Food Production - 86%

Nomadic pastoralists

people who use the practice of herding livestock throughout the year in order to find food and water. e.g. northern Europeans

Commercial farmers

people who use the practice of farming to supply the needs of other people. e.g. Australians

Subsistence farmers

people who use the practice of growing crops and raising livestock to feed themselves and their families. e.g. Alaskans

Desertification

The transformation of fertile land into relatively dry desert areas.

Enteric fermentation

The process by which animals break down food

Changes to vegetation

Very little vegetation remains in many places. Forests have been cut down

Changes to soil

Natural soil fertility comes from the slow breakdown of rocks and minerals and the decomposition of plants. Crops

Changes to the atmosphere

Farming contributes to climate change in numerous ways. Replacing forests with farms means that the ability of the forest to store carbon is lost. Burning is one of the quickest ways to remove forests and this releases stored carbon into the atmosphere. Additionally

Changes to water

Most farm types require large amounts of water. In the past

Environmental factors

Landforms

Financial factors

Labour and financial resources.

Technological factors

Expertise and level of technology.

Soil

A mixture of air

Soil moisture

The amount of water soil contains is one of its most important features. Fertile soils generally have a high moisture content whereas infertile soils are usually much drier. Soil moisture is affected by the amount of rain or irrigation water that falls on the soil

Finding water

Farmers in Australia have developed methods of managing water supply in the wide brown land. In some areas

Orbiting satellites fitted with special sensors can measure the moisture and health of soil. This can be linked with data from sensors on the ground to give farmers an accurate picture of the water needs of their crops. They can then use their water sources to deliver the exact amount of water needed by each paddock at precisely the right time

reducing the amount of water that is wasted through overwatering and crops lost due to underwatering.

Improving soil

Australia's ancient soils are typically low in nutrients and organic matter and are also easily eroded. Farmers typically add fertilisers and soil conditioners to improve their soil and increase food production

The Internet of Things (IOT)

The latest phase in high-tech farming that uses a new way of thinking