THE PRIMARY SECTOR.
AGRARIAN SPACES
In this unit, we will analyse the primary sector´s economic activities, the
different landscapes they create and their impact on the land (on the physical
or natural geographical landscapes).
AGRICULTURE
concerned with cultivating the land in order to obtain plants for food
(for animals and humans)and raw materials for industry
PRIMARY
SECTOR
LIVESTOCK FARMING
Obtains resources concerned with rearing animals for human use such as food,
directly from nature fertilisers, raw materials for industry and sometimes, a form of labour
force.
AGRARIAN SPACE: Land SILVICULTURE (FORESTRY)
where agrarian activities are concerned with the use of woodland to obtain food and raw materials
undertaken. Cultivated lands, for industry.
pastures, meadows,
woodland…
FISHING
activity that provides products from the sea such as food and raw
materials (oils, fertilisers, etc…).
AGRARIAN POPULATION
The total agrarian population has decreased.
However, there are big contrasts between
developed & underdeveloped countries.
Remember the importance of economic
sectors in developed, emerging and
underdeveloped countries.
ABSOLUTE VALUES OR LINE GRAPHS
PERCENTAGES IN EQUAL
INTERVALS
PERIODS OF TIME IN
EQUAL INTERVALS
YEAR EMPLOYMENT % CONTRIBUTION TO GDP %
SPANISH SECTORS EMPLOYMENT AND GDP
CONTRIBUTION TO CONTRIBUTION OF 1920 57,3 31,9
SPANISH AGRARIAN
GDP 2016 SECTOR.
1930 45,5 22,8
1940 50,5 26,8
1. Draw a line graph with the 1950 47,6 28,7
information given on this
1960 39 23,6
data table.
1970 37,3 11,9
Study the line graph and: 1975 21,7 10,1
- Describe the line 1980 17,3 7,3
graph. 1985 16,4 6,4
- Analyse the information
given. 1990 10,7 5,5
- Give conclusions. 1995 9,2 4,6
PRIMARY 2000 6,2 3,6
2005 4,9 2,8
SECONDARY
2010 4,3 2,3
TERTIARY 2014 4,2 2,3
AGRARIAN ACTIVITY. PHYSICAL AND HUMAN FACTORS.
Different crops adapt to different climatic conditions: sunlight hours,
maximum and minimum temperatures, precipitations levels and winds.
Agriculture is imposible below 0º C or above 45º C
Agriculture can’t be undertaken in places with too high altitudes: it prefers
flat valley floors and avoids mountainous areas (hillside terraces).
Agriculture is conditioned by the type of soil (surface layer of the Earth’s
crust). A good soil for agriculture is the one that is:
- Deep (many layers of organic material).
- Retains water.
- Porous: lets air reach the plants’ roots.
- Neutral PH.
Having a certain type of vegetation can condition what type of agrarian
activities you can develop:
- Abundant pastures (grass): Livestock farming.
- Abundant forests: silviculture
The increase of the world’s population has led to:
- More land is being dedicated to agrarian activities: it causes
DEFORESTATION (reduction of natural vegetation)
- Agrarian space is being used to its maximum potential: it causes SOIL
OVEREXPLOITATION, and subsequently DESERTIFICATION.
In low populated areas can lead to the growing of some crops being
abandoned, so the region suffers an ENVIRONMENTAL DECLINE (e.g.: fires).
DESERTIFICATION = the process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically
as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture & livestock
farming.
The level of technological development of a society influences the farming tools & techniques they use.
FARMING TOOLS
- TRADITIONAL SOCIETIES : Spade (pala), Hoe (azada), Sickle (hoz), Plough (arado).Basic tools
require a large labour force.
- ADVANCED SOCIETIES: Tractor Harvester (cosechadora), Milking machines (ordeñador eléctrico).
Modern tools require a small labour for.
