rural

• biosphere


  the parts of the Earth occupied by living organisms
• biodiversity


  the number and variety of living species found in a given area or ecosystem
• biome


  a plant and animal community covering a large area of the Earth's surface.
• ecosystem


  a community of plants and animals that interact with each other and their physical environment
• primary productivity


  the rate at which plants and other photosynthetic organisms produce organic compounds in an ecosystem
• arable farming


  a form of agriculture which concentrates on the growing of plant crops, such as cereals and vegetables
• pastoral


  the rearing of livestock for meat or other products such as milk and wool
• mixed farming


  both arable and pastoral farming
• subsistence farming


  a type of agriculture in which production is intended for sale in markets
• intensive farming


  involves a high concentration of inputs in a small area for example, in glasshouses
• extensive farming


  agriculture with low inputs of capital and labour associated with areas where land is cheap and plentiful, generally, yields are low per hectare
• suburbanisation


  the outward spread of the urban areas, often at lower densities compared with the older parts of a town or city
• organic farming


  farming processes that do not use artificial chemicals, instead using organic fertilisers and pesticides to grow food
• carbon footprint


  the total amount of greenhouse gases produced as a result of human activity. usually expressed in equivalent tonnes of carbon dioxide
• ecological footprint


  the impact a person or community has on the environment. Expressed as the amount of land required to sustain their use of natural resources
• genetic engineering


  changing the genetic material of a plant or animal to produce, e.g. a greater resistance to disease and a higher yield