Geography SL
10
Chapters
152
Notes
Option A - Freshwater – Drainage basins
Option B - Oceans & coastal margins
Option C - Extreme Environments
Option D - Geophysical Hazards
Option E - Leisure, Tourism And Sport
Option F - The Geography Of Food & Health
Option G - Urban Environments
Unit 1 - Changing Population
Unit 2 - Global Climate - Vulnerability & Resilience
Unit 3 - Global Resource Consumption & Security
Geography SL
Option F - The Geography Of Food & Health
Unveiling The Secrets Of Efficient Food Production A Systems Approach To Farming
637 words
4 mins read
Last edited on 16th Oct 2024
Table of content
Types of farming & influencing factors
- Key Definitions:
- Intensive farming: High inputs (labor, capital, or equipment) for high yields per unit of land.
- E.g. Intensive dairy farming in Denmark, where every bit of land is used to grow feed and house cows.
- Commercial farming: Aimed at selling products for profit.
- E.g. Wheat farming in Kansas, USA, where crops are sold to food companies.
- Pastoral farming: Raising livestock, typically in areas unsuitable for crops.
- E.g. Sheep farming in New Zealand's mountainous areas.
- Intensive farming: High inputs (labor, capital, or equipment) for high yields per unit of land.
- Opposite farming types: extensive (low input per land unit), subsistence (farming for survival), arable (cultivating crops).
- Factors influencing farming:
- Physical: Climate, soil type, topography.
- Human: Market proximity, available labor, capital, government policy.
Farming systems
- Systems approach: Simplifies farming types by examining inputs, processes, and outputs. E.g., Santa Rosa's shifting cultivation versus Denmark's intensive pig farming.
- Agricultural systems as modified ecosystems: E.g., a farm in Iowa, USA, where corn is grown (monoculture) with high external input (fertilizer), low biodiversity, and output (corn products).
Productivity, biomass, nutrient cycling, & energy efficiency
- Agricultural systems' average productivity (650 g/m^2/year) is similar to temperate grasslands. E.g., Canadian Prairies, where wheat farming is prevalent.
- Agricultural ecosystems utilize a minuscule percentage of incoming solar radiation (~0.25%), and less than 1% is used as human food.
- Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER): The balance of energy inputs and outputs. E.g., Traditional agroforestry systems may have low inputs but high outputs, while intensive pastoral farming might have high inputs but lower outputs.
Nutrient cycling & energy flows
- Gersmehl diagrams showcase nutrient cycling differences between mixed farms and natural ecosystems.
- Energy flows depict the transformation of sunlight energy into food energy within the ecosystem. E.g., A farm's energy flow may start with solar energy absorbed by crops, then transferred to livestock via feed, and finally consumed by humans in the form of meat.
Unlock the Full Content! 
Dive deeper and gain exclusive access to premium files of Geography SL. Subscribe now and get closer to that 45 🌟
Geography SL
Option F - The Geography Of Food & Health
Unveiling The Secrets Of Efficient Food Production A Systems Approach To Farming
637 words
4 mins read
Last edited on 16th Oct 2024
Table of content
Types of farming & influencing factors
- Key Definitions:
- Intensive farming: High inputs (labor, capital, or equipment) for high yields per unit of land.
- E.g. Intensive dairy farming in Denmark, where every bit of land is used to grow feed and house cows.
- Commercial farming: Aimed at selling products for profit.
- E.g. Wheat farming in Kansas, USA, where crops are sold to food companies.
- Pastoral farming: Raising livestock, typically in areas unsuitable for crops.
- E.g. Sheep farming in New Zealand's mountainous areas.
- Intensive farming: High inputs (labor, capital, or equipment) for high yields per unit of land.
- Opposite farming types: extensive (low input per land unit), subsistence (farming for survival), arable (cultivating crops).
- Factors influencing farming:
- Physical: Climate, soil type, topography.
- Human: Market proximity, available labor, capital, government policy.
Farming systems
- Systems approach: Simplifies farming types by examining inputs, processes, and outputs. E.g., Santa Rosa's shifting cultivation versus Denmark's intensive pig farming.
- Agricultural systems as modified ecosystems: E.g., a farm in Iowa, USA, where corn is grown (monoculture) with high external input (fertilizer), low biodiversity, and output (corn products).
Productivity, biomass, nutrient cycling, & energy efficiency
- Agricultural systems' average productivity (650 g/m^2/year) is similar to temperate grasslands. E.g., Canadian Prairies, where wheat farming is prevalent.
- Agricultural ecosystems utilize a minuscule percentage of incoming solar radiation (~0.25%), and less than 1% is used as human food.
- Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER): The balance of energy inputs and outputs. E.g., Traditional agroforestry systems may have low inputs but high outputs, while intensive pastoral farming might have high inputs but lower outputs.
Nutrient cycling & energy flows
- Gersmehl diagrams showcase nutrient cycling differences between mixed farms and natural ecosystems.
- Energy flows depict the transformation of sunlight energy into food energy within the ecosystem. E.g., A farm's energy flow may start with solar energy absorbed by crops, then transferred to livestock via feed, and finally consumed by humans in the form of meat.
Unlock the Full Content!
Dive deeper and gain exclusive access to premium files of Geography SL. Subscribe now and get closer to that 45 🌟