Rural environments Flashcards
What is a biome?
A: A large region of the Earth with a specific climate, plants, and animals.
What is the difference between a biome and an ecosystem?
biome is a large geographic area with specific climate and organisms, while an ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with their environment.
Name three major goods and services provided by ecosystems.
Oxygen production, water purification, and soil fertility.
What are the six types of farming?
Subsistence, commercial, intensive, extensive, arable, and pastoral farming.
What is commercial farming?
Farming that produces food and other agricultural products for sale rather than personal use.
What is subsistence farming?
A: Farming in which crops are grown primarily to feed the farmer and their family.
What are characteristics of intensive farming?
High inputs of capital, machinery, and technology; high yields; often uses fertilizers and pesticides.
What are characteristics of extensive farming?
Uses large areas of land with lower inputs; lower yields per hectare; often practiced in rural areas with more available land
What are the four categories of rural areas in the UK?
A: Urban fringe, commuter belt, accessible countryside, and remote countryside.
What is counterurbanisation?
A: The movement of people from urban areas to rural areas.
What are some key problems in rural China?
Rural depopulation, lack of mechanization, food insecurity, frequent natural disasters, and small subsistence farms.
What are some key problems in rural Kenya?
Food insecurity, rural-urban migration, lack of medical care, government corruption, and low literacy rates.
What is farm diversification?
Expanding farm activities beyond traditional farming to increase income, such as tourism, organic farming, or farm-based products
What are the reasons for
Environmental conservation, economic diversification, and improved social infrastructure (education, healthcare, transportation)
What are the environmental impacts of deforestation in the Amazon?
A: Loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, river pollution, local climate change, and increased global warming.
What are some solutions to food shortages?
A: Improved irrigation, new hybrid and GM crops, better farming techniques, subsidies for farmers, and soil erosion control.
What is the carbon cycle?
A: The process by which carbon moves through the atmosphere, land, water, and living organisms.
How does rural depopulation impact local economies?
A: It leads to a decline in local services, loss of traditional jobs, and economic stagnation.
What are the main causes of rural change?
A: Mechanization, migration, environmental changes, government policies, and market demands.
What is the negative multiplier effect?
When rural decline leads to further decline. Depopulation leads to less job opportunities, less job opportunities to less services which makes people leave and the cycle continuous
What are the four layers of the rainforest?
A: Emergent, Canopy, Understory (Under-canopy), and Forest Floor.
What are the advantages of genetically modified (GM) crops?
A: Higher yields, pest resistance, improved nutritional content, and reduced use of herbicides.
What are the disadvantages of genetically modified (GM) crops?
A: Potential contamination of other plants, possible health risks, and high costs
What is the role of IGOs (Intergovernmental Organizations) in rural development?
- Provision of financial and technical aid
- support education and healthcare
- support conservation (word bank, WHO, unecso)
What is the biggest threat to rural ecosystems?
A: Human exploitation, including deforestation, industrial farming, pollution, and climate change.
