Populations

• Population distribution is how people are spread out across the globe
• What are the 4 physical elements that affect population distribution?

  Climate, soils, water supply and geology
• Climate:

  • more stable climate attracts more people
  • farmers look for precipitation and wet weather
• Soils:

  • Don't have to have good fertile soil as food can be imported
  • Needed for plants - photosynthesis and carbon stores
  • impermeable rock and soil increase risk of flooding
• Water supply:

  • near rivers = houses/buildings at higher risk of flooding
  • Water deficit : water demand exceeds water supply
  • Water surplus : water supply exceeds demand
  • Water borne diseases likely if there is a lack of hygiene
• Geology:

  • Without natural resources the population would maybe have to import - LICs unable to import
  • Clay and other raw material comes from rock
  • The right geology can attract businesses - plant nursery, construction etc.
• 1960 - global food supplies was 2,300 calories per person per day
• Demand for different types of food increasing along with the amount of food
• 11% global population undernourished
• 22% children have stunted growth due to not having the right amount of food
• 9% of the world is food insecure
• Haiti is the country with highest food deficit
• 15% children underweight due to lack of food
• Only a few countries where the population is decreasing - mainly Eastern European countries eg: Croatia and Lithuania - Japan in Asia
• Population of most of Africa is growing rapidly - growth is fastest in LDEs
• Resource availability also affects population change
• Niger

  • Poorest country on earth
  • highest total fertile rate of ~7 births per woman
  • Underdeveloped - difficult to distribute aid
  • droughts
• In 2014-16, 1 in 9 of the global population were suffering from chronic undernourishment - most of these in developing countries

  • 2/3 in Asia
  • Sub-Saharan Africa has highest percentage
• Over-nutrition is now a more serious health risk than eating poorly

  • 2014 - 1.9 billion adults were overweight
  • 600 million were obese
• Europe, North America and Australasia have enough farmland to provide food they need, with a significant surplus to export as well
• Half of all LDEs lack sufficient farmland and teachnology to be self sufficient - too poor to import
• 1/3 of all food produced is wasted - under nutrition will persist until food is distributed more evenly and waste reduced
• Changes in farming practises:

  Milking stations

  • large scale
  • needs to be cleaned and maintained
• Changes in farming practises:

  Combine harvester

  • Reduced labour costs
  • Fast paced
  • Farmers need to make sure the land is cleared fast
• Changes in farming practises:

  Scanners and GPS systems

  • Can monitor the weather, land and water levels
  • Makes sure land is suitable for harvest
• Changes in farming practises:

  Water level monitor:

  • Monitors moisture of soil
  • makes sure water isn’t wasted
• Changes in farming practises:

  Satellites:

  • Don’t need farmers
  • Can just be programmed
• Changes in farming practises:

  Tractors:

  • Can attach fertiliser and pesticides
  • Can spread compost and manure
• What is commercial farming?


  When majority of the produce is sold and the income is invested as well as used on people
• What is subsistence farming?


  When majority of the produce is consumed by the landowner and farm workers.

  • little surplus may be sold and invested if allowed
• What is intensive farming?

  Usually small scale - involves high investment in labour and/or capital (machinery, glasshouses or irrigation systems)
• What is extensive farming?

  Large scale over large area - uses low inputs of labour, machinery and capital
• Commercial farming:

  • Farmers and agribusinesses maximising profits by specialising in single crops or raising one type of animal
  • High investment of capital into land, contractors, machinery and chemiCals
  • Grain cultivation in North America
  • Tea plantations in East Africa
  • Cattle ranching in South America
• Subsistence farming:

  • direct production of sufficient food to feed the family or community involved
  • Armerindian tribes in Venezuela - clear small area of tropical equatorial rainforest, burn dried vegeatation to provide fertile ash and cultivate plot
• Intensive:

  • produces high yields per hectare from small areas of land
  • Horticulture in Cornwall uses both polytunnels and glasshouses but the mild climate gives an advantage
  • early production of early spring vegetables and flowers
• Extensive farming:

  • Low inputs of labour
  • yields per hectare is low
  • hill sheep farming in upland regions of UK
  • areas like snowdonia, lake district and Yorkshire dales managed through sheep farming
• Inputs:

  • Physical, human and economic factors that determine the type of farming in an area
  • Tractors
  • Scanners
  • Combine harvesters
  • Farmers and labourers
  • Large scale milking stations
  • Storage
  • Market
• Processes: Activities carried out to turn inputs to outputs

  • Harvesting
  • Ploughing
  • Marketing
  • Machines
• Outputs: Products of the farm - crops cultivated and animals reared

  • cereals
  • vegetables
  • fruits
  • tourism
  • money
• Polar climates:

  • long hours of sunshine
  • long and intense cold winters
  • very low temperature
  • little precipitation - often falls as snow
  • high winds
  • low sun radiation
  • white reflects the sun