Understanding the Primary Sector: Agriculture to Fishing
Primary Sector Activities
The primary sector encompasses activities that involve the extraction and utilization of natural resources. These include agriculture, livestock farming, forestry, fishing, and mining.
Agricultural Space
Agricultural space emerges when humans modify the natural environment to cultivate crops and raise livestock. Several factors influence this space:
Physical Factors
- Climate: Temperature, precipitation, and adverse atmospheric agents play a crucial role.
- Relief: Sunny and shaded areas, slopes, exposure to wind, altitude, and thermal gradients affect agricultural suitability.
- Soil: Thicker texture and porosity are generally preferred.
Human Factors
- Population growth
- Technological advancements
- Economic conditions
- Land ownership and exploitation patterns
Structure of Agricultural Space
Cultivated Area
A parcel is the basic unit of cultivation, defined by its size, shape, and boundaries. Parcels are classified as follows:
- Size: Small, medium, or large
- Shape: Regular or irregular
- Boundaries: Bocage (enclosed) or openfield (unenclosed)
Living Space
Settlements can be either dispersed or concentrated.
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of land for plant products used for human consumption, animal feed, or raw materials.
Water Use
- Irrigated agriculture: Involves supplying water to crops artificially.
- Rainfed agriculture: Relies solely on rainfall for water.
Variety of Plant Species
- Monoculture: The cultivation of a single species in a given area.
- Polyculture: The cultivation of multiple species in the same area.
Land Use
The degree of agricultural soil utilization varies:
- Intensive, high productivity
- Intensive, low productivity
- Extensive, high productivity
- Extensive, low productivity
Agricultural Landscapes
Subsistence Farming
- Itinerant slash-and-burn agriculture
- Intensive agriculture in monsoon Asia
Market Agriculture
- Modern European agriculture
- Mediterranean agriculture
- Plantation agriculture in developing countries
Livestock Farming
Livestock farming is the breeding of animals for various products. It is classified based on capital and labor investment, livestock feed, and livestock mobility.
Capital and Labor Investment
- Extensive livestock farming: Low capital investment and low productivity.
- Intensive livestock farming: High capital investment and high productivity.
Livestock Feeding
- Unstabled livestock: Animals graze outdoors on natural pastures.
- Stabled livestock: Animals are kept on farms and fed with prepared feed.
- Semi-stabled livestock: Animals graze outdoors in summer and are fed in feedlots during winter.
Livestock Mobility
- Nomadic livestock: Continuous movement in search of pasture.
- Transhumant livestock: Seasonal movement between pastures.
- Sedentary livestock: Animals are stationary, and their feed is provided by the farmer.
Logging
Logging is the economic use of forests for various products. Silviculture, the cultivation and preservation of forests, is used to rationalize logging.
Transformations in Rural Areas
Rural areas are undergoing significant transformations:
- Demographic changes
- Changes in agricultural landscapes
- Development of new industrial and tourist activities
- Construction changes
Fishing
Fishing is the capture of fish and other marine species for food or industrial raw materials. It is classified as follows:
Location
- Coastal fishing
- Deep-sea fishing
Depth
- Surface fishing
- Bottom fishing
Fishing Gear Mobility
- Mobile gear
- Fixed gear
Uses of the Sea
The sea provides various resources, including algae, minerals, energy sources, common salt, and water.