Human Geography - Population and the environment

global population 2024

8.2 billion

HDE

high developed economies

EME

emerging economies

BRIC

Brazil, Russia, India, China

MINT

Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, Turkey

LDE

low developed economy

1. Key elements In physical environment

climate: rainfall, temperature, wind velocity, solar insolation

2. Key elements In physical environment

soil fertility (influences agricultural output, can use artificial fertilisers, some areas are prone to hazards

3. Key elements In physical environment

water supply (main use is for irrigation, also for sanitation, hygiene and industrial processes)

4. Key elements In physical environment

concentrations of resources have given rise to industrialisation and densely population conurbations

population density

the average number of people living in a specified area, usually expressed as the number per square km

population distribution

the pattern of where people live. This can be considered at all scales from local to global, in an area or country.

malnutrition

when a person's diet doesn't contain the right amount of nutrients. This may mean a person has too many, too few or an inbalance in the type of nutrients

undernourishment

when a person's food intake is insufficient to meet dietary energy requirements

overnutrition

when a person's diet contains too many nutrients

inputs (agriculture)

are physical, human and economic factors that determine the type of farming in an area ie, what goes in to make the farm

processes (agriculture)

are the activities carried out to turn inputs to outputs. They vary depending on the inputs and also by the level of technology available

outputs (agriculture)

are the products from the farm - the crops cultivated and animals reared

agricultural productivity

productivity is a key measure of the economic performance of agriculture and an important driver of farm incomes. It represents how efficiently the agricultural industry uses resources available to turn inputs into outputs.

total factor productivity

this takes into account all of the inputs employed in farm production and compares them with the total amount of outputs. It encompasses the average productivity of all these inputs employed in the production of all crop and livestock commodities.

TFP improves with

higher yielding, disease resistant crop varieties. Using better animal care and disease management practices

arable farming

farming of cereal and root crops, usually on flatter land with higher quality soil

mixed farming

the production of both arable crops and livestock. Commercially sensitble in allowing flexibility, most common type of agriculture in UK

pastoral farming

is livestock rearing and can be subsistence

intensive farming

involves high investment in labour and/or capital such as machinery, glasshouses and irrigation systems . Produces high yields per hectare from often small areas of land

commercial farming

involves farming and agribusiness maximising profits by specialising in single crops (monoculture) or raising one type of animal. Involves high investment of capital into land, contractors, machinery, agrochemicals and animal welfare

subsistence farming

involves direct production of sufficient food to feed the family or community involved with excess produce sold or bartered

extensive farming

uses low inputs of labour , machinery and capital but usually involves large areas of land ; yields per hectare are consequently low.

polar climate: characteristics

- long cold winters below -40C + snow and strong winds.

- land is covered with glacial ice and snow, the land below freezes to form permafrost.

-cover more than 20% of the Earth but are occupied by roughly 13.1 million people over eight countries.

- mostly in continental North America and Eurasia are where most of these people live.

polar climates: how this affects human activities and their numbers

- human activity/ numbers are restricted

-fishing, adventure tourism and mining rather than land based agriculture.

- only form of arable farming is with an artificial environment.

eg Inuit in North America hunted caribou and seals in winter and fished in summer - low numbers of people.

eg Sami of northern Europe food and materials provided for by their hunting - low population density.

polar climates: how climate change is affecting agriculture in this region

- increase in temperature at an average of 10C per decade from climate change

- Predicted to continue causing a warmer, wetter climate resulting in thawing of permafrost, glacial retreat, shorter snow season and reduced sea ice in polar climates.

- coastal erosion, permafrost and slope instabilities will get worse.

