Mechanisation began in the 18th century but the use of tractor became most widely used in the 1930s in the UK.

Mechanisation: replaces humans with machines to make farming more efficient

Tractors and smart irrigation systems would transform the lives of subsistence farmers in Africa because it would speed up the tasks and help them get a bigger crop yield without using too many resources.

Types of advanced agriculture

• Precision farming uses data collection and processing to improve soil quality and productivity.

• Robots can perform tasks like milking cows, picking strawberries and cutting up carcasses

1. Produce a definition of commercial farming

   A highly mechanised (particularly in ACs) way of producing food to sell for profit.

2. Describe how these technologies assist in commercial farming today

   Mechanisation (such as combine harvesters) reduces the need for human labour and makes it more effective/efficient.

3. Find an example of a large scale commercial farm and add images and two facts about it.

   • Anna Creek, in Australia, is the third largest cattle farm in the world

   • It has 9,500 cattle but only 11 employees

1. Write a definition for subsistence farming.

   Small scale farming where farmers grow food to feed there families.

2. Describe 3 features of subsistence farming.

   • Mixed (some cattle, some crop ect)

   • cheaper to set up

   • Little extra or no extra resources produced to sell.

3. Is this a sustainable method of farming?

   Yes because they don't need loads of chemicals and GM crops.

4. Find a video or annotate an image to illustrate subsistence farming and add it to this padlet

   
   

1. Define herbicide, pesticide and leaching 

   Herbicide: A chemical that kills plants (used on weeds)

   Pesticide: A chemical that kills pests (usually insects)

   Leaching: The loss of nutrients from soil into groundwater due to rain and irrigation

2. What is intensive farming?

   Intensive farming is maximising yield per unit of land.

3. Summarise the key facts from the video 

   • The global population is increasing by 75 million per year. Predicted to reach 9 million by 2040.

   • As the population increases, so does meat and dairy consumption, energy costs and bioenergy production. Stress is put on natural resources.

   • Global croplands cover 16 million km squared and global pastures cover 30 million km squared; >40% of the Earth's land cleared for agriculture. Agriculture uses 60x more land than urban and suburban areas combined.

   • We use 2,800 cubic km of water on crops every year- irrigation is the biggest use of water on the planet. Rivers and inland seas are drying up.

   • Fertilizers have doubled the amount of phosphorous and nitrogen in the environment.

   • Bodies of water are being polluted.

   • Farming is the biggest contributor to global warming- generates 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, mostly from over-fertilising.

   • We need incentive for farmers, new crop varieties, drip irrigation and precision agriculture and recycle grey water.

4. Describe 4 impacts of commercial farming on the environment in the image from your textbook and if time find some images.

   • Biodiversity is reduced as large areas are dedicated to the growing of a single crop.

   • Soil erosion increases as farming leaves soil more exposed to the elements such as wind and rain

   • Soil nutrients is extracted faster than it is replenished as little crops die and decompose, furthermore they are also drained by water through leaching

   • Herbicides and pesticides are used to maximise yield but negatively affect surrounding biodiversity and harmful chemicals can enter water streams

   
   

1. What is commercial fishing?

   • Catching seafood for a profit

   • Large scale commercial fishing = industrial fishing

   • Techniques = trawling, gill netting and long lining

2. Describe and explain the problem of overfishing. What is a vacuuship?

   • overfishing can cause problems as there are less fish in the sea it causes biodiversity and upsets the balance within an ecosystem

   • Vacuuship is when huge factory ships destroy the bottom of the ocean, this can reduce biodiversity by destroying ecosystems and other habitats found on the sea floor

3. What does by-catch mean? How have quotas caused problems?

   • unwanted fish and other marine life such as sea turtles and dolphins getting caught in the net while fishing for other species

   • Quotas say what species can be caught and place limits on the amount of that specified caught, this can cause issues as fishers may accidentally break the law.

1. What is bottom trawling and how does it cause problems for the ocean ecosystems?

2. How do fishermen use explosives to catch their fish and what is the impact on the ocean ecosystem?

3. Look at the food chain below. Explain what would happen to the remainder of the ecosystem if:

   1. Lots of secondary consumers were caught

   2. Lots of quaternary consumers were caught

1. What is bottom trawling and how does it cause problems for the ocean ecosystems?

   • Bottom trawling is when massive nets with metal weights drag along the ocean floor. They catch and destroy everything in their path.

   • This can permanently destroy ecosystems. Reducing the biodiversity

2. How do fishermen use explosives to catch their fish and what is the impact on the ocean ecosystem?

   • Fish bombing on and around coral reefs began in Sabah during World War 2 using munitions, including hand grenades

   • fishermen now use homemade bottle booms which are packed with fertiliser, kerosene and they are set off by a fuse at the top.

   • This will impact the ecosystem as all of the chemicals will disperse into the water and affect the other ecosystems and animals living in the water.

