Fundamentals Of Human Geography Chapter 5 Primary Activities

C.

Wheat

B.

Denmark

D.

Floriculture

D.

Plantation

D.

Amazon Basin

C.

Mediterranean agriculture

B.

Primitive subsistence agriculture

B.

Mixed farming

Shifting cultivation is widely practised by tribes in tropics particularly in Africa, tropical South and Central America and South east Asia. The vegetation is usually cleared by fire, and the ashes add to the fertility of the soil.

One of the major problems of shifting cultivation is that the cycle of jhum becomes less and less due to loss of fertility in different parcels.

Market gardening and horticulture specialise in the cultivation of high value crops such as vegetables, fruits and flowers, solely for the urban markets.
Farms are small and are located where there are good transportation links with the urban centre where high income group of consumers is located. 

Large scale dairy farming is the result of the development of transportation and refrigeration:
Because the development of transportation, refrigeration, pasteurisation and other preservation processes have increased the duration of storage of various dairy products.

The important characteristic features of plantatation agriculture are:
(i)large estates or plantations
(ii)large capital investment
(iii)managerial and technical support 
(iv)scientific methods of cultivation
(v)single crop specialisation 
(vi)cheap labour
(vii)a good system of transportation which links the estates to the factories and markets for the export of the products

Important plantation crops from different countries:
Tea - India and Sri Lanka
Rubber- Malayasia
Sugarcane & Banana - West Indies

Mixed farming is characterised by:
(i)high capital expenditure on farm machinery and building
(ii)extensive use of chemical fertilisers and green manures  
(iii)the skill and expertise of the farmers

An economic activity concerned with the extraction of commercially valuable minerals from the bowels of the earth.

Factors Affecting Mining Activity:

Truck farming:
(i)The regions where farmers specialise in vegetables only, the farming is know as truck farming.
(ii)The distance of truck farms from the market is governed by the distance that a truck can cover overnight, hence the name truck farming.

The process of migration from plain areas to pastures on mountains during summers and again from mountain pastures to plain areas during winters is known as transhumance.

Collective farming or the model of Kolkhoz was introduced in erstwhile Soviet Union to improve upon the inefficiency of the previous methods of agriculture and to boost agricultural production for self-sufficiency.
Features:
(i)The farmers pool in all their resources like land, livestock and labour. However, they are allowed to retain very small plots to grow crops in order to meet their daily requirements.
(ii)Yearly targets are set by the government and the produce is also sold to the state at fixed prices.
(iii)Produce in excess of the fixed amount is distributed among the members or sold in the market.
(iv)The farmers have to pay taxes on the farm produces, hired machinery etc.
(v)Members are paid according to the nature of the work allotted to them by the farm management.

The number of pastoral nomads has been decreasing and the areas operated by them shrinking. This is due to
(i) imposition of political boundaries 
(ii) new settlement plans by different countries

Features of subsistence farming are as follows:

1. Small-holdings: It is characterised by small and scattered land holdings and use of primitive tools.
2. The farmers do not use fertiliser and high yielding variety of seeds as they are poor.
3. Electricity and irrigation facilities are not generally available to them which results in low productivity.
4. Most of the production is consumed by the generally available to them which result in low productivity.
5. Most of the food production is consumed by the farmers and their families.
6. Where facilities like electricity and irrigation are available farming has improved.
7. Important cash crops like sugarcane, oilseeds, cotton and jute are grown.
8. Dryland farming is practised in areas where the rainfall is low and irrigation facilities are inadequate land farming is practised in high rainfall and irrigated areas.
9. High population pressure
10. Many crops from the same field
11. More limits of human labour
12. Ordinary tools of agriculture
13. Extensive use of fertilizers.
14. Beginning of modern techniques.

Co-operative Farming:
(i)A group of farmers form a co-operative society by pooling in their resources voluntarily for more efficient and profitable farming. Individual farms remain intact and farming is a matter of cooperative initiative.
(ii)Co-operative societies help farmers, to procure all important inputs of farming, sell the products at the most favourable terms and help in processing of quality products at cheaper rates.

A type of farming in which major emphasis is on breeding and rearing of milch cattle.

Canada and Northern Eurasia.

They were hunting and gathering.

Amazon Basin.

Nomadism ia a way life of the people who are required to shift their dwellings frequently from place to place in search of pastures for their animals, the mainstay of their economy.

Subsistence agriculture.

It is a type of shifting cultivation practised in North Eastern states of India.

The important countries where commercial livestock rearing is practised are:

(i)New Zealand

(ii)Australia

(iii)Argentina
(iv)Uruguay
(v) United States of America 

Dairy farming is highly labour intensive as it involves rigorous care in feeding and milching.

Netherlands

The characteristics:

(i)Commercial livestock ranching is essentially associated with western cultures and is practised on permanent ranches.
(ii)These ranches cover large areas and are divided into a number of parcels, which are fenced to regulate the grazing. When the grass of one parcel is grazed, animals are moved to another parcel.
(iii)The number of animals in a pasture is kept according to the carrying capacity of the pasture. This is a specialised activity in which only one type of animal is reared.
(iv)Important animals include sheep, cattle, goats and horses. Products such as meat, wool, hides and skin are processed and packed scientifically and exported to different world markets.
(v)Rearing of animals in ranching is organised on a scientific basis. The main emphasis is on breeding, genetic improvement, disease control and health care of the animals.

