Changing Rural Environments: Unit 2: section A In the human
paper you will have to answer 3 questions; 1 on changing rural
environments, 1 on population change and 1 on tourism. The paper is
1:30hrs long therefore you should aim to spend 30 minutes on each
question.
Slide 2
The Syllabus Opposite is a copy of the syllabus for this unit
of work. It should help you to highlight any gaps in your notes and
learning.
Slide 3
Main Case Studies A case study of a commercial farming area in
the UK to illustrate the following points: The development of agri-
businesses and the impact of modern farming practices on the
environment. Demands from the market with reference to the demands
of the supermarket chains and food processing firms. Competition
from the global market. Development of organic farming. Government
policies aimed at reducing the environmental effects of high impact
farming. A case study of a rural area in the UK to illustrate the
following points: Reasons for and consequences of rural
depopulation and the decline in rural services in remote areas. The
characteristics and factors significant to a declining village.
Growth in the ownership of second homes. East Anglia Truth wall,
Cornwall OR Longnor, Peak District
Slide 4
The rural-urban fringe is under intense pressure due to urban
sprawl and the increasing mobility of the population. Key idea
no.1
Slide 5
What is the rural urban fringe? Over time cities have expanded
outwards, along with their influence on the surrounding area. This
transitional zone between the countryside and the city is known as
the rural-urban fringe (where residents live in the countryside but
tend to work and socialise in the city).
Slide 6
Why is the rural urban fringe under pressure? The rural-urban
fringe is under pressure from urban sprawl. This is the expansion
of cities outwards into the surrounding countryside. This is
because the population of the UK is continuing to rise and the
number of households is increasing. Modern technology, including
the use of email, video-calling, fast internet connections and
teleworking, offers people and businesses greater flexibility as to
where work takes place. Over the last 60 years the development of a
3500 kilometre motorway network has made cities more easily
accessible for affluent motorists living in the countryside This
means that people no longer need to live in urban areas to make a
living!
Slide 7
Why is the rural urban fringe so important? The rural urban
fringe is under pressure because the land is relatively cheap
compared to urban areas. This makes it attractive to developers.
They are very accessible as motorways often run through or past
them linking them to the city and other areas. There is also more
space available to build large developments such as business and
retail parks. Can you think of any out- of-town retail developments
in the rural-urban fringe in Bristol? Does it have free parking? Is
there lots of space? What is the infrastructure like around the
area?
Slide 8
Free Parking Good links/accessibil ity with M32 (to Bristol) M5
to the south and midlands (Birmingham) and M4 (Wales and London).
All under one roof large scale development due to the cheap cost of
the land Who do you think might have been opposed to building the
Mall? The Mall at Cribbs Causeway
Slide 9
Look at this cartoon what do you think it is saying about the
impacts of urban sprawl on the countryside?
Slide 10
The impact of urban sprawl on the countryside 1.Longer journeys
by car from the edge of the city centre 2.More pollution 3.More
traffic congestion and gridlock 4.Wildlife habitats destroyed and
fragmented leading to wildlife numbers and diversity declining
5.The number of tranquil areas have decreased by a third in the
last 40 years.
Slide 11
Responses and Strategies for the future Planners in the UK
decided that green belts were the best way to stop urban sprawl.
Such areas were located around urban areas to slow the rate of
urban growth. Howeverthis doesnt always work as development either
eats into the green belt or simply leapfrogs the projected land and
continues on the higher quality countryside beyond. Therefore urban
sprawl is likely to continue in light of the fact that the
government wants to build 3 million new homes by 2020 (with a
quarter to be located on green belt land!).
Slide 12
Past Paper Questions Click on the question to find the
answer
Slide 13
Suburbanised Villages A suburbanised village has residential
population who sleep in the village but who travel to work in a
nearby urban area. They have expanded as part of the larger process
of counter-urbanisation. The characteristics of a suburbanised
village: it is an original village core; infilling of houses
between old houses; houses built along roads leading out of the
village in ribbon developments and larger planned estates located
outside the village core.