- Wildlife migration patterns will change, eg caribou, which will impact the tribes and farmers.

soils

- sustain 95% of food production

- host over a 1/4 of planet's biodiversity

- major source of pharmaceuticals

- play critical role in carbon cycle

- 33% have been degraded globally

zonal soil

mature soils reflecting climatic conditions and associated vegetation

intrazonal soils

reflecting the dominance of other factors, such as the characteristics of the parents rock

azonal soils

generally immature and skeletal, with poorly developed profiles

tropical red latosol

- zonal soil found in the equatorial belt, associated with the tropical rainforest biome

- inherently infertile

- climate here is hot, wet, humid and without seasons so promotes the best growing conditions

- constant supply of leaf litterwhich decomposes rapidly into humus

- due to rapid nutrient cycling if the forest is cleared the soil becomes exposed to excessive leaching and erosion by gulleying

- deforestation in these areas have increased

- indgenous people such as the Quicha and Kayapo of the Amazon basin use slash and burn technique as the ash provides nutrients for the soil, after farming the land for a few years they then move on to allow the soil to recover

podzol

- mature soils that take 3000-5000 years to develop

-clearly defined horizons due to fewer mixing agents eg earthworms/ants and are found where precipitation levels are high and temperatures are low

- they have low pH level making them acidic

- its the zonal soil of the taiga, the vast continuous belt of subarctic climate across north America and Eurasia

- also found in heathland/moors in UK

- precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration due to low temperatures

- has a poor nutrient cycle as coniferous evergreens don't take up elements so these aren't returned to the soil when leaves fall hence a poor mor(acid) humus

- has an accumulation of a hard pan of iron beneath zone of leaching

- are used for forestry, recreation or extensive grazing

- in the UK its associated with upland sheep farming and heather moorland managed with controlled burning for the breeding of grouse for shooting

- grouse shooting employs 2500 people and contributes £150 million anually

climate change as it affect agriculture

- its feared that climate change will affect rice production

- ClimaRice, is a Norwegian project that sows grain directly into the soil, has run trials in India where water shortages were present with good results eg lower labour, increased yield and less methane emission but there's a bigger weed problem

-affecting agriculture in polar climates

climate change in the Asia-Pacific region

- 60% of the population here live inrural areas and nearly 1 billion will face direct impacts of climate change

- the region's population is epected to increase by 850 million people by 2050

- impacts here are warmer emperatures, rising sea levels, changing preicipitation, water shortages or floods

what can be done about climate change affecting agriculture

- 2012 the concept of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) proposed change by economic means of sustainably increasing agricultural productivity, social change by adapting agricultural systems to climate change and environmental by reducing emissions from agriculture

example of adaptation to climate change

- Mewat in India is a low rainfall area with increasing temperatures

- interventions used included: superior seed varieties in village seed banks, heat stress tolerant wheat varieties used (increased yields by 12-18%), conservation farming practices, farmland levelled (imporved water use efficiency by 15-20%), drip irrigation (saved water, increased irrigated area and reduced labour hour), greater crop diversification, improved production technologies, farmers given access to information and communication technology (with weather forecasting + advisory services)

characteristics and distribution of tropical monsoon climate

-India and Bangladesh

- summer wet season is May to October when sun heats land causing low pressure to force winds into the reverse direction, blowing hot moist air bringing heavy rain

- November onwards dry winters occur as sun moves south causing sea temps to be hotter than land providing low air pressure effect so wind direction becomes reversed again

- eg Mumbai on west coast of India has annual mean rainfall of 1,811mm, temps from 30 in summer and 19 in winter

how this affects human activities and numbers (monsoon)

- Indian economy gains a lot due to good monsoon rain

- weak monsoon rain can result in crop failure, negatively affecting the economy due to lower production yield

- for subsistence farmers survival is dependant on the tropical monsoon climate as rice is cultivated

- rice is a staple food in India as its rich in carbs, fibre and veg protein, it's easy to grow and waste products are used elsewhere in agriculture

how climate change affects agriculture in monsoon climate

- causes weather conditions to be less predictable, precipitation variations challenges traditional rice production

- as a result more research occurs on less water-intensive methods of cultivation (eg Norwegian project ClimaRice)

- ClimaRice trials ran in Tamil Nadu, India - an area of water deficit - results showed: increased yields, lower labour costs, deeper root systems to uptake nutrients more efficiently

soil probelms and management

soil erosion, salinisation, waterlogging, soil deterioration

Food availability

sufficient quantities of food available on a consistent basis

Food access

having sufficient resources to obtain appropriate foods for a nutritious diet

Food use

appropriate use based on knowledge of basic nutrition and care, as well as adequate water and sanitation

Food stability

that the availability, access and utilization components remain sustainable for future generations

