Agricultural Land use Pattern Von Thunen Model
Introduction
• Von Thunen Model
•  Explain the agricultural landuse at a given
location
• Put the emphasis on economic factors rather
than treat physical factors as the main forces
•  Distance from market
Aim of Von Thunen Model
• Showing how and why agricultural landuse
varies with the distance from the market
• Economic rent  net return from a unit of land
A. Assumptions of the
model
A. Explicit assumptions
B. Implicit assumptions
A. Explicit assumptions
• 1. An isolated state
• 2. Centrally located market
•  the sole urban market
• 3. Isotropic plain
•  production and transport costs were the same everywhere
• 4. Uniform transportation and transport costs
•  Only one form of transport (Wagon)
•  Increase distance, increase transport cost
• 5. Farmers are economic men and aim at
maximizing profits
• 6. Same market price
B. Implicit assumptions
• 1. Land use competition under a capitalistic
economy
• 2. Economic rent is the determining factor
• 3. Productivity could be raised
• 4. Steepness of an economic rent curves are
governed by the degree of perishability of farm
produce and the relative ease of transporting\
B. Implicit assumptions
•
•
•
•
5. Growing of temperate area crops
6. No catastrophic event
7. No chance factor
8. All parties are price-takers under perfect
competition
Why did Von Thunen establish so many
assumptions?
• Simplify the complex reality
B. Concepts of the models
A. Economic Rent
B. Distance decay mechanism
A. Economic rent
•
•
•
•
 Net return
 Highest bid rent ability
 Displace all others
Exercise
A. Economic rent
•  Net return
• = 1. Market price – 2. Production cost – 3. Transport cost
• 1. Farmers got the same price (revenue) for their crops
• 2. Production cost = constant
• 3. Transport cost increase with distance
• = Net return decreases with increasing distance
from the market
Formula for locational rent
• EXERCISE!!!
Economic rent --- Conclusion
•  Different crops have different location rent distribution
patterns (bit rent curves)
•  Different crops compete with each other’s farmland
•  Concentric land use pattern was formed
B. Distance decay mechanism
• Locational rent decreasing with increasing
distance from market
Describe how the net profit from wheat growing
varies with distance from the urban market.
• Net return decreases with increasing
distance from market
•  At the market, transport cost contributes
nothing to total cost. As there is no transport
cost incurred, net return at market
• = market price – production cost
• = $40 - $10
• = $30
• At point 180km from the market, net return =
$0, farmers would not produce because there is
no incentive.
• Beyond point 180km from market, a loss will
be incurred in producing any crops. Thus,
farmers would not produce any crops.
Economic Rent +
Distance Decay Mechanism
Examination Practice
Starting point = number of unit x (market price – production cost)
(NO TRANSPORT COST)
Ending point =
The distance that market price = transport cost
Locational rent per unit:
Market price – production cost
12 – 3.5 = 8.5
Transport cost per unit
$7 / 35km = $8.5 / ?km
Starting point = number of unit x (market price – production cost)
(NO TRANSPORT COST)
Ending point =
The distance that market price = transport cost
C. Von Thunen Model
Theory of the model
• A. Intensity Theory
• Land use intensity declines with distance
from the market.
• More intensive farming activities tend to locate near
the market.
•  Less intensive farming activities tend to locate far
away from the market.
• B. Crop Theory
• Crops with the highest economic rent will be
grown. This concept applies to any location.