Slide 14
How might suburbanised villages be changing? Using page 176 in
understanding GCSE geography, write one way in which suburbanised
villages are changing under the following headings: Population
Housing Employment Services Social Transport Environment
Slide 15
Remote rural areas have undergone social and economic changes.
Key idea no. 2
Slide 16
Case Study: Cornwall the social & economic changes in rural
areas To understand general causes and results of rural
depopulation in Cornwall. To be able to recognise the features of a
village in decline. To understand why holiday and second homes are
growing. To realise the consequences of decline for rural services,
income levels and standards of living.
Slide 17
Key word: rural depopulation Decline in numbers living in
countryside areas, often due to out-migration
Slide 18
Where is Cornwall? Located in the remote south west corner of
England, Cornwall is the county next to Devon. It is far from the
core region of the south- east of England.
Slide 19
Why are remote rural areas in Cornwall in decline? Reduction in
traditional employment due to: Declining labour requirements on
mechanised farms; Increased competition from abroad; Exhaustion of
natural resources (e.g. tin, copper & china clay).
Slide 20
Is everybody leaving Cornwall? Rural depopulation occurred
between 1860 and 1951. From the 1960s onwards however, people began
to move back to the countryside. The vast majority of these people
were elderly, attracted by the mild climate and beautiful scenery.
A quarter of the half million population here is over state
pensionable age (compared to 19% across the UK). Today, the number
of births is 4500 and the number of deaths is 6000 a year, giving a
natural population decrease. Out migration of the younger,
economically active population in search of education, jobs and
affordable homes continues.
Slide 21
What are the results of rural depopulation in Cornwall? Rural
depopulation tends to now be confined to the most isolated rural
areas, this results in the following problems: An ageing
population; A decline in services; Rural poverty; Isolation.
Slide 22
Reduced wealth & demand for rural services Population
decline Reduced rate of natural increase Deterioration in age/sex
structure Emigration Fewer employment opportunities Decline in
traditional rural employment The Cycle of rural decline
Slide 23
The characteristics of a declining village Housing Population
Employment Services & transport Social Environment
Slide 24
The consequences of rural depopulation Increase in second homes
causes house prices to rise Decline in rural services Rural
poverty
Slide 25
The increase in second homes A first time home in Cornwall is
now more unaffordable than in London
Slide 26
The effect on rural services The availability of services in
the 10 000 rural parishes in England is in decline. The amount of
rural parishes without key services remained high. Decreases in:
Banks, petrol stations, dentists, post offices & job centres
Increases in: supermarkets, cashpoints, pubs & restaurants
Slide 27
The consequences of rural depopulation When areas become
saturated with second home owners, those living near the poverty
line become hidden in statistics. The 4 poorest wards in west
Cornwall have more than are living in poverty. Penwith has the
lowest rate of economic activity in south-west England.
Out-migration is prevalent. It is estimated that by 2026 1/3 of the
population will be retired this will put even more pressure on
health & recreational services & shrink services for the
young. The minimum level of income deemed necessary to achieve an
adequate standard of living.
