Agricultural Systems | Geography for GCSE/IGCSE - Year 11 PDF Download

Agricultural Systems

• To acquire food, humans modify ecosystems through farming.
• Farming is categorized into four groups:
  • Arable and pastoral
  • Commercial and subsistence
  • Extensive and intensive
  • Nomadic and sedentary
• A mixed farm combines livestock and crop cultivation.

Factors influencing the type of agriculture

Understanding Farming Systems as Ecosystems

• All farms function as systems, comprising inputs, processes, and outputs.

A Farming System

A Farming System's Impact on the Ecosystem

• Farming systems interact with the environment they are situated in, influencing it in various ways.
• Some systems have more significant impacts, such as monocultures that limit biodiversity.
• When nutrient cycles rely heavily on external inputs like fertilizers, it can disrupt natural processes.
• Modifications to the ecosystem through the use of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and machines can alter natural balances.
• Reduced food webs and biomass levels are common outcomes of intensive farming practices.

Case Study: Sheep Farming

• The topography of the land in Cumbria restricts the types of farming activities possible.
• Low-lying regions are primarily utilized for cattle grazing and growing limited crops.
• Sheep rearing is the predominant agricultural activity, with around 3 million sheep raised in the region.
• This form of farming exemplifies extensive, commercial, pastoral, and sedentary practices.

Land Use Zones on Sheep Farms

• The Fell: These elevated areas above 300 meters serve as grazing grounds for the livestock.
• The Intake: Lower slopes that are partitioned into fields for various purposes.
• The Inbye: Proximity to farm structures, used for lambing, shearing activities, and sometimes cultivating crops like turnips and hay for livestock feed.

Classification of Inputs

• Inputs on a hill sheep farm can be categorized into physical and human resources.

Essential Processes on a Hill Sheep Farm

• Monitoring the Sheep: Keeping a close eye on the health and well-being of the flock.
• Lambing: The birthing process for ewes.
• Dipping: A practice employed to combat parasites and maggots.
• Shearing: Removing wool from sheep, typically done annually.

End Products of Farming

• Lambs: Young sheep raised for meat, usually slaughtered before reaching a year of age (around 6-8 months).
• Wool: Harvested from shearing, its value can sometimes exceed the returns from selling the fleece.
• Mutton: Meat sourced from mature sheep, typically over a year old.

Challenges

• Hill Sheep Farming Challenges: Profitability issues often lead farmers to depend on subsidies or diversification for income.
• Subsidies and Diversification: Farmers rely on subsidies or diversification due to the unprofitability of hill sheep farming.
• Disease Outbreaks: In 2001, foot and mouth disease led to the culling of nearly 500,000 sheep to prevent further spread.
• Rising Costs: Increased expenses for fuel, machinery, and feed impact the overall costs of sheep farming.
• Market Influence on Income: Fluctuating lamb prices directly affect the income of sheep farmers based on market conditions.
• Wool Price Challenges: Wool prices averaging around 32p per kilo are often insufficient to cover the costs of shearing.
• Declining Interest in Sheep Farming: There is a decreasing interest among individuals to pursue a career in sheep farming.
• Post-Brexit Subsidy Changes: Following the UK's exit from the EU, subsidies are set to be phased out and replaced with payments for environmental initiatives.

Impacts

• Many sheep farmers are branching into alternative ventures like campsites and holiday cottages to enhance their income sources.
• Transitioning to organic practices, such as the case of Low Sizergh Farm in South Cumbria, can boost profits as consumers are willing to pay more for organic products.
• Some farmers are taking on additional employment opportunities while farming part-time to supplement their income.
• Exploring breeds that naturally shed their fleece and do not require shearing is considered, although this may not be suitable for upland areas.