UNIT 3: AGRARIAN ACTIVITIES

1 RURAL LANDSCAPES
Rural landscapes are a combination of these landscapes:
TYPES OF LANDSCAPES
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Abiotic landscapes: Areas characterised by very little presence of life

(deserts)

Man- made landscapes: Areas wher humans have had a significant

impact (cities).

Biotic landscapes: Areas characterised by an abundance of living

things and very little human activity (tropical rainforest).

There are two main factors which determine the type of rural landscapes
that exist:
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Physical factors:
o Relief: slope and orientation of agrarian terrain
o Climate: Temperature and precipitation
o Soil: salinity and acidity.
o Water resources: both surface and underground.
Human factors:
o Demographics: densely populated areas need high levels of
production to provide more food.
o Technology: it transforms landscapes depending on the level of
technological development.
o Economic structure: the organisation of land ownership into
large or small plots.
o Political decisions: they influence the production model
implemented in each area.

ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN RURAL LANDSCAPES

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Sectors of economy:

Rural economic activity can be divided into three main sectors:

o The primary sector: this is the main economic activity in rural
areas and includes agricultura, livestock farming, fishing,
mining and forestry.
o The secondary sector: this includes economic activities such as
samll industry and artisanal handicrafts.
o The tertiary sector: this includes public services, commerce
and tourism.
Natural resources:

Natural resources are the elements provided by nature that humans

need for their economic activity.
o Renewable resources. These can be replenished in a short
period of time, for example, the water in reservoirs we use is
replaced when it rains.
o Non-renewable resources. The sources from which we obtain
most of our energy (oil, cola and natural gas) and metallic
minerals (iron, copper and gold) take millions of years to
replenish, so are considered non-replenishable.
Since the Industrial Revoluction, we humans have heavily exploited all our
natural resources. This had led to serious environmental problems.

2 AGRICULTURE
STRUCTURE OF AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES
Agrarian land occupies approximately one third of the planets landa rea.
Agricultural structure refers to how farming areas ae organised as aresult of
the following factors:
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Plot shape:

The land is divided into plots:

o Regular: in plains or flatland areas.
o Irregular: in areas with a hilly or mountainous relief.
Boundaries:
How areas are divided up:

o Enclosed fields: plots with fixed boundaries, usually fences.

o Open fields: plots with no boundaries.
Farm size:
How large or small a farming area is:

o Large estates: farms made up of large plots.

o Smallholdings: small farms.
Ownership:

Who the land belongs to:

o Private: the land belongs to an individual.
o Collective: the land belongs to several ownes.
Land occupation:
The possesion or use of the land:
o Direct use: the land is worker on by its owners.
o Indirect use: the use of the land is transferred to the people
who work on it, in exchange for rent.

TYPES OF CROPS

A plot is the smallest unit of farmland that an agricultural area is divided

into. A farm is a collection of several plots. On a single farm, we might find
the following crops:
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Tree crops: These are tres with a rigid stem and a long producive life.
Examples include fruit tres, such as orange tres.
Herbaceous crops: These have flexible stems, for example, cereals.
The cycle from planting to harvest is less than one year.
Shrub crops: These have a rigid stem. Their productive life can last
several years, for example, frap plants.

FARMING SYSTEMS
The diferent farming systems include:
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The variety of species:

There are two types according to the variety of species:
o Polyculture: several different species are grown because the
produce is intended to supply the population.
o Monoculture: specialising in a single crop because the produce
is intended for sale on the market.

The area farmed and type of production:

There are two different systems:
o Intensive farming: this requires significant financial investment
(high technology agricultura), resulting in better yields.
o Extensive farming: this is for the farming of large areas, with
lower productivity per hectare because financial investment is
lower.

The use of water resources:

There are two main techniques:
o
o

Dryland or rain-fed farming: uses only rainwater.

Irrigation farming: water is supplied to crops.

3 LIVESTOCK FARMING
LIVESTOCK FARMING SYSTEMS
Livestock farming is a primary sector activity base don raising animals
in order to use them for food, textiles or as labour in agricultura or
leisure activities. These groups of animals of a given species are
known as livestock.
Livestock farming systems are classified base don the following
factors:
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Farm size:

There are two main types of livestock farming in terms of farm

size:
o Extensive livestock farming: the livestock live on large
expanses of land occupied by pasture.
o Intensive livestock farming: the animals live in smalll
areas, usually in buildings, and there is significant capital
investment made in the installations.
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Livestock mobility:
There are three main types of livestock farming in terms of
mobility:
o Nomadic: The livestock continuously move from place to
place looking for pasture.
o Seasonal migratory: the livestock move depending on the
season of the year.
o Sedentary: the livestock do not move.

Type of diet and enclosure:

There are three main types of farming in terms of the diet and
enclosure:
o Confined: animals are given compound feed and fodder.
o Unconfined: where livestock are free to move and feed on
pasture.
o Semi-confined: a combinaion of feed and pasture.

THE MODERNISATION OF LIVESTOCK FARMING

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Changes:
The modernisation of this sector is primarily the result of livestock
farming for the countrys own consumption being replaced by a focus
on sales to foreign markets. The major changes are:
o The mechanisation of livestock farms, leading to the
intensification of production, the reduction of labour and the
disappearance of traditional systems.
o The introduction of foreign breeds that produce more meato r
ilk than native breeds.
o The development of specialised farms which bree done single
type of livestock. Traditionally, livestock farms would raise
several species at the same time.