Slide 28
Attempts should be made to ensure that rural living is
sustainable. Key idea no.3
Slide 29
Can rural areas be protected and sustainably developed a the
same time? Rural areas are disappearing under concrete at a rate of
54 sq km a year. Can rural areas be protected and sustainably
developed a the same time? The Rural Delivery Review, published in
2003 by the Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural
Affairs (Defra) recognised the problems of the countryside,
including: 1.Lack of control over economic and social issues 2.The
loss of rural services and the complex and confusing system of
rural funding
Slide 30
The Government established Natural England to conserve and
manage tourism It has 3 objectives: 1.Conserving natural resources
2.Protecting the environment 3.Sustainable rural living
1.Environmental Stewardship Scheme 1.To conserve wildlife
2.Increase biodiversity 3.Improve landscape quality 4.Provide flood
management 5.Promote public access to the countryside 2.Rural
Development Programmes To support sustainable farming methods by
investing 1.6bn in various schemes (between 2000 and 2006). Other
organisations
Slide 31
Commercial farming in favoured agricultural areas is subject to
a number of human influences. Key idea no. 4
Slide 32
Farm types and key terms Arable (crops) Pastoral (animals)
Mixed (both Dairy (cows) Hill Sheep Market gardening (e.g. flowers)
Intensive - high labour and money (capital) Extensive - larger in
size, low input and outputs per hectare Subsistence - producing
food for yourself (mainly in LEDW) Commercial - farmers grow crops
and rear animals to sell and make a profit Nomadic - shifting
cultivation or seasonal movements of livestock or pasture Sedentary
- farming in a fixed location Agri-business Large scale
(Commercial) farming enterprises/several farms joined together to
form one business.
Slide 33
Case Study: Arable farming changes and damage to the landscape
(East Anglia) Physical Factors Flat land Fertile Soils The sand,
loam (a mix of sand and clay) and chalk soils are suitable for
vegetables, fruit and root crops Long growing season Good rainfall
Human Factors Located close to large urban areas (inc. London)
which provides a large wealthy market Next to the M11 motorway and
A1 which allows for rapid transport of the produce to market)
Arable farming is both intensive and commercial (cash crops are
sold for profit). It takes place primarily in the South East of
England. The following is a list of human and physical factors that
make this area ideal for farming crops:
Slide 34
Case Study: Arable farming changes and damage to the landscape
(East Anglia) 1940/50s Farms were small Field size small Output
lower/less intensive Hedgerows present Crop rotation used (to
replace nitrogen in the soil) Animals kept as part of rotation
Farms were mixed Employing large numbers of people Today Farms are
more intensive Crop rotation disappeared - chemical fertilizer used
so crops are grown in same field year on year Herbicides and
pesticides used Mechanization - reduce labour required Improved
buildings (e.g. drying sheds for grain - temperature controlled)
Agribusiness/Agrichemicals Hedgerows removed so that field size can
be increased More land cultivated (known as extensification
woodland cleared) These changes show the development of large scale
agribusiness e.g. Higham Farm East Anglia
Slide 35
The Hedgerow Problem Hedge cutting machinery is very expensive
Hedges make the edges and corners of fields difficult to farm Many
wild birds nest in hedgerows Hedgerow insects help pollinate crops
Hedges help prevent soil erosion (thus cutting hedgerows increases
soil erosion) Hedges provide shelter for small animals Hedge
control takes up a farmers time Insects and animals living in
hedgerows may damage crops) Hedges look attractive Hedgerows
protect crops from the wind Hedges used up land that could be
farmed Weeds from hedgerows could spread into fields In addition to
the Hedgerow problem, other changes in farming in MEDCs have also
caused: 1.Nitrate pollution in rivers and lakes from the overuse of
fertilizer (fish die due to lack of oxygen caused by
eutrophication) 2. Cheap imports threaten domestic producers thus
forcing them to diversify to survive.
Slide 36
What can be done to solve these problems? Increasing field size
qualify for a grant to replant hedges/build stone walls as
boundaries and so reducing size of fields. Overuse of chemicals
encourage the use of natural fertilisers and the expansion of
organic farming Growth of factory farming ban the battery farming
of chickens, encourage greater free range production.
Slide 37
In the past, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) guaranteed
farmers a minimum price for their crop. They were also given
subsidies (money ) for what they produced). This led to
overproduction of food (food surpluses). Subsidies are planned to
be phased out however, by 2013. Supermarkets now have the power
Demands from the market:
Slide 38
Supermarkets and food processing firms Supermarkets and food
suppliers have considerable power over farmers. Supermarkets have
high standards and often demand produce of a certain size/weight
etc. They set the prices and the farmers have no choice in what
they get paid for their goods. In turn food processing firms are
under pressure from the supermarkets too. This means that will only
want to buy products a low prices. All this means is that the
farmer often sells their produce at a loss. To cut down on costs
many factories are located close to farms. This means food can be
processed quickly whilst it is still fresh e.g. Birds Eye peas are
frozen within one hour of picking.
