Geography UNIT 3

Cards (169)

  • The primary sector's contribution to GDP has halved, to below 4% in 2020.
  • Agriculture is the cultivation of land.
  • Physical factors such as climate, relief and soil type can either help or make it more difficult to grow plants.
  • Each plant needs specific temperatures, levels of sunlight and humidity to grow.
  • In each climatic region, some crops grow better than others.
  • Climate change is causing unusual weather patterns that restrict agricultural activity.
  • Extreme cold slows down plant growth in areas with low spring frosts that ruin crops in full bloom or with ripened fruits.
  • Plants cannot grow in areas where temperatures fall below zero.
  • Most plants cannot grow below 10 0 C.
  • Underwater farming is a method of growing crops in areas where soil is scarce.
  • Heavy rainfall encourages weeds to grow and washes away the soil.
  • Aridity restricts the development of agriculture as plants need a certain amount of water throughout their growth cycle.
  • Low and irregular rainfall restricts the development of agriculture.
  • Polar regions, deserts and rainforests are not suitable for agriculture due to their harsh climates.
  • Greenhouses are enclosed areas made of a metal structure covered with plastic or glass to allow sunlight to enter.
  • Inside greenhouses, optimum lighting, temperature and humidity conditions are artificially created so that plants will grow.
  • Greenhouses make it possible to cultivate plants that would not usually grow in that location due to the climate.
  • Greenhouses allow plants to ripen faster, resulting in earlier and more frequent harvests.
  • Greenhouses protect plants from damage that can be caused by bad weather, such as sudden changes in temperature, torrential rain, strong winds, etc.
  • Greenhouses make it easier to control pests and to use water and fertilisers efficiently, which reduces waste significantly.
  • Altitude is a feature of relief that affects agricultural activity, as temperatures decrease at higher altitudes, preventing plants from growing above certain levels.
  • Land at altitudes below 200 metres is usually the most suitable for agriculture.
  • The incline of the terrain is another feature of relief that affects agricultural activity, as a greater incline of the terrain increases erosion and makes farming more difficult.
  • An incline of 120 is usually considered the maximum on which to grow crops.
  • Terraces, or steps, are constructed on slopes so they can be cultivated.
  • Plants absorb the substances they need to grow from the soil, each type of plant needs soil with certain characteristics.
  • The size and porosity of the grains of soil determine the amount of oxygen in the soil and the soil's capacity to retain water.
  • The chemical and biological composition of the soil determines the acidity of the soil and how rich in nutrients and organic matter the soil is.
  • The texture, fertility and acidity of soil can be improved through the use of fertilisers, manure and compost, artificial irrigation, etc.
  • Normal sand retains very little of the nutrients that plants need, therefore, in sandy soil need to be watered frequently and given fertiliser.
  • The Norwegian scientist Kristian Morten Olesen has developed technology that makes it possible to grow crops in deserts, which now cover almost 25 % of the Earth's surface.
  • The technology consists of mixing water and clay nanoparticles, which have a high capacity to retain water, producing liquid clay, which makes the arid, sandy desert soil fertile.
  • An agrarian holding is a group of areas of land or farms that are worked on by a person or company to produce agricultural, livestock or forestry products.
  • Depending on their size, holdings can be large (large holdings), medium or small (small holdings).
  • Depending on the main activity, they can be agricultural, livestock, forestry or mixed holdings.
  • Agrarian holdings usually consist of one or various pieces of land called plots.
  • In open-field landscapes, plots of land are not enclosed by fences, creating a rural habitat that is usually compact with human settlements, such as housing and other buildings, grouped together to form villages or hamlets.
  • Cultivated land and pastures surround the settlements in open-field landscapes.
  • The open-field landscape is the typical landscape of the great plains, like those in Central Europe and the inland areas of the continent of America, where cereal crops are usually grown.
  • In closed-field landscapes, plots of land are enclosed by hedges, walls or wire fences, creating a mosaic of small, irregular, well-defined plots.