Consequences:
The modernisation of this sector has led to an increase inmeat
production, which means an improvement in peoples diets in
developed countries.
However, these advances in agricultura have also brought with them
some negative consequences such as:
o The use of hormones for livestock growth
o Poor quality feed.
o Poor living conditions for the animals.
o The spread of disease, including mad cow disease and avian
flu.

4 FISHING AND FORESTRY

FISHING
Fishing involves catching fish and other aquatic animals for direct
consumption or use as raw materials for industry. Indusrial fishing is
carried out in seas and oceans and it is the most profitable type from
a commercial point of view.
Types of fishing:
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Coastal fishing:
It takes place near the coast. It is a daily activity. I uses small
boats and traditional techniques. Its products are sold at local
fish markets and markets.

Deep-sea fishing:
It is carried out in areas a long way from the coast. It uses
mdium-sized boats that go out in flotillas for more than ten
days. The process of preserving the finish is begun out at sea.

Deep-sea fishing in international waters:

It is hundreds of miles from the coast. It uses floillas made up of
several fishing boats and one large factory ship, which collects
the fish from the other boats and begins processing it. Seasons
can last several months.

Different fishing methods:

Pot trap: a round basket that acts like a funnel with no outlet.
Almadraba: a net set at 90 to the coast intercepts the fish and
guides them into another net, where they are hoisted up.
Seine: a net with a closed bottom.
Gill nets: these are vertical panels of netting normally set in a
straight line.
Troll line: a bailed line is drawn through the water by a boat.
Suction fishing: uses an electrical charge that attracts the fish
to a suction device.
Deep-sea or bottom trawl: a funnel-shaped net is dragged along
the ocean floor, capturing everything is its path and destroying
the habitat.

FORESTRY
Forests have traditionally been an important source of many
different types of products and resources. The most importan tones
are:
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Cork is obtained from the bark of cork oak tres and it is used to
manufacture corks for bottles of wine, and has many others
uses, for example, in insulation.
Resins are substances secretd by certain plants, for example,
conifers. They ae used in the cosmetics and chemical industries.
Rubber is extracted from the sap of certain tropical tres. It is
used to manufacture tyres and other products.
Wood is used for construction and furniture manufacture. It is
also used as a raw material for making paper and as an energy
source.

Forestry is the practice of rationally exploiting forests using

modern agrarian techniques to obtain forest resources sustainably
through reforestation.
However, overexploitation of forest resources, clearing forests for
farming and forest fires are causing worldwide deforestation.

5 TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURE
Traditional subsistence agricultura, is considered environmentally
friendly because it maintains a balance between the land s physical
conditions and existing natural resources.
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It is common in less-developed counries.

Rudimentary techniques and tolos are used, and it is labourintensive.

There is limited production- enough for self-consumption.

Surplus or extra products are sold at local markets.
Areas are organised in small plots under prvate or comunal
ownership and polyculture is the usual type of framing.

AGRICULTURAL METHODS AND TECHNIQUES

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Shifthing or slash-and-burn cultivation:

It is used on very poor soil in ropical areas.It requires large
expanses of land:
o Clearing: A forested area is cleared.
o Burning: The vegetation is burnt and the land is ploughed
to incprporate the ashes, which are the only fertiliser.
o Planting: Several crops are planted (millet, maize, ect)
o Fallow: the forest naturally takes over the abandoned
space, which lies fllow.

Intensive irrigated farming:

Monoculture production is intensified by irrigating the crops and
by planting germinated cuttings. This way, while the current
harvest is flowering, the next one is growing in the seebeds. It
requires a lot of labour.
It is found in areas with high population densities and closet o
rivers, like monsoon Asi (India, Chin, Indonesia).
Fertiliser is provided by silt carried by irrigation channels and
canals.

Dryland or traditional farming:

It uses anual crop rotation: a few sctions are left fallow and the
others are farmed.
It is a polyculture agricultural system which was used in Europe
before the Industrial Revolution. Today it is common in lessdeveloped countries.
Animal manure provides a natural fertiliser to restore fertility to
the soil.

6 MODERN AGRARIAN LANDSCAPES

New agrarian landscpes have emerged as a result of changes in the
production models. Farming has gone from traditional subsistence griculture
to industrial agricultura, and is often more focused on foreign markets.
These landscpaes are characterised by:

An increase in momoculture and irrigation.

The mechanisation of farm work.
The use of chemicals (pesticides and fertilisers)
The use of selected seeds.
An increase in yield per hectare and a reduction in labour costs.
New farming techniques which make it posible to achieve larger crop
yields at any time of the year. These include greenhouses and
farming uner plastic. These techniques require significant capital
investment in facilities, technical resources and seed selection.

-Plantation agriculture:
This is common in tropical regions of the Americas, Asia and Africa. Each
plantation specialises in one product. Coffee, bananas, tea, sugarcane and
cacao are all important crops.
The product is always destined for export so the local popultion cannot use
the land to produce food for themselves.
It uses a lot of local labour-with very low wages- to work during the most
critical periods, plnting and harvesting.
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Extensive, mechanised monoculture:

This is common in countries whose agrarian structure is made up of large
plots, such as the U.S., Canada, Australia and Russia.
Extensive farming is a highly mechanised industrial activity carried out by
small numbers of farmers specialised in cereal monoculture growing wheat,
mize and sunflowers.
Farms are managed as a business. Ownership of the property is often held
by agri-businesses, which control production and the sale of crops.
The main problema is overproduction. The authorities in these countries
promote the export of crops by giving farmers financial incentives and
protecting exports. By doing this, they protect their domestic crops from
foreign competition with lower production costs.