Slide 39
Over the past couple of decades farmers have been paid by the
Government and the EU not to produce so much food but instead to
set-aside land to improve wildlife habitats and encourage
biodiversity (a wider range of wildlife). This was all part of CAP
(common agricultural policy). Today CAP money is spent on improving
animal welfare and environmental standards across the EU.
1.Environmental stewardship In 2005 farmers were offered incentives
to conserve wildlife, maintain and enhance (improve) the landscape
and protect natural resources e.g. Seed new hedgerows, leave grass
headlands around fields and leave streams/ponds etc untouched.
2.Energy crop scheme Farmers now get paid to produce biofuels
instead of food e.g. Straw-fired power station, Ely,
Cambridgeshire. Government policies aimed at reducing the
environmental effects of farming:
Slide 40
Organic farming: This does not use synthetic chemicals such as
pesticides and insecticides. This is better for the health of the
farm workers, wildlife and environment. This type of farming is
expanding in the UK. It accounts for 1.6% of all farms and is worth
2 billion per year. Where do people buy their organic produce? Why
dont all farms produce organically?
Slide 41
Sub-tropical and tropical rural areas are increasingly subject
to change and conflict. Key idea no. 5
Slide 42
Subsistence food production in subtropical areas: the Amazon
Rainforest Shifting cultivation (sometimes called slash and burn)
is the main example of subsistence farming in the rainforest. This
is when Amazonian tribes clear a patch of land leaving a few large
trees for protection (about 1 hectare) and burn it so that the ash
fertilises the soil. The main crop manioc is planted with yams,
beans and pumpkins in clearings called chagras. After the nutrients
are gone, the Amazonians move on to farm another piece of land,
allowing the area to recover. This type of farming is
sustainable.
Slide 43
The impact of soil erosion in the rainforest Soil erosion is
caused by: 1.Deforestation 2.Cultivation on slopes 3.Ranching
4.Heavy machinery compacting the soil 5.Mining 6.Plantations of one
crop (monoculture) 7.Over cultivation 8.Irrigation without soil
drainage 9.Overgrazing The impact of soil erosion: The cycle in the
rainforest is delicate. Without trees (after deforestation) there
is no layer of humus (made of rotting leaves) to add organic
nutrients to the soil. The lack of tress also means less
interception so heavy rain washes the soil away. This can cause
gullying which is when the water carves out gully-shaped hollows in
the soil. Rivers flood more frequently due to receiving more water.
The soil quickly loses its fertility.
Slide 44
The impact of forestry and mining The 5000 miles of the Trans
Amazon Highway built in the 1960s has brought development at a cost
to the Amazon. As much as 80% of deforestation has occurred within
30km of official roads. Clear felling has supplied many jobs and
incomes to the people of Brazil. Local people are now also involved
in soya farming and ranching which now dominates the landscape.
This is known as cash cultivation or commercial farming. Land in
tropical regions is also being cleared for mining operations and
oil exploration. Open pit mining for precious metals for example,
requires tress to be felled. The soils are then pumped with water
across sieves. The heavy metals remain on the sieves as the water
and sediment are washed away. Mercury added to amalgamate gold then
enters the water and pollutes the river systems. Silt added to the
river system can also kill fish.
Slide 45
Changes to agriculture caused by irrigation and appropriate
technology developments. Irrigation is the artificial watering of
the land and is used by farmers in dry climates. Water can be
transferred to the field by simple gravity fed canals dug away from
rivers with earthen banks and sluice gates that open and allow
river water and nutrients to flood fields. Wells or holes dug down
to the water table provide water for individual farms.