The names are:
(i)Jhuming in North eastern states of India
(ii)Milpa in central America and Mexico 
(iii)Ladang in Indonesia and Malaysia

C.

Netherlands

A.

Extensive Commercial Grain Farming

B.

gathering

A.

Amazon basin

C.

Quinine

C.

Bakarwals

A.

Wheat

B.

Coffee

A.

Plantation

People engaged in primary activities are called Red Collar Workers.

Commercial livestock rearing is more organized and capital intensive. Commercial livestock rearing is essentially associated with western cultures and is practiced on permanent ranches. This is a specialized activity in which only one type of animal is reared.

Characteristics :

(i)Associated with western cultures.

(ii)The number of animals in the pastures is kept according to the carrying capacity of the pasture.

(iii)Only one type of animal is reared.

(iv)Rearing of animals in ranching is organized on a scientific basis. 

Characteristics of ‘Commercial Livestock Rearing’:

(i) Commercial livestock rearing is more organised and capital intensive.
(ii) Commercial livestock ranching is essentially associated with western cultures and is practiced on permanent ranches. These ranches cover large areas and are divided into a number of parcels, which are fenced to regulate the grazing.

 (iii) When the grass of one parcel is grazed, animals are moved to another parcel. The number of animals in a pasture is kept according to the carrying capacity of the pasture.

 (iv) This is a specialised activity in which only one type of animal is reared. Important animals include sheep, cattle, goats and horses. Products such as meat, wool, hides and skin are processed and packed scientifically and exported to different world markets.

 (v) Rearing of animals in ranching is organised on a scientific basis. The main emphasis is on breeding, genetic improvement, disease control and health care of the animals.

North America, North Europe and Siberia.

Subsistence agriculture is one in which the farming areas consume all, or nearly so, of the products locally grown.

Features of intensive subsistence agriculture:

(i) Intensive subsistence agriculture dominated by wet paddy cultivation: This type of agriculture is characterised by dominance of the rice crop.

(ii) Land holdings are very small due to the high density of population. Farmers work with the help of family labour leading to intensive use of land.

(iii) Intensive subsidence agriculture dominated by crops other than paddy: Due to the difference in relief, climate, soil and some of the other geographical factors.

(iv) it is not practical to grow paddy in many parts of monsoon Asia.

Characteristics of hunting and gathering

(i) These are carried out at different levels with different orientations.

(ii) This is practised in regions with harsh climatic conditions

(iii) It often involves primitive societies, who extract, both plants and animals to satisfy their needs for food, shelter and clothing.

(iv) This type of activity requires a small amount of capital investment and operates at very low level of technology.

(v) The yield per person is very low and little or no surplus is produced.

Hunting and Gathering

Dairy is the most advanced and efficient type of rearing of milk animals. It is highly capital intensive. Special emphasis is laid on cattle breeding, health care and veterinary services.

The reasons:

(i) It provide neighbourhood market for fresh milk and dairy products.

(ii) The development of transportation, refrigeration, pasteurisation and other preservation processes have increased the duration of storage of various dairy products

Since Agri-business farms are commercial in nature that is why they are large and mechanised e.g. Tea-estate, Coffee- estates etc.

The differences: 
(i) Nomadic herding is a primitive subsistence activity while commercial grazing is more organized and capital intensive.

(ii) In nomadic herding, the nomads rely on animals for food, clothing and shelter whereas commercial rearing is associated with western culture.

(iii) Nomadic herders move from place to place in search of food and water whereas commercial ranches cover large area where they rear cattle permanently.

(iv) In nomadism, a wide variety of cattle are reared but in commercial grazing, it is a specialized activity with one type of animals.

(v) Pastoral nomadism is undertaken on vast horizontal movements but commercial grazing is stable and run on scientific basis.

A. Mongolia 
B. South West Africa 
C. Vanvouver 
D. London 
E. Bogota

Northern Canada and Southern Chile.

Two types of Subsistence Agriculture:
(i) Primitive Subsistence agriculture
(ii) Intensive Subsistence agriculture
(i) Primitive Subsistence agriculture:

• Also known as shifting agriculture, slash and burn.
• Also known by different names in different states and countries like Jhuming in North eastern states of India, Milpa in central America and Mexico and Ladang in Indonesia and Malaysia.
• Uses primitive tools for farming.
• Farm size are small.
• Vegetation is cleared by fire and ashes are added to the soil to increase it's fertility.

(ii) Intensive Subsistence agriculture:

• This type of agriculture is largely found in densely populated regions of monsoon Asia.
• Farmers work with the help of family labour.
• Land holdings are very small due to the high density of population.
• Use of machinery is limited and most of the agricultural operations are done by manual labour.
• Farm yard manure is used to maintain the fertility of the soil.