Question- 10 marks

Referring to a named area of Commercial Arable Farming which you have studied

a) Describe the changes which have taken place

b) Discuss the impact of such changes on the people and the local environment

Q1)With reference to an area you have studied:

a)Describe the main characteristics of Shifting Agriculture (5)

Shifting cultivation is limited to areas of tropical rainforest that have low population densities for example the Amerindians in the Amazon rainforst. There is little inputs and little technology involved as capital is very limited. The processes involve "slash and burn" were trees are chopped down and then burnt. However not all trees are chopped down as some large trees are left to aid with the regeneration of the land, as they can act as protection. Manual labour such as digging is involved to a large extent. Houses are built in clearings and every clearing is used for 3-4 years. Once the clearings are exhausted, the inhabitants have to move on to another area to let the extensively used areas regenerate. This normally involves a period of around 30 years, any less and the land will not have regenrated fully, hence the farm will not be able to operate as productively. Normally outputs are low as this type of farming is only at subsistence level, making just enough for the workers to survive.

b)Explain why this system of farming is changing and assess the impact of the changes on the lifestyles of the people. (4)

Q2)Choose one of the farming systems below and referring to a named location, describe and expalain the charcteristics of the systems:

(i) Intensive Peasant Farming

Intensive peasant farming is practiced in areas with a monsoon climate in Asia such as India. This type of farming is mainly for subsistence but can sometimes be fore little profits. The villagers involved normlly live in nucleated villages near the fields, or sometimes in linear villages. IPT requires small areas of land and it is labour intensive. IPT often involves growing padi rice, the main crop, aswell as other crops such as wheat and barley. The begining of the process involves constructing small walls, known as "bunds", around the small fields to trap collected water. If areas have little flat land, terraces are created in the steep hill sides.Firstly, rice is sown in nursery beds, then seedlings are then planted in the padi fields (flooded fields with bunds). For maximum yields, the seeds have to be a certain distance apart. Once the grain ripens in the padi fields, the water is drained. Then the harvesting takes place and the process beings once again.

(ii)Extensice Commercial Farming (4)

Extensive commercial agriculture

Extensive commercial agriculture is found in warm, dry areas on the east coast of Britain and the great plains of America. In summer the weather is extremely warm and dry and in winter it is very cold which is good for the soil. The landscape of this type of farming consists of extremely large rectangular fields allowing for machinery to be used easily. Monoculture is common and huge amounts of cereals are produced. The poplulation density is very low with few workers as machinery is used a lot. Fertilisers and pesticides are also common. There are few hedgerows and any lakes will be filled in to make maximum space for crop growing. There are very few settlements and the few that exist are found around road junctions or along roads.