Agricultural Practices & Settlement Patterns

Intensive Agricultural Practices

• Plantation Farms:
  • Common in less developed countries.
  • Focus on large-scale cultivation of cash crops.
• Mixed Crop and Livestock:
  • Prevalent in developed countries.
  • Farmers raise both crops and livestock.
  • Crops are primarily used as feed for livestock.
• Market Gardening:
  • Located in regions with longer growing seasons.
  • Focus on fruits and vegetables.
  • Produce is picked, processed, and shipped across the country to markets.

Extensive Agricultural Practices

• Located farther from population centers, requiring more land.
• Relies more on manual labor.
• Shifting Cultivation:
  • Often found in developing countries within tropical regions.
  • Subsistence agriculture is common, focusing on feeding the farmer's family or community rather than generating a profit.
• Commercial Agriculture:
  • Focuses on generating profit through scaling up the business.
  • Often involves larger farm sizes and more technology compared to subsistence farming.
• Nomadic Herding:
  • Found in dry arid climates.
  • Farmers are nomadic, moving with their animals instead of practicing sedentary agriculture.
• Ranching:
  • Utilizes large tracts of land where cattle can graze cheaply.
  • Located farther from urban areas due to the extensive land requirements.

Settlement Patterns

• Clustered Settlements:
  • Characterized by higher population densities.
  • Homes are packed together in close proximity.
• Dispersed Settlements