red due to red sandstone and end product of weathering.
68
Latosols time
Deep latosols due to rapid weathering of parent material / fast organic matter breakdown by fungi.
Tropical regions not effected by last ice age (ended 18,000 years ago) so has had thousands of years to develop and form.
69
Latosols - thin humus layer
Thin O horizon (humus layer) due to intense bacterial activity which rapidly decomposes dead organic matter so nutrients get rapidly taken up by trees (any humus formed absorbed quickly by plants).
70
Latosols - red colour in upper horizons
Iron and aluminium in upper layers gives red/brown colour (left over from leaching)
71
Latosols - depth of soil
One of the deepest soils found in the world due to chemical weathering of parent rock.
Lots of decomposition due to high temperatures and heavy rainfall so also contributes to deep soil.
72
Latosols - lack of nutrients
Fast nutrient cycle so plants uptake nutrients fast.
Leaching.
73
Latosols - indistinct layers
Intense bacterial activity so lots of mixing so boundaries become very blurred.
Intense leaching.
74
Latosols - rapid leaching
High rainfall
75
Latosols - moderate acidity
Decaying leaf litter however rapid absorption of nutrients by vegetation growing in soil prevents latosols become more acidic.
Once forest is cleared, latosol acidity rises.
76
Explain the 2 processes of laterisation/ferralisation and humifaction
Both pedogenic processes.
Ferralisation/Laterisation there is a high deteration of minerals and a high Al and Fe concentration. This forms iron rich rock (laterite).
Humifaction (decomposition) - breaking down of organic matter to form very nutrient rich top layer of soil.
77
What’s a laterite
Iron rich rock
78
Are latosols suitable for sustainable farming
Nutrient poor / moderat;y acidic / subject to extreme leaching / of vegetation removed for farming then nutrient cycle heavily disrupted / soil erosion / flooding / not good for large scale commercial as crops are removed in bulk
79
Latosols case study
Western and Eastern Ghats in India
Rajmahal hills / Vindhyan / Satpuras / Malwa Plateau
They are well developed in the south Maharashtra, parks of Karnataka and are widely scatterred in other regions.
80
Latosols - case study economic uses
When manured and irrigatied, some laterites are suitable for growing plantation crops like tea, coffee, rubber, cinchona, coconut, nut trees.
In some areas the solids support grazing grounds.
Provide valuable building materials.
Very durable as it’s the end product of weathering so hard to be broken down further.
81
Latosols - case study social / environmental uses
Quicha and the Kayapo of the Amazon Basin) clear small areas of vegetation. They then burn it because the ash provides nutrients for the infertile soil. The land is then farmed for two to three years before they move on to another area of the rainforest. This allows both the forest and the soil to recover. This only supports very low numbers of people and the rainforests have typically been sparsely populated. In more recent times both poor settlers and ranchers have moved into the rainforest areas and vast tracts of forest have been cleared. The causes and impacts of this clearance on both the environment and the population.
82
How much has food production increased by in the past 50 years
Tripled globally
83
Why has food production increased globally
Increased use in farming machinery which allows for more crops to be collected in a quicker time frame.
Increased use of other farming resources, such as herbicides and pesticides, to maximise yields.
Better farming management to maximise yields and create more farmable land.
84
Why’s and how is food production distributed unevenly?
LICs - least amount of crops made
HICs - largest food supply - provide more/enough calories for their population.
Environmental limitations.
85
Soil erosion
Wearing away of soil (topsoil - the upper layer responsible for providing a majority of the nutrients and structure).
86
Water erosion
Sheet erosion
Rills and gullies
River bank
87
Water erosion - sheet erosion
Washing away of soil leading to the widespread removal of topsoil.
Heavy rainfall and flooding can cause a ‘sheet’ of water to wash over an area - especially when that area is on a slope. This displaces the soil and its nutrients.
Sheet erosion occurs providing that the water doesnt develop into fast flowing streams (rills).
88
Water erosion - rills and gullies
Rills are small streams that develop by erosional flowing water. They often develop on slopes as water flows naturally due to gravity.
Over time, rills can develop into large ravines known as gullies.
Huge amounts of soil and nutrients are washed away - often leaves behind permanent damage to landscape.
This is exacerbated by agriculture as fields empty of crops, plants or trees allow streams to develop.
89
Water erosion - riverbank erosion
Degradation of riverbank sides, causing large sections of the bank to be eroded away. This can be devastating to agriculture as it destroys agricultural land.
90
Water erosion issues
Soil washes away - crops become unstable and crops may also be washed away.
Nutrients are leached into lower parts of the soil or entirely washed away which can negatively effect plant growth.
Weeds can spread from other areas if carried in water, which can reduce the productivity of a farm.
Rills and gullies can obstruct farming equipment reducing the amount of agricultural land and causing potential dangers. Undercut riverbanks are also dangerous and can collapse.