FARMING TECHNIQUES
- TRADITIONAL SOCIETIES: Use of natural fertilizers (for the soil to recover its nutrients). Crop
rotation (leaving a part fallow). Soil is farmed until it’s exhausted (overuse of soil)
- ADVANCED SOCIETIES: Advanced irrigation techniques. Chemical fertilizers & pesticides.
Selection & genetic manipulation of species. Greenhouses.
SUBSISTENCE ECONOMIES
- Only produce enough to cover their own needs farmers tend to practice polyculture (various products
are cultivated) & combine agriculture & livestock farming.
- Farming is done on a small scale by landowners.
MARKET ECONOMIES
- Produce food to sell it farmers tend to specialize in a type of crop (monoculture) or a type of livestock.
- Farming is done on a large scale by companies.
Agrarian policies implemented by governments also influence agrarian activities deeply.
Politicians decisions can determine:
- Distribution of agrarian property (private or collective, direct or indirect exploitation).
- The level of modernisation & competitiveness.
- The environmental impact of their country’s agrarian activities.
- Abandonment/promotion of certain agrarian activities & crops.
AGRARIAN LANDSCAPE AND ITS ELEMENTS.
AGRARIAN SETTLEMENTS: way in which the agrarian
AGRARIAN LANDSCAPES: are the result population is distributed across the land:
of the transformation of the natural - Dispersed (disperso)
environment due to agrarian activities. - Concentrated (concentrado)
- Interspersed (intercalar)
There are many different agrarian
landscapes around the world. Their aspect AGRARIAN HABITAT: combination of houses &
depends of the combination of 2 elements: agricultural buildings (stables, barns…), usually made with
local materials like stone, wood or clay.
INHABITED SPACE FARMLAND: land dedicated to agrarian activities. It is
+ divided into fields (“parcelas”). The classification of fields
depends on:
FARMLAND
= - SIZE: Small (<10 ha), medium (10 – 100 ha) or large
AGRARIAN LANDSCAPE (>100 ha).
- SHAPE: Regular or Irregular.
- LOCATION: Open and enclosed.
- USE:Agriculture, livestock farming or silviculture.
AGRICULTURE. DIVERSITY AND TYPES
CULTIVATION METHODS: are the procedures used by
farmers to grow crops. We have different classifications:
- According to CROP VARIETY:
MONOCULTURE (monocultivo)
POLYCULTURE (policultivo)
- According to WATER SUPPLY:
DRYLAND AGRICULTURE (secano)
IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE (regadío)
- According to SOIL USE:
CONTINUAL CULTIVATION (cultivo continuo)
CROP ROTATION (rotación de cultivos)
- According to DEGREE OF LAND USE:
INTENSIVE (intensiva)
EXTENSIVE (extensiva)
TYPES OF AGRICULTURE
TRADITIONAL (Subsistence agriculture), low MODERN (Commercial agriculture) to sell
production; aimed to supply the farmer & his production in national & international markets.
family (self-consumption).
- Technological & scientific advancements,
- Outdated technology. mechanisation.
- Large labour force. - Minimum labour force.
- Location: underdeveloped regions (Africa / - Location: developed regions (Europe / North
South-East Asia / Latin America). America / Australia) & some tropical coasts.
- Types: Migratory agriculture (slash-and- - Two types: Industrial agriculture and Organic
burn), sedentary dryland agriculture and agriculture (bio-extensive)
Irrigated monsoon agriculture.
LIVESTOCK FARMING
LIVESTOCK FARMING SYSTEMS: procedures used to rear livestock:
A.EXTENSIVE LIVESTOCK FARMING B. INTENSIVE LIVESTOCK FARMING
- Animals in large, open-air fields. - Animals in barns & fed with artificial feeds.
- Needs small amounts of capital & labour. - Needs large amounts of capital & labour: buildings,
Complements agriculture: provides labour breed selection, feeding technology, veterinary care…
force & fertilizer. - Greater productivity.
- Lower productivity.