Slide 46
The Aswan Dam: Egypt In Egypt, water management of the Nile
allows rice, sugar cane etc. to be grown. These feed the growing
population. This is good for a number of reasons: 1.Assured Water
Supply 2.Desert reclaimed for farmland 3.Cultivated are doubled
from 4% to 8% 4.No longer any risk from summer floods 5.Electricity
supply from HEP for the whole country
Slide 47
The impact of irrigation Human mismanagement of the land in the
Indus valley in Pakistan on the edge of the Thar desert has
converted marginal land to desert (desertification). Soil erosion
is a prominent here due to over cultivation and over grazing.
Salinization and water logging are frequent occurrences.
Salinization occurs when high temperatures draw water and salts up
through the soil via capillary action. This causes the soil to
become saline and encourages the development of a thick crust which
does not allow water to infiltrate causing water logging.
Slide 48
Appropriate Technology Sustainability can be achieved by
providing a level of technology in terms of size and complexity
that makes it suitable for use by local people (appropriate
technology). Projects should therefore be small scale, affordable,
suited to the local environment and improve their lives for today
and generations to comes.
Slide 49
Examples 1.Rainwater conservation 2.Soil conservation 3.Contour
ploughing See page 189 in New Understanding GCSE geography for an
explanation of how these work Appropriate Technology
Slide 50
The impact of rural-urban migration and failing agricultural
systems. As the population grows, people are moving in greater
numbers to urban areas from rural areas in search of better
opportunities. What are the impacts? Look to your revision
guide/notes/page 189 in New Understanding GCSE Geography.
Slide 51
Improvements in agriculture in the Tropics 1.Improved
irrigation so that crops can be grown all year round and yields
increased 2.Improved technology such as ploughs, seed drills and
biogas plants to power machinery. This must be appropriate! 3.The
Green Revolution in the 1960/70s provided farmers with new high
yield varieties of rice which helped them to produce more. Recent
population growth has seen some countries importing food as
production cannot keep up with demand. 4.Growing cash crops to make
a profit rather than subsistence farming. Big companies (TNCs) have
helped here because they bring investment and create jobs e.g.
rubber in Malaysia, tea in India
Slide 52
Past paper questions 1.What is agri-business? (1 mark)
2.Explain how the demands of supermarkets and food processing firms
affect farming. (4 marks) 3.The following is a list of some of the
features of modern farming methods. Increasing field size Overuse
of chemicals Factory farming Choose two of the features listed or
others that you have studied. Explain how the negative
environmental effects of these features could be reduced. (4
marks)
Slide 53
Past paper questions 4.Describe how tropical agriculture can be
improved.(8 marks) 5.Using example(s) explain why many developments
are taking place in the rural-urban fringe. (8 marks)
Slide 54
6.Study Figures 7a and 7b, which are a map showing the
percentage of houses which are second homes in the Lake District
National Park, and a map of the Lake District National Park and the
surrounding areas. 7.What is a second home? (1 mark) 8.Using
Figures 7a and 7b, describe the distribution of second homes in the
Lake District National Park. (4 marks) 9.With the help of Figure
7b, suggest reasons for the distribution of second homes in the
Lake District National Park shown on Figure 7a. (2 marks) Past
paper questions
Slide 55
Glossary of Key Terms Agri-business type of farming that is run
as a big business (no longer a way of life) Cash crop farming crops
grown for sale instead of farmers own use (the opposite of
subsistence farming) Commercial farming type of agriculture based
on growing crops or rearing livestock for sale Commuter person who
travels to work in another place every day by car or public
transport Counter-urbanisation - the movement of people from urban
areas into the surrounding countryside Environmental degradation
productive land turned into wasteland by damage to the soil Food
miles distance that food travels between supplier and supermarket
shelf Function (of a settlement) what it does, why it is there,
e.g. capital city, port, industrial centre Land uses (urban) ways
in which the Earths surface is used, e.g. houses, factories, shops,
transport, parks in towns and cities Organic farming type of
agriculture that does not use chemicals and artificial growth
stimulants; farming in a natural and sustainable way Quality of
life how well a person is able to enjoy living; high quality is
living comfortably (without always being wealthy) and low quality
is struggling to survive
Slide 56
Rural depopulation decline in numbers living in country areas,
often due to out- migration Ruralurban fringe area of countryside
lying on the edge of the main built-up area, sometimes partly built
on Second home house (often in rural areas) that is not the owners
main place of residence Subsistence farming type of agriculture
based on growing crops and rearing livestock mainly to feed the
family Suburbanised village small settlement in the countryside
that has grown with new housing and now is less like the old rural
settlement it used to be Urban sprawl outward spread of towns and
cities into and taking over rural areas Urbanisation increase in
the percentage of people living in urban areas Glossary of Key
Terms
Slide 57
Slide 58
Level 2 (Clear) 56 marks Linked statements showing some
appreciation of why the rural-urban fringe is being built on.
