Understanding Agricultural Landscapes and Activities
Characteristics of Agricultural Activity
Occupied Population: Poor
Production Techniques: Modern in Western Europe, more traditional in Eastern Europe.
Herd-size: Corporate, family-based, often uncompetitive with Eastern countries.
Production: Abundant, specialized, and market-oriented.
Agrarian Countries and Landscapes
Oceanic Agricultural Landscape
Pastures, forage crops, cereals, milk, and meat production.
Mediterranean Agricultural Landscape
Varied landscape with dryland farming (cereals, grapes, olives) and irrigated intensive agriculture (orchards, gardens).
Continental Agricultural Landscape
Cold Areas
Forestry, livestock, and meat production.
Central Area
Meat, grain cultivation, and fodder production.
Steppe Areas
Monoculture of cereals and industrial crops.
Tundra Polar
Livestock by boat.
Mountain Areas
Livestock (cattle, sheep), extensive forest exploitation.
Factors Affecting Agricultural Landscapes
Physical Factors
Generally unfavorable.
Reliefs: High altitude and steep slopes.
Climate: Low precipitation and extreme temperatures.
Soil: Poor quality.
Low population density, advanced agricultural technology (machinery, fertilizers, seeds).
Elements of Spanish Agricultural Landscapes
Plots: Decreasing in number but increasing in size.
Land Uses:
- Agricultural: Cereals, grapes, olives, industrial crops.
- Livestock: Cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry.
Rural Settlement:
- Scattered in outlying islands and mainland.
- Concentrated in the interior.
- Large in the south, small in the north.
Rural Habitat: Diverse types based on cause, materials, and level.
Specific Agricultural Landscapes in Spain
Oceanic Agricultural Landscape (North and Northwest)
Small, numerous, and closed plots.
Land Uses: Livestock farming and forest areas.
Agriculture: Valley bottoms with orchard and forage crops.
Herds: Mountain beef cattle, coastal dairy cattle.
Settlement: Scattered.
Interior Peninsula Agricultural Landscape (Plateau and Ebro Depression)
Plots: Smallholdings in Douro Valley and Ebro, large estates in Castilla La Mancha, Aragon, and Extremadura.
Land Uses:
- Agriculture: Dryland crops (cereals, grapes, olives), irrigated intensive crops (plants, tobacco, sugar beet).
- Livestock: Extensive sheep grazing in cereal fields, swine and bovine waste management.
Habitation: Concentrated in small towns in Douro Valley, larger towns in the southern half.
Mediterranean Agricultural Landscape (Coastline and Balearic Islands, Guadalquivir Valley)
Plots: Small irrigated areas, large rainfed areas.
Land Uses:
- Agriculture: Rainfed cereals, vines, olives; irrigated fruits, vegetables, and tropical fruits.
- Livestock: Sheep, cattle, pigs, goats (especially in Catalonia).
Settlement: Scattered.
Canary Agricultural Landscape
Plots: Small and large holdings.
Land Uses:
- Agriculture: Monoculture (banana, tomato under plastic), tropical fruits, polyculture in the interior.
- Breeding: Low intensity, extensive sheep and goats, intensive pig and poultry.
Rural Settlement: Scattered.
Transformations of the Countryside
Diversification of agricultural activities.
Secondary residences, rural tourism.
Major Consequences: Increased income.
Minor Consequences: Over-exploitation.
Problems of Agricultural Activity
Depopulation of rural areas.
Intensive production (cereals, wine, milk).
Environmental deterioration due to lack of care.
Negative agricultural practices affecting health and food quality.
Agricultural Policy of the European Union (CAP)
Objectives:
- Fair prices for farmers and consumers.
- Competitive agriculture.
Measures:
- Increased funding for rural development.
- Promotion of organic farming.
- Conditional financial aid.
Agriculture in Andalusia
Countryside Farming (Guadalquivir Valley)
Predominantly rainfed agriculture with cereals and industrial crops.
Mediterranean Agriculture (Coastline)
Irrigated, intensive, and highly productive agriculture with smallholdings (strawberries, oranges, potatoes, flowers).
Mountain Agriculture (Sierra Morena and Betic Ranges)
Dominant activities are logging and livestock farming. Subsistence livestock in smallholdings with cereals and olive groves.
Livestock, Fisheries, and Forestry Development in Andalusia
Livestock: Cattle and sheep in Sierra Morena, pigs and goats in Huelva.
Forest Resources: Scarce and limited to mountainous areas. Oak, cork oak, and pine are prominent species. Main products are wood, cork, and resin.