LIVESTOCK FARMING METHODS
A. TRADITIONAL
- Nomadic livestock farming (Ganadería/pastoreo nómada):
• Extensive.
• Livestock continually moved looking for fresh pastures.
• Characteristic of peoples in areas next to deserts: Bedouins in the Arabian Peninsula or Tuareg in the
Sahara.
- Seasonal migration (Trashumancia)
• Extensive.
• Livestock seasonally moved, in summer & winter, looking for fresh pastures.
• Characteristic of mountainous areas.
B. MODERN:
- Industrial livestock farming (Ganadería industrial)
• Seeks maximum yield to be sold on the market.
• It can be extensive (large quantities of animals reared in the open-air) or intensive (genetically selected
livestock in barns, artificial feeds, technology…).
- Organic livestock farming (Ganadería orgánica/ecológica):
• Respects environment & animal welfare:
• Semi-extensive systems.
• Balanced feeds: no artificial feeds, no growth stimulants.
• Animal welfare: spacious shelters, they aren’t kept permanently in barns.
• Avoid excessive use of pastures; appropriate number of animals per hectare.
• Lower productivity, but higher quality.
SILVICULTURE
FOREST SPACES
Equatorial & tropical Temperate forest: Boreal/taiga forest:
forests: • Temperate climate zone. • Northern regions, near polar
• Warm climate zone. • Smaller trees. areas.
• Tall, hardwood trees. • More homogeneously • Softwood trees.
• Many species combined grouped. OAK (roble) BEECH • Dense forest, but few species
together extensive areas are (haya) CHESTNUT (castaño) (homogeneously grouped):
deforested to harvest the most • The deciduous temperate conifers. PINE (pino) FIR (abeto)
profitable ones. MAHOGANY forest is being replaced by more BIRCH (abedul)
(caoba) EBONY (ébano) profitable species: pine &
TEAK (teca) eucalyptus.
FORESTS’ USES & ROLES
- Energy source (firewood).
- Food (fruits, mushrooms…).
- Industrial products (cork, paper, resin, rubber…).
- Protect environment: absorb CO2, protect soil from erosion, helps biodiversity
- Wood for building/furniture
- Recreation activities
Problems created by forestry activities
• Uncontrolled exploitation of forests has led to serious levels of DEFORESTATION.
• 1/3 of Earth’s forest lost since 1950.
Consequences of DEFORESTATION:
● Bigger risk of floods.
● Soil erosion: landslides & loss of land for growing crops.
● Destruction of animals’ habitats:biodiversity loss (extinction of animals); wild animals appearing in urban
areas; greenhouse effect increases; weak ozone
Solutions to prevent DEFORESTATION:
● Policies to ensure sustainable tree felling.
● Education & consciousness-raising: encourage local populations to care for the forest.
● Recycling & reuse wood products (PAPER!!).
● Planting trees
FISHING
FISHING SYSTEMS:
• According to place and time required:
- SHALLOW-WATER FISHING (Pesca de bajura)
- DEEP-SEA FISHING (Pesca de altura)
- OCEAN FISHING (Pesca de gran altura)
• According to technology used:
- TRADITIONAL FISHING: uses small boats, traditional
technology and limited labour force. Production is limited and
intended for the local market.
- INDUSTRIAL FISHING: uses large factory boats, modern
technology (radars, sonars, etc…) and a large labour force.
Production levels are high and intended for sale on national or
international markets.
FUTURE OF FISHERIES
PROBLEMS:
- OVERFISHING.
- SEA POLLUTION.
- DIFFICULTY TO OBTAIN ACCESS TO OTHER COUNTRIES’ FISHING GROUNDS (caladeros).
SOLUTIONS:
- Promotion of aquaculture (acuicultura): breeding of fish, crustaceans & molluscs.
- Fishing quotas.
- Prohibition of harmful fishing practices.
- Anti-pollution measures.
- International fishing agreements.