     
     

1. What two main types of fish farms are there?

   • Freshwater fish farms

   • Marine fish farms

2. What are some of the problems that fish farms can produce? 

   • Water pollution from fish waste and fish food

   • Spread of disease to wild fish life

   • Population decrease of fish due to fish needed for feed

   • Overcrowding leading to poor water quality

   • Harm to other species due to chemicals required to control diseases

3. Describe the solution that the video suggests could solve some of the problems.

• an aqua pod can be used to move in the ocean to allow the ocean to absorb byproducts of fish farming which interns improves water quality

• The pod is also predator-proof

• Has a volume to surface area ratio to house more fish

• It disperses fish farm waste which is good for the environment

1. Write a definition for subsistence farming.

   The traditional farming practise where farmers grow enough food for themselves but do not mass produce it.

2. Describe 3 features of subsistence farming.

   Small field sizes ( usually 1 acre)

   Low level of mechanisation

   Often constructed besides water

3. Is this a sustainable method of farming?

   It is sustainable because it doesn't deteriorate the fertility of the soil. Subsistence farming on organic practises that has a focus on the long term soil health, in order to reduce the negative environmental impacts of farming and to provide food for future generations.

4. Find a video or annotate an image to illustrate subsistence farming and add it to this padlet

https://study.com/learn/lesson/video/subsistence-farming-crops-examples-agriculture.html

1. Commercial farming - A highly mechanised method of farming.

2. Mechanisation reduces the human labour involved in farming. For example, tractors require less maintenance than the horses previously used for pulling heavy loads.

3. Mudanjiang city mega (In China) farm is the world’s largest farm by land area. It specialises in dairy, with over 100,00 cows

• Open Ocean net cages

• Inland Ponds

What are some of the problems that fish farms can produce? 

• Overcrowding which leads to poor water quality

• spoil a public water area

• starvation

• death by suffocation

• easier spread of disease (due to the crowded area) to wild fish species

• Water pollution from fish waste and fish food

• Population decrease of other types of fish due to fish being needed for feed

• Harm to other species due to chemicals/antibiotics required to control diseases spreading out

Describe the solution that the video suggests could solve some of the problems.

the only solution is to go further off shore - avoiding the locations such as bays that make the big impact.

However being offshore has harsher conditions so people have created a geodisc sphere (aquapod) - this still might not be the solution for every case.

Describe two impacts of commercial fishing on ocean ecosystems (4)

One impact of commercial fishing is overfishing which can cause problems with the food chain as there are less fish in the sea, which negatively impacts biodiversity (reduces it) and upsets the relationship balance within an ecosystem

Another impact is 'by-catch', this is when unwanted fish and other marine life such as turtles and dolphins get caught in the net while fishing for other species. This damages the population of an ecosystem as many of the fish caught end up dying. Even this problems' solutions have issues as it still results in the death of many sea animals.

Result

• 4/4 marks

• Level 2 (3-4 marks)

Rationale

The answer provides two well-developed points with specific details and clear understanding of the impacts of commercial fishing on ocean ecosystems.

Knowledge & Understanding (AO1)

The answer demonstrates accurate knowledge of the impacts of commercial fishing, specifically overfishing and by-catch. It uses appropriate geographical terms such as 'biodiversity' and 'ecosystem'.

Knowledge & Understanding (AO2)

The answer shows clear understanding by explaining how overfishing affects the food chain and biodiversity, and how by-catch impacts marine populations. The points are logically sequenced and provide a coherent description of the impacts.

The practice of catching fish and other seafood for profit

2. Describe and explain the problems related to overfishing.

Fish can go nearly extinct from overfishing as they do not breed and reproduce at the same rate as they are killed (balance within an ecosystem is upset). Therefore the supply does not match the demand.

3. What does by catch mean?

By catch are the fish caught by accident (often they are discarded dead and are not responsibly used). Especially if there is a quota for only one species to be caught.

4. How have quotas caused problems?

More by catch as there are more species discarded as they have not been allowed to be caught. Also it is hard to regulate quotas because fishing does not go by land barriers and therefore international governing bodies are needed

Bottom trawling is when huge nets with metal weights drag along the ocean floor. They often permanently damage whole ocean ecosystems and can be hugely destructive.

2. How do fishermen use explosives to catch their fish?

They throw the explosives into the water, causing them to erupt on impact, killing the fish and therefore making it easier to catch

3. What would happen if…

A) lots of secondary consumers were caught?

The numbers of tertiary and quaternary consumers would decrease as there would be less food for them to eat and this would cause them to lose out on population.

B) Lots of quaternary consumers were caught?

The numbers of primary, secondary and tertiary consumers would increase as there are fewer predators in the ecosystem to hunt them.

Result

• 4/4 marks

• Level 2 (3-4 marks)

Rationale

The answer provides a well-developed description of two impacts of commercial fishing, using specific terms and showing clear understanding of the processes involved.