Morbidity

refers to illness or poor health of a population. Indicators include prevalence rate and incidence rate

Mortality

means death. The most common indicator of mortality is death rate

Communicable disease

a condition that is passed on from person to person, eg HIV/AIDS, tubercolosis and malaria

Health

physical, mental and socail well-being not just the absence of disease

Disability-adjusted life year (DALY)

one of these is one lost year of healthy life. People can lose a healthy year of life because of death or being sick (disabiltiy)

Pandemic

rapid spread of an infectious disease in a short period of time casuing it to become widespread within a country, across multiple countries or even continents

non communicable disease

a medical conditions or disease that is by definition non-infectious and non-transmissible among people eg cancer, asthma, heart disease

Endemic

the constant presence of disease within a given area

Epidemic

rapid spread of an infectious disease in a short period of time casuing it to become widespread within an area or population

stage 1 ETM

pestilence and famine

stage 2 ETM

receding pandemics

stage 3 ETM

- degenerative and man-made diseases

stage 4 ETM

delayed degenerative diseases

Factors of mortality in HICs eg UK

- lifestyle related (sedentary)

- wealth

- age

- gender

- environment

Factors of mortality in LICs eg Sub-Saharan Africa

- highest prevalence of hunger, 1 in 4 are undernourished

- poverty

- lack of education

- environmental problems

International agencies

an organisation with global mandates, generally funded by contributions from national governments

Non governmental organizations

a non-profit organization that operates independently of any government, typically one whose purpose is to address a social or political issue

Natural change

Difference between crude birth rate and crude death rate

Migration change

Difference between those moving out of a country (emigrants) and those entering the country (immigrants)

Crude birth rate

The total number of live births per 1,000 of a population per year

Crude death rate

The total number of deaths per 1,000 of a population per year

Demography

Study of a human population

Emigrant

A person leaving their native area or country in order to settle elsewhere

Immigrant

A person moving into an area or country in which they are not native in order to settle there

Infant mortality rate

The number of children who die before their first birthday per 1,000 live births per year

Life expectancy

The average number of years a person born in a particular year in a location is expected to live

Replacement rate

The number of children each woman needs to have to maintain current population

Reproductive age

The age at which women can give birth, normally considered to be between 15 and 44

Total fertility rate

The average number of children born per woman in an area or country if all women lived to the end of their childbearing years

Refugee

is a person who has fled their country and cannot return for fear of harm due to their race, religion, nationality or membership of a particular social group. Have no legal rights.

Asylum seeker

is a person who has claimed refugee status in another country, and is waiting to hear if they have been successful.

Economic migrant

is a person who chooses to move to another country in order to improve their future prospects.

Ecological footprint

A measure of the human demands we place on ecosystems that support us, expressed in global hectares: the amount of biologically productive land needed to produce the resources we consume AND absorb the waste we generate.

Biocapacity

the amount of food, water and energy resources produced by Earth annually to sustain us

Ecological deficit

If a population's Ecological Footprint exceeds the region's bio capacity

Ecological reserve

If a region's biocapacity exceeds its Ecological Footprint

Carrying capacity

The idea of a population ceiling, beyond which an environment cannot support people at a high standard of living (or worse a subsistence level), for a sustained period of time without environmental degradation.

Positive feedback

enhances or amplifies changes - moving a system away from its equilibrium state and making it more unstable

negative feedback

is an opposing force which counters any change, holding the system in a more stable equilibrium

demographic dividend

the benefit a country gets when its working population outgrows its dependents such as children and the elderly. A boost in economic productivity results from growing numbers in the workforce relative to the number of dependents.

Environmental Resistance

Factors that slow down the growth rate of a population are known as limiting factors - which create environmental resistance. E.g. dwindling food & water resources.

Circular economy

(Boserupian response to population pressure) At the end of their serviceable life, products are recovered and regenerated into new, improved replacements. This would reduce the use of finite resources and also the environmental impact of production and consumption.

Blue zones

geographical areas with lower rates of chronic diseases and a longer life expectancy eg Japan (Japanese island Okinawa has one of the highest life expectancies at 83.8)

Transient renters

single people who may have modest rents for low cost homes. Mainly younger people, they're highly transient, often living in a property for only a short time before moving on.