The landuse pattern
1. Free cash cropping
(Market Gardening)
• Horticulture (vegetables and fruit) and dairying
• Perishable as close as possible to market
– Low speed of transport
– No refrigeration
– Require milk and vegetable in city + price are high higher
economic rent
• Intensive labour input, multi-cropping, heavy fertilizing
• Horse provide motive power
2. Forestry (firewood)
• Great demand of wood
• Bulky (heavy and big)
• High transport cost = economic rent
decrease fast with increase of distance
3. Crop Alternation System (Sixyear crop rotation)
• Crop without fallowing
• 6-year crop rotation
• 2 years of rye (黑麥)+ 1 year potato + 1 year
barley (大麥)+ 1 year clover (三葉草)+ 1 year
vetch (巢菜)
• Soil conserved by rotation
4. Improved System
(Seven-year crop rotation)
• Zone of farming, fallow and pasture
• Less intensive
• 7-year crop rotation
–
–
–
–
–
Rye = 1/7
Barley = 1/7
Oats = 1/7
Pasture = 3/7
Fallow = 1/7
• Prodcut: rye, butter, cheese live animals
5. Three-field system
•
•
•
•
1/3 pasture
1/3 field crop
1/3 fallow
Rotation
6. Stock Farming
• 400km away
• Extensive grazing activities
D. The modified patterns of
the Von Thunen Model
In 1826, Von Thunen noted the followings:
• 1. Production costs are nothing simple
• 2. There is no large town that does not lie on a
navigable river or canal
• 3. Competing markets
• 4. Different places possess different physical factors
• 5. Farmers do not maximize profits
The modified patterns
• 1. Additional of a navigable river
– Navigable river with lower transport cost
• 2. A new railway connecting the city
and its fringe area
– 2 or more kinds of transports
– The actual cost = distance traveled by each method
– Not physical distance, but economic distance
• 3. Presence of a subsidiary town as a
second market
• 4. Localized fertile soil or localized
infertile soil/ hilly terrain
• 5. Variation in farmers’ amount of
information and their abilities to use
the information
• 6. Famers have their own preference for
crops
E. The influence of changes
on land use pattern
Market cost and Production cost
Market cost and Production cost
• 1. Increase in market price and decrease in
production cost lead to an increase in profits
 expansion of extensive margin
• 2. Decrease in market cost and increase in
production cost lead to an decrease in profits
 contraction of extensive margin
Transport cost
Transport cost
• 3. Transport cost has little effect on farms
located near the market
• 4. Increase in transport cost
•  contraction of the concentric ring because
farms near the extensive margin become
unprofitable
• 5. Decrease in transport cost
•  extensive margin expand
Summary table of the effects of change in
market price, production cost and transport cost
Market price
increase
decrease
Production costs
decrease
increase
Transport costs
decrease
increase
Results:
Profit levels increase Profit levels decrease
Extensive margin
Extensive margin
expands
contracts
F. Merits and Demerits of
the model
Merits
A. show the importance of economic factors
B. show how does distance affect intensity
C. showed the change of agricultural land use
pattern (by transport cost)
D. first theory to show the spatial distribution of
agricultural activities
Demerits
•
A. The assumption that there is the existence of
an isolated state or a closed economy is
unrealistic in general.
•
B. Ignoring changeover time
•
C. Emergence of specialized regions
characterized by a particular type of
agricultural land use
Demerits
•
D. In the real world farmers are satisfiers
instead of economic men
•
E. Cooperative production could be found
•
F. Neglecting the government policy
Demerits
• G. Freight rate in reality is not directly
proportional to distance but is step-shaped
or being divided into different freight rate
zones.
Conclusion
• Merits  succeed in pointing out the transport cost
and distance from the market constitute effect on the
location of farming activities
• Demerits  neglected the impact of urbanization
on intensity of farming
2. Sinclair Theory
A. Introduction
Sinclair Theory - Introduction
Von Thunen’s theory
Sinclair Theory
Primary force determining the
pattern :
transport costs
Primary force determining the
pattern :
Urbanization/Urban expansion
intensity decrease with distance
Intensity increase with distance
Static city with set boundaries
City expand quickly
Sinclair Theory - Introduction
• In LDC
– Transport cost  zoning
– Intensity decrease with distance
• In MDC
– technology
– human organization
– living habits
Sinclair Theory - Introduction
• Transport costs are not directly proportional to
distance and bulk
– refrigeration
– air-conditioning techniques
– perishable commodities
• Modern organization
–
–
–
–
large scale production
mass transportation
look for markets that are far away
not single market, but national market
• Competition from other land use
Sinclair Theory - Introduction
• Industrialized nations
 urban expansion, population growth
• Urban expansion  farming land use
– Intensity increase with distance
• Sinclair's theory explains the agricultural pattern near
modern urban areas
A. Assumptions of the
Model
The Sinclair Model
Explicit Assumptions
•
•
•
•
•
1. A uniform plain
2. Farmers are economic men
3. Around and expanding city
i.e. Dynamic force
4. Land use pattern is influenced by city’s price
mechanism
• i.e. Urban land value>agricultural land value
Implicit Assumptions
• 1. The value of agriculture is affected by urban
expansion and suburbanization
• i.e. Population growth →Demand increase →Market
price of crops increase
•
• 2. Urban and rural land price difference is the
main factor affecting rural land use
• i.e. Urban land is much more valuable than rural land,
it can provide the highest economic rent to the
farmers.
