Agricultural Land Use: Plots, Crops, Livestock & Forestry
The Elements of Agricultural Landscapes
Plots
Organic agrarian space plots are grouped in plots (explotaciones agrarias). The most basic divisions are agricultural areas that are under one limit. They can be of various types, according to their size (large, medium, small), according to their shape (irregular, typical of a spontaneous occupation of space, or regular, typical of organized occupations), and according to their limits (open, without physical boundaries, or closed, surrounded by hedges, trees, or fences). The exploitation is the set of plots worked by the same agricultural employer, although not contiguous, and whether owned by themselves or not.
Agricultural Uses
Agriculture is farming for the cultivation of vegetables. It provides food, fodder, or industrial products, intended for human or animal consumption or industrial processing. Cropping systems are the techniques used by farmers to obtain agricultural products and vary according to the following:
- Crop Variety: Monoculture (plots engaged with only one type of crop) and polyculture (when engaged to several).
- Water Source: Dryland crops (receive water from rain) or irrigation (additional water from wells, springs, or rivers).
- Mode of Land Occupation: Continuous cultivation of land without rest or rotation (perhaps with fallow or continuous alternating crops, which is more wearing and less ground, without using the fallow).
- Use of Land: Intensive or extensive.
Intensive vs. Extensive Agriculture
- Traditional Intensive Agriculture: High yields but employs a large workforce and human labor due to technological backwardness.
- Modern Intensive Agriculture: Less human labor through the use of advanced technologies.
- Traditional Extensive Farming: Not all of the floor is grown, leaving a part fallow to avoid exhaustion.
- Modern Extensive Agriculture: Does not grow all over the floor because it is not necessary; the plots are large, and most modern techniques are employed due to the shortage of labor.
Livestock Uses
Livestock farming is dedicated to raising livestock. It provides food and raw materials for industry (meat, eggs, milk, etc.).
Livestock Systems
Livestock systems are techniques utilized by farmers in raising livestock:
- Nomadic: Pastors continually moving with their herds in search of pasture. Characteristic of dry areas, and their specialty is goats and sheep.
- Transhumant: Shepherds move seasonally between winter grazing plains and valleys, and summer pasture in the mountains.
- Extensive: Livestock graze outdoors in lawns and pastures, requiring little investment in labor and capital. In traditional extensive farming, the limited extension of pasture conditions the production, and in modern extensive farming, the huge extension of pastures provides a large amount of meat or milk.
- Intensive: The cattle are housed and fed wholly or partially with feed. This system requires more investment and facilities, breed selection, and feeding. The health of yields is high.
- Mixed: Combines animal life and outdoor feeding and in the barn.
Forestry Uses
Forest exploitation is dedicated to farming forest resources. It provides wood for furniture and construction, wood for cooking and heating, resin, cork, etc. The species with higher yields are tropical hardwood forests and temperate conifers with cold areas.
Forest Types
Woodlands can be formed by tall trees or scrub, composed of shorter trees and bushes. Forestry is the cultivation of forests or mountains in order to avoid degradation or exploitation of the natural forest.
Fishing Activity
Fishing activity is designed to get seafood. It is practiced in coastal areas and provides fishing items and materials for industry: canned, frozen, etc.
Types of Fishing
- By Level of Development: Industrial or craft. Craft fishing uses small boats and scarce labor and is destined for local and industrial uses. Industrial fishing uses factory ships and numbers of manpower and is intended for marketing to domestic and international markets.
- According to the Distance from the Coast: Inshore (near the coast, daily), offshore (days or weeks long), and high-rise at sea (months).
Techniques of Fishing
Techniques of fishing include hooks, fixed or mobile networks, or electricity.
Problems Affecting Fishing
Problems affecting fishing include overfishing, contamination, and difficulties of access to other fishing grounds.