Knowledge of accurate information. Clear understanding. Answers
have some linkages; occasional detail/exemplar; uses some
specialist terms where appropriate. Clear evidence of sentence
structure. Some spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors. There
is plenty of open space and the land is cheaper than the centre of
the city so developers want to build houses there. These houses are
popular with buyers as they are in an attractive area. Out of town
shopping centres are popular because there is plenty of space and
they are accessible. Level 3 (Detailed) 78 marks Detailed
information with the use of an example(s) which. Knowledge of
accurate information appropriately contextualised and/or at correct
scale. Detailed understanding, supported by relevant evidence and
exemplars. Well organised, demonstrating detailed linkages and the
inter-relationships between factors. Range of ideas in a logical
form; uses a range of specialist terms where appropriate. Well
structured response with effective use of sentences. Few spelling,
punctuation and grammatical errors. Out of town shopping centres
have been built because they need a large amount of land in order
to provide plenty of car parking space. These are large scale
because they have a large range of shops close together or under
one roof. These need a huge infrastructure to support them and the
relative cheapness of the land compared to the city centre is
therefore an advantage. In Gloucester the greenbelt between
Gloucester and Cheltenham is being taken up with the building of
the M5 motorway, housing estates and golf courses. Level 1 (Basic)
14 marks Simple statements largely concerned with the developments
that have taken place rather than the reasons. Knowledge of basic
information. Simple understanding. Few links; limited detail; uses
a limited range of specialist terms. Limited evidence of sentence
structure. Frequent spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors.
They can build shopping centres there. They can build houses. The
land is cheap.
Slide 59
3(b)(ii) Greenpeace / ecowarriors / environmentalists /
conservationists / farmers / people living in the existing
villages.
Slide 60
3(b)(iii) Conservationists want the land left as open space so
the habitat of the wildlife is not disturbed. Farmers lose their
land and so will not be able to make a living. Existing villagers
feel that new development would spoil the look of the area /
increase the noise / put pressure on services.
Slide 61
Longnor student notes Longnor suffers many economic and social
problems, due to old people moving there to retire, therefore the
cost in housing has gone up due to popular demand. This means young
people are moving away because they cannot afford to live there.
The effect is that shops and community services have been forced to
close down, because there are few young people to run them.
However, decision makers have managed change in the economic and
social environment of the area. They have done this by building new
housing developments allowing room for a larger population. The
Coventry churches housing association has also provided more
affordable housing estates, there were 14 houses which were rented
only to young people due to 50% of 16-20 year olds leaving the
village. This effect has helped the economic environment of this
area because there are more jobs being filled. Another example of
how the decision makers have managed change in the area is by
setting up IRD projects, which encourages business and community
projects. This helps reduce population and decline by introducing
business enterprises, encouraging young people to stay living in
the village. Some examples of this include, renovating the market
hall to provide a craft centre and tea rooms. This employs many
locals and attracts tourists to the area, therefore helping the
economic problem. Rural development commission has awarded grants
in the form of reduced business rates, which has also helped with
the economic issues in the village.