Implicit Assumptions
• 3. When the rural land locate near a modern
urbanized area, it is anticipated that future land
price will increase due to urbanization
• 4. Land use competition exists between rural and
urban areas
• The types of crops that possess the highest return will
displace other land uses.
B. Concepts of the Model
The Sinclair Model
(1) How does the agricultural value change in
these two models?
• In figure A
•  the agricultural value decrease with increasing
distance from the urban center
• In figure B
•  The agricultural value increases with increasing
distance form the market and it becomes stabilized
afterwards
(2) What are the reasons for such changes?
• In figure A, the Von thunen model applies.
•  agricultural land use pattern depends upon the competition
among various types of landuse of a particular piece of land.
•  Economic rent is the controlling factor which is the
difference between the total income received by a farmer for a
crop grown on a piece of land and the total cost of production
plus transport cost of that crop.
•  Economic rent from any one landuse can be expressed as a
function of distance from the market.
•  The intensity of production of a particular crop will decline
with the distance from the market.
• In figure B, the Sinclair model can be applied
•  which shows the intensity of production increases
with increasing distance from the city center.
• Urban expansion with population growth affects the
value of agriculture. Urban land is more valuable than
rural land and is able to give the higher bid.
Therefore, the agricultural land near the market
displaced
for
urban
landuse.
• Land further away from the market/ C.B.D. is lower
in value and is used for farm production.
(3) According to Sinclair’s idea, describe the agricultural
value of regions O-M, M-N, and N onward.
• Highest in regions N onward and lowest at city center
• Urban land use which is more valuable tends to
occupy the market area.
(4) How would such changes in agricultural value
(in both models) affect agricultural land uses?
• Ring like pattern is resulted in both figure, however,
• In figure A, farming intensity decrease with
increasing distance
• In figure B, farming intensity increases with
increasing distance
A. Different urban and rural land prices
• Urban land is much more valuable than
agricultural land
•  Competition between urban land use and rural land use
•  Urban land use displace rural land use
• Anticipating urbanization
•  it is expected that developers and speculators will purchase the
land with high price in future
•  farmers hold the land in rather than having any farming activities
B. Anticipation of urban encroachment is the main
determinant in agricultural land use pattern
• For the area that is going to be urbanized,
•  farmers are unwilling to put long-term investment on the farmland
•  zone of temporary vacant & grazing is resulted
• Around an expanding city center, agricultural value
increases with increasing distance up to a certain
distance where the anticipation of urbanization ceases.
• It remains static afterwards.
C. Intensity of agricultural land use and distance is
positively correlated
• Anticipation of urbanization increases
•  absolute value of the land increases
•  relative value for agricultural utilization decreases
• As a result, intensity of agricultural land
use decreases towards the city
Consolidation exercise
Notes P.11
C. The Sinclair model
Sinclair Theory – The model
• Intensity increase with distance
• Distance and agriculture land use value
are in positive relationship
Sinclair Theory – The model
Sinclair Theory – The model
• Zone 1 (Urban Farming)
– Land
• changing to urban use
• Subdivided
• Held by speculators
– Small production and scattered
– Using of greenhouse
– Farm factories  Take place in building / multi-storey
buildings
Sinclair Theory – The model
• Zone 2 (Vacant & Grazing – Temporary)
–
–
–
–
vacant land and land of temporary grazing
land sell to speculators
Short -term grazing
Short-lived and extensive
Sinclair Theory – The model
• Zone 3 (Field Crop & Grazing – Transitory)
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
field crop and grazing zone
transitional agriculture
with urban anticipation in future
do not wish to invest
Expensive labour
Labour have better pay in city
extensive farming
Sinclair Theory – The model
• Zone 4 (Dairying & Field Crop)
– dairying and field crops
– outside the price mechanism of the city in
terms of landuse
• i.e. not affected by the city
– major part of fresh milkshed of the
metropolitan area
Sinclair Theory – The model
