Environment and population

• How much land was under agricultural cultivation in 1600 compared to 2016?

  0.9 billion Ha -> 4.7 billion Ha
• Why has agricultural land increased?

  • increase in global population
  • mechanisation of farming
  • increased use of artificial inputs
  • improved crop variety
• Which continent had the greatest food supply in 2009?

  north America and Europe
• Which continent had the lowest food supply in 2009?

  Africa
• Which countries consume the most food?

  HIC
• Why do HICs consume more?

  more money so import more food and can invest in agriculture
• Which counties consume cereals?

  54% in developing countries, HIC 30%
• What is an agricultural system?


  The inputs, processes and outputs that affect the productivity of produce and the profit made
• What are inputs in an agricultural system?

  • physical - climate, precipitation, temperature, relief, soil fertility, drainage
  • human - labour
  • economic - seeds, replacement stock, agrochemicals, mortgage, machinery, buildings, energy, fodder crops
• What are processes in an agricultural system?

  Planting, harvesting, irrigation, fertilizing, pest control.
• What are useful outputs in an agricultural system ?


  food crops, other crops, animal products, excess products to sell/trade
• Losses in an agricultural system?

  Losses in natural disasters, waste, unused/wasted food
• How does temperature influence agriculture?

  Length of growing season
• How does precipitation influence agriculture?

  water supply, seasonal distribution of rainfall
• How does wind/storm frequency influence agriculture?

  restricts cultivation of grain crops
• How does soil quality influence agriculture?


  depth, structure, mineral content, pH, capacity to retain water, vulnerability to leaching,
• How do relief variables influence agriculture?


  climate/soil factors, altitude, angle of slope, aspect
• What is intensive farming?

  high inputs
• What is extensive farming?

  low inputs producing lower outputs
• What is the tropical monsoon climate like?

  distinguished wet/dry seasons
• What is the average temperature of tropical monsoon climate?

  27.5 Celsius
• How is the tropical monsoon climate beneficial to agriculture?

  subsistence farmers use wet seasons to cultivate rice
• What are negatives of the tropical monsoon region?

  • can increase vector borne diseases as monsoons increase mosquito breeding grounds
  • increased precipitation can cause drains to overflow into freshwater sources increasing typhoid disease spread
• What percentage of the population live in areas impacted by the tropical monsoon climate?

  60%
• What is the polar tundra climate like?

  cold and at high latitudes
• How much does the polar tundra climate is covering the earth?

  20%
• How does the polar tundra climatemake agriculture difficult?

  permafrost
• What are the annual precipitation levels of the polar tundra climate?

  150-250 mm
• What are annual winter temps in the polar tundra climate?

  -34
• What are annual summer temps in the polar tundra climate?

  3-12
• How do polar tundra climate benefit indigenous groups?

  • Low populations
  • sami in Northern Europe hunt reindeer seasonally
  • inuit in northern Canada/greenland hunt caribou/seals in winter and fish in summer
• What human activities occur in the polar tundra climate?

  fishing, tourism, mineral exploitation, ski resorts
• What is the population of the arctic tundra?

  less than 4 million
• How does climate change influence agriculture?

  extreme weather, temperature change, soils, pests/insects, diseases, sea levels
• How does extreme weather affect climate change?


  frequency/ intensity expected to increase, frequent hurricanes and storms will cause land to flood making it difficult to farm in saturated soils
• How do temperature changes affect agriculture?

  will become drier with longer summers and more frequent cold season thaws, making the soil infertile and less rainfall to grow produce
• How do soils affect agriculture?

  climate change puts soil under pressure - if areas dry out organic matter can quickly break down releasing co2 into atmosphere, soil issues lead to low crop yields
• How do pests/insects affect agriculture?

  rising temps will cause insects to use more energy and procreate more, moves where insects breed - more consumption of crops by pests
• How do diseases affect agriculture?

  predicted to increase - more illness = less people working in fields

  more plant diseases lower crop yields
• How do sea levels affect agriculture?

  higher sea levels = more flooding -> salt inundation - difficult for rice plants and salt intolerant crops to grow