91
Wind erosion
Soil may be eroded due to high winds blowing away the agriculturally valuable topsoil.
Wind erosion is prevalent in dry climates as soil particles are less cohesive, meaning the top soil is unstable.
Areas of agricultural land are more vulnerable to wind erosion as practices such as ploughing and tilling further loosen soil particles. Overgrazing or clearing land for crops cause the soil particles to become less bound together.
92
How does wind erosion differ
Size of soil partciles transported.
Larger are heavier (creeping).
Smaller are lighter (saltation / suspension).
93
Issues caused by wind erosion
Most fertile topsoil blown away so less nutrients for growth.
Crops become buried under thin layers of soil after high winds, which can damage crops and restrict sunlight.
Wind erosion lowers a soils capacity to store water as the depth of soils reduced - causes soil to become drier. Less water and space in topsoil for roots.
94
What’s soil structural deterioration
Loss of structure in the soil, especially the pore spaces that contain air.
95
Why may structural deformation occur?
Livestock can trample on the ground which compacts soil and removed the natural spaces between the particles.
Crops and plants roots give structure to the soil so removing these for clearing agricultural land for harvest can disrupt the structure.
Farming machinery can cause soil compaction - removing air spaces in the ground.
96
What problems does soil deformation cause for agriculture?
Water cant infiltrate due to lack of space in soil - plants become dehydrated.
Root cells need air to survive, which they get from the soil. Structural deformation can reduce pore spaces.
Root growth can become obstructed due to hard compact soil.
Soils harder to work with (plough or till) when compact or deteriorated.
97
Define water logging
Soil oversaturated with water.
Limited oxygen - no respiration.
The type of soil can effect the susceptibility of soil to water logging.
98
Water logging negative effects on productivity
Limited oxygen supply in the soil, restricting plant respiration and causing them to ‘drown.’
Roots may also rot in stagnant water, killing the plant of stunting growth.
Waterlogged conditions can leach away minerals for plant growth, or bring unwanted minerals to topsoil, such as salts.
Water lows the temperature - reduces p/s.
99
Salinisation
Increase of salt content in the soil - causing a crust of soil on the top.
Can be human or naturally caused.
In general, salinisation occurs when saline water rises to the surface of the soil and then water vapour anted and this leaves sally concentrated in topsoil.
100
How do high temperatures effect salinisation
Draw saline soil water to upper parts of the soil.
Dry climates may also heighten this process as the salts cant be leached away by precipitation.
101
How does irrigation effect salinisation
Irrigation water has a salt content and sometimes saline water may be used for irrigation when there are limited supplies. If theres no proper drainage or leaching in place the salts will accumulate.
102
How does groundwater level rising effect salinisation
Salts from lower levels brought upwards.
103
How does salinisation effect agriculture?
Salts are toxic to plants which can reduce their fertility, reduced yield and can kill them.
Effects plant water absorption and can eat to dehydration (osmosis out of plant roots).
Causes break up in natural soil structure.
104
Desertification
Where fertile land becomes dry and cracked - unproductive.
Caused due to the climate - little precipitation and high temperatures dried out the soil. Overgrazing and over cultivation depletes natural nutrients in the soils and breaks down the soil structure.
Irrigation may also drown the underwater stores and cause salinisation which causes desertification.
105
How much of global land is at risk of desertification?
1/3
106
Management of soil problems (6)
Efficient irrigation and drainage
Moving livestock
Cover crops
Multiple cropping
Changing soil composition
Wind breaks
107
Management of soil problems - efficient irrigation and drainage
Drip irrigation - avoid overwatering. Agricultural areas can also use methods of drainage, such as underground drainage systems.
Runoff can be redirected:
- contour ploughing
- terracing
- diversion channels
108
Management of soil problems - moving livestock
Regularly moving livestock ensures ground is not trampled on extensively, which limits structural deterioration.
Also helps avoid overgrazing so plants can keep structure of soil intact.
109
Management of soil problems - cover crops
Cover crop - planted to maintain soil quality. The crop is used to cover a bare field so it is less vulnerable to soil issues such as erosion.
Maintain soil structure through their roots, take up soil water and protect from wind and rain.
Prevent water logging / water erosion / wind erosion / structural deterioration
110
Management of soil problems - multiple cropping
Process of planting more than one crop in an agricultural area at the same time.
Stops overexploitation of certain minerals.
Provides more fertile, health soil.
111
Management of soil erosion - changing soil composition
Altering composition can limit the amount of wind erosion and structural deterioration as adding certain minerals can encourage a well bonded soil with natural pores.
Adding mulch to soils can protect small soil particles from wind erosion as it brings the soil together.
Adding sand to clay soils can stop soils clumping and structural deterioration.
112
Management of soil deterioration
Bushes, trees, or man made windbreaks such as netting can obstruct winds. This can limit the wind erosion on arable land, yielding higher productivity.
