Rural Flashcards
Describe the features/characteristics of Shifting Cultivation (Upper Amazon), including methods, inputs/outputs and population density (8)
Methods
• People clear natural vegetation by burning and felling with axes, and crops are planted in the ash of the burned vegetation because of its solid fertility.
• Several crops are grown in the same area, known as intercropping, and the the crops requiring most fertile soil are grown first.
• Farmers often hunt animals as well as living of their crops
• After farming in an area for a certain amount of time, the people move to another site, repeating the hack and slash method, and move onto another site after that one.
• After a period of 20 years or so, the farmers return to the original site, after it has become fertile again.
Inputs/Outputs
• Very low inputs per area because labourers are usually just family members, and their technology is also very limited
• Very low outputs per area because farmers need large areas of land to support themselves sufficiently but the soil is poor and there are little inputs.
Population Density
• Very low population density as areas of shifting cultivation are found in remote areas, and each farm is large with few people on them
Describe the changes that have taken place in recent years in Shifting Cultivation, and discuss their impacts on the people and the landscape (10)
Deforestation
• Roads were built through the Amazon in the 60s, and people cut down much forest beside these roads
• This allowed more commercial farming, mines, reservoirs to be here, and settlements were also built here.
• This increased soil erosion, and the mines and industry have polluted the area
• This also choked rivers and decreased fish populations in these choked rivers
• As a result of deforestation, shifting cultivation was replaced with bush fallowing, as sites of sifting cultivation were now used for other purposes.
Bush Fallowing
• This replaced shifting cultivation, and is where people have permanent settlements, but work several plots of land in rotation
• Because of deforestation and the decrease in areas for farming, people have to remain on one spot and farm that area to make a living.
• As a result of this lack of farming area, people either drift into new towns to work in mines or reservoirs, or start cattle ranching in these farming areas
Cattle Ranching
• This is commercial farming as opposed to the traditional subsistence farming, and has developed because of the newly built roads.
• It was encouraged by the government because it is commercial farming, so many shifting cultivators cattle ranched instead of moving to new towns
Describe the features/characteristics of Intensive Peasant Farming (West India), including methods, inputs/outputs and population density (8)
Methods
• Farms are very small and the farmers are subsistent, growing mainly rice in the wet season, lasting half the year
• Fruit trees are also grown, such as coconut palm, cashew nuts and mango
• Farmers grow mainly maize and lentils during the dry season, lasting the other half of the year
• Soil in these areas are kept fertile by silt from annual floods, as well as manure from buffalo, which are also used to pull equipment and produce milk
• The rice is grown initially in nurseries, then transported into padi fields where the fields flood during monsoon season, allowing the rice to grow after trapping the water in the fields.
Inputs/Outputs
• Very high inputs per area because growing rice requires high maintenance, as people need to plant, plough, weed, drain and harvest rice constantly.
• Very high outputs per area because farms are so small and have received high inputs, and the crops grown can feed a family for a whole year
Population Density
• Very high population density as there are many farms because they are so small, and each small farm is owned by a family growing crops to feed themselves.
Describe the changes that have taken place in recent years in Intensive Peasant Farming, and discuss their impacts on the people and the landscape (8)
Mechanisation
• Using technology allows more than one harvest per year, increasing crop outputs
• Mechanisation can allow an increase in crop production, allowing the possibility of selling any excess crops
• However, using machines instead of people also decreases jobs needed and therefore increases unemployment
• This increase in unemployment would force people to emigrate to cities, which would cause further problems in these cities, such as traffic congestion
Hybrid Crops (HYV’s [High yielding varieties])
• Yields of rice from HYV’s have increased threefold, increasing crop production and can therefore allow farmers to sufficiently support their families
• This increase in crop production also allows the possibility of selling any excess crops, increasing money that can be used to improve farms, improving standards of living for people in these areas
• However, these crops only grow well with lots of chemicals, so poorer farmers can’t afford them
• This increases the wealth gap between rich and poor people in rural areas, increasing inequality within the country
Describe the features/characteristics of Commercial Arable Farming (Great Plains of North America), including methods, inputs/outputs and population density (8)
Methods
• Farms are very large and the farmers are commercial, growing mainly wheat and corn
• Spring Wheat is grown in the colder north of the West (ed Prairies), and Winter Wheat is grown in warmer south of the West (e.g. Oklahoma)
• Corn is grown in the East as it is wetter there, and corn requires more rain to grow than Wheat
• The farms are so large because the soil lacks humus, so more land is needed for profit, and the land is cheap because they are remote areas, so large farms can be bought
• Because of the large farms, there is much mechanisation, meaning there are less workers used on each farms despite their sizes
Inputs/Outputs
• Very low inputs per area because growing wheat and corn requires little effort, and machinery is used with fewer workers
• Very low outputs per area because the growing season is so short, and the soil is infertile, so lots of chemicals are used to help increase crop production
Population Density
• Very low population density as the farms are so large, and on each farm there are few workers because of the mechanisation that is used
Describe the changes that have taken place in recent years in Commercial Arable Farming, and discuss their impacts on the people and the landscape (10)
Soil Bank Scheme
• This is when farmers are paid by the government to take their cropland out of production, and began in the 1950’s
• This was done to reduce soil erosion, and to reduce crop surpluses
• The scheme has changed now, and farmers are paid to make environmental improvements instead, such as using less chemicals and less water
Growth of Biofuel Crops
• More farmers are growing soybeans and sunflowers and selling them to biofuel producers, as the Great Plains have suitable climate to grow these crops
• Using biofuel recuses the amount of oil and coal burned and so reduces greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
• However this means that more crops are being grown, and this increases soil erosion and water shortages
Mechanisation
• Mechanisation has increased because the farms are so large, and machines are more efficient at ploughing and harvesting large areas than manual labour
• Using technology lowers wage bills, as less workers are needed
• However this also reduces job opportunities in these areas, increasing unemployment
• Using machines also increases air pollution due to machines fumes, and oil from the machines can pollute water in the area
