Core concepts

I. Farming as an ecological & economic system II. Spatial pattern of rural land uses (Von Thunen & Sinclair models) III. Impact of urbanization & industrialization IV. Farming hazards

Chapter 1 to 4 Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Farming as an ecological system Farming as an ecological system

Structural characteristics
Biotic components :
producers, consumers and decomposers

Functional characteristics Energy flow:

photosynthesis, transpiration, feeding relationship, food chain/web, trophic levels, production pyramid

Nutrient cycling:
start from nutrient uptake by plants, nutrient transfer in feeding, decomposition by bacteria/fungi, nutrients return to nutrient pools
Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Abiotic components :
atmospheric, lithospheric and hydrospheric elements

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Farming as an ecological system

Abiotic
Atmosphere sunlight water Lithosphere land soil nutrients Losses Producers

How does farming change a natural ecosystem?

A farm is simplified in number of species.

Biotic

Consumers

Soil and ecological changes

Decomposers

Energy Nutrients

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Farming as an economic system

Farming as an economic system

Inputs
physical cultural economic behavioural

Decision making processes:

What to raise? How to raise?

Outputs:
land use pattern -cropping pattern -production pattern

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Farming as an economic system

Farming as an economic system

Agroecosystem Economic system
-flow of money revenue ---------------cost

Selection of crops/livestock Selection of farming methods

-flow of energy

Farming

pattern

total energy output -------------------------total energy input

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Spatial pattern of rural land uses

Spatial pattern of rural land uses

Von Thunens model - Selection of crops

Von Thunens model - Selection of farming method

Production intensity decreases with increasing distance from the market (urban centre).

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Spatial pattern of rural land uses

Spatial pattern of rural land uses

Sinclairs model - Selection of crops

Sinclairs model - Selection of farming method

Production intensity increases with increasing distance from the market (urban centre).

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Spatial pattern of rural land uses

-Farming models
Explanation
Such pattern leads to profit maximization The role of transport cost Locational rents of urban and farming land uses Changing of economic environment -technology, market demand, etc.
Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Impacts of urbanization & industrialization

-Changes due to urbanization & industrialization

Employment pattern distribution of urban & rural population mechanization application of science and technology change of organization of production improvement of transportation economic growth
Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Impacts of urbanization & industrialization

Impacts of urbanization & industrialization

-Consequences on production

-The use of scientific farming methods

more people to be fed more commercial farming off farm sale increases farm productivity need to be increased

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Impacts of urbanization & industrialization

Impacts of urbanization & industrialization

-Mechanical improvement Farm mechanization

-Environmental improvement
Multi-purposes water scheme Irrigation Drainage - Polders in the Netherlands Terracing - overcoming relief Plastic nets - protect from harsh weather
Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

-Chemical improvement
Spraying fertilizers

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Impacts of urbanization & industrialization

Impacts of urbanization & industrialization

-Biological improvement
New species - corn hybrid New species - miracle rice New species - seed bank Biotechnology

-Impacts of scientific farming methods Advantages

land protection crop protection labour-saving increasing yield

Disadvantages
high environmental cost low energy efficiency not sustainable diminishing return

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Impacts of urbanization & industrialization

Impacts of urbanization & industrialization

-Minimize the negative impacts

1.Improve agricultural efficiency 2.Reduce soil erosion & desertification 3.Use less biocides 4.Reduce fossil fuel use 5.Expand the use of low-input & sustainable agriculture

-Minimize the negative impacts

Resource-based farming
Resource-based farming -

Contour ploughing
control

Resource-based farming - Biological pests

Resource-based farming - Traditional aquaculture

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Impact on rural land use

Impact on rural land use

-Worldwide land use changes

-Land use change in urban fringe

increase of horticultural land use increase of pastoral land use more commercialized land use more specialized land use

co-existence of farming and urban uses fragmentation of farming abandonment of farming dairy and horticulture recreation-based use part-time and hobby farming

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Impact on rural population

Rural-urban migration
urban pull factors rural push factors

Farming hazards

-What are hazards?

Rural depopulation
brain-drained shortage of labour supply abandonment of fields lack of maintenance of farming facilities

property damage disruption of social services sudden unscheduled events loss of human life

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Farming hazards

Farming hazards

-Nature of a hazard
A hazard can be described by its :
cause magnitude frequency duration spatial distribution speed of onset

-Response to hazards
accept or absorb the loss search for adjustment
modify events reduce risk redistribute loss

change use or location

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum

Farming hazards

-Flood & drought

What is the nature of the hazard? What damage will it bring? Why do people choose to live in areas subject to these hazards? Why are LDCs more vulnerable to these disasters? Case studies of both hazards

Agricultural landscapes viewed from the A-level curriculum