Agrarian Activities: Types, Factors, and Characteristics
Agrarian Space
Agrarian space refers to the land where agricultural activities are undertaken.
Rural Space
Rural space encompasses non-urban areas utilized for agrarian activities, among others.
Agriculture
Agriculture involves cultivating the soil and growing crops to obtain food and raw materials. It includes preparing plant products for human consumption and distributing them to markets.
Livestock Farming
Livestock farming involves raising domesticated animals in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, raw materials, and labor. It implies a commercial purpose, as animals are reared for financial gain.
Silviculture
Silviculture focuses on the economic use of woodland, providing food and raw materials for various industries.
Fishing
Fishing is the activity that extracts products from the sea, providing food for people and raw materials for industries, such as canned and frozen products, oils, flours, and fertilizers.
Physical Factors of Agrarian Activity
Physical factors, including climate, relief, and soil, influence agrarian activities.
Soil Characteristics
Soil characteristics that affect fertility include depth, porosity, texture, acidity, and alkalinity.
Soil Structure
Soil structure consists of bedrock (the foundation), broken rock, surface soil (providing nutrients), and humus (the top layer essential for fertility).
Human Factors of Agrarian Activity
Human factors influencing agrarian activities include population, technological development, economic and social organization, and agrarian policies.
Technological Development in Traditional Societies
Traditional societies use basic tools and farming techniques, sometimes exhausting the soil or leaving it fallow. Natural fertilizers are commonly used.
Technological Development in Advanced Societies
Advanced societies employ modern tools, chemical fertilizers, irrigation systems, and pesticides.
Types of Agrarian Economies
There are two types of agrarian economies: subsistence economies (producing for their own needs) and market economies (selling their produce).
Social Organisation of Agrarian Activities
Social organization involves property and exploitation. Land can be private or collective, and exploitation can be direct (by landowners or employees) or indirect (through tenants or partners).
Agrarian Settlements
Agrarian settlements refer to the distribution of the agrarian population, which can be dispersed, concentrated, or interspersed.
Types of Spanish Agrarian Dwellings
Main types include the barraca (Valencia), caserío (Basque Country), cortijo (Andalusia), and masía (Catalonia).
Types of Farmland
Farm fields are classified based on size, shape, location, and use (agriculture, livestock farming, or silviculture).
Types of Crops
Crops are categorized by size: herbaceous crops (cereals or leafy greens), shrubs (grapevine), and trees (olive and fruit trees).
Monoculture
Monoculture involves growing only one crop in a field.
Polyculture
Polyculture involves growing multiple crops in a field.
Dryland Agriculture
Dryland agriculture relies solely on rainwater for irrigation.
Irrigated Agriculture
Irrigated agriculture involves artificial irrigation of land, soil, or crops.
Intensive Agriculture
Intensive agriculture maximizes land use for high output and profit.
Extensive Agriculture
Extensive agriculture does not fully utilize land, and output depends on capital and technology.
Characteristics of Traditional Agriculture
Traditional agriculture is common in regions with low development, using low technology and high labor, primarily for self-consumption.
Slash-and-Burn Agriculture
Slash-and-burn agriculture is a traditional method practiced by migratory populations in equatorial and tropical climates. Soil is cultivated in irregular plots and exhausted within a few years. Various crops are grown (polyculture).
Sedentary Dryland Agriculture
Sedentary dryland agriculture is found in tropical areas. Plots are located near villages and use crop rotation to prevent soil exhaustion.
Irrigated Monsoon Agriculture
Irrigated monsoon agriculture is practiced in South and South East Asia. Paddy fields in alluvial plains and river deltas produce multiple harvests annually.
Characteristics of Advanced Agriculture
Advanced agriculture is typical in ‘new countries’ and uses technology, mechanization, and scientific advancements to achieve high yields with minimal labor. It is market-oriented, focusing on profitable production.
Agriculture in ‘New Countries’
Agriculture in ‘new countries’ (Americas, Oceania) is characterized by large, regular-sized fields owned by skilled farmers or multinational companies. Advanced farming methods facilitate mass production for international markets.
Plantation Agriculture
Plantation agriculture is found in humid tropical coastal areas. Enormous fields are dedicated to a single crop, typically owned by multinational companies. It provides cheap mass production for international markets.
Organic Agriculture
Organic agriculture is environmentally friendly, resulting in lower yields but higher quality and more expensive products. It is not yet widespread, with ‘green consumers’ primarily from Europe and the US.