• Zone 5 (Specialized Feed-grain
Livestock)
– specialized fee-grain livestock
• E.g. the Corn Belt
– not under the direct influence of the
metropolitan
– Serve and be affected by national market
D. Modification of the Model
The Sinclair Model
Modification of the model
• 1. Urban sprawl/Urban development is
chaotic
•
•
•
•
 e.g. Urban sprawl develops along transport network
 Two cities may joint together with the above development
Affect the ring pattern
Inner zone VS outer zone
•
 Elimination of zones within the pattern (particularly the outer
zones)
• 2. Government policy  land use pattern
– E.g. new towns development in HK
Role of government affecting
agricultural pattern
• 1. Secure a home-grown supply of food in time of
war
•  e.g. Closed door policy in China during the period of Korean War
• 2. Provide land to the landless farmers
•  e.g. land reform, reclamation of marginal lands, waste lands and
desert lands
• 3. Builds transport networks to link up farmlands
and markets
• 4. Improve technology to reduce limitation of the
physical environment on farming to increase
production
•  e.g. irrigation project in California, introduction of miracle rice in
China
Modification of the model
E. Application of the Model
The Sinclair Model
Application in Hong Kong
Application in Hong Kong
1. Describe the changes in the agricultural
zones between 1970 and 1980.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Expansion of market
Area of abandoned land increased
Area of fish ponds increased
Expansion of market garden crop
Contraction of fresh water paddy
Disappearance of brackish paddy
2. How did quick urbanization after 1970 affect
such changes?
• Expansion of market
•
•
•
•
 Anticipation of urbanization
 Urban land use has a higher land value
 Agricultural value decreases
 Area of abandoned land increased around
market
•  Contraction of fresh water paddy (subsistence
farming)
3. Is the Sinclair’s model applicable here?
• 1. Abandoned land around the market
•  Anticipation of urbanization
• 2. Urbanization has induced the conversion
of most paddy fields in subsistence farms
into commercial garden farms
•  Higher intensity near the market
Conclusion
• Generally speaking, the pattern conforms in a
broad sense to the prediction of Von Thunen’s
model but modifications by Sinclair is also
applicable to the case of Hong Kong.
•  Government policy
•  Physical factors i.e. relief, availability of water
• also play important role in affecting agricultural pattern in
HK
Comparison of the Von
Thunen Model and the
Sinclair Model
Von Thunen Model
(a static model)
(A) Main
Principle
-
Sinclair Model
(a dynamic model)
Transport cost proportional to distance from market
Base on economic rent
Intensity decrease with
increasing distance from
market
(B)Assumptio -One market
ns/condition -Uniform pattern
-Economic man
-Perfect competition
-Backward transport
-Isolated state
Anticipation of urban
encroachment
Base on agriculture value
Intensity increase with
increasing distance from
metropolitan area
-World-wide market
-Uniform plain
-Economic man
-Advanced and improved
transport and technology
-Change of dietary habit for more
fresh, expensive and exotic food
-Mass production and
transportation
-Urbanization and expansion of
metropolitan area
Von Thunen Model
(a static model)
(C) Cropping zone 1: Horticulture
pattern
zone 2: Wood
zone 3: 6-year rotation
zone 4: 7-year rotation
zone 5: 3-field system
zone 6: stock farming
(D)
Production
Methods
Sinclair Model
(a dynamic model)
Urban farming
Vacant and grazing
Field crop and grazing
Dairying and field crop
Specialized feed grain
livestock
Production intensity decreases Production intensity increases
with increasing distance from with increasing distance from the
market
metropolitan area uo to a certain
point
Von Thunen Model
(a static model)
(E) Key
Concepts
-
Sinclair Model
(a dynamic model)
Locational/ economic rent Distance decay relationship
-
(F)
Modifications
-
Small town as another
market
Navigable river
Zones of fertile land
Farmer’s preference
Government etc
-
-
Competition of land for urban
uses
Value of agricultural landuse
Locational rent for urban and
agricultural uses
Distance increase relationship
Chaotic urban sprawl/ may
eliminate the utter zone of
agricultural activities
Government
(G)
Application
Von Thunen Model
(a static model)
Sinclair Model
(a dynamic model)
Real world examples:
-Intensity of agriculture in
Western Europe
-still applies in underdeveloped
parts of the world
Real world examples:
-Metropolitan areas of US
midwest
-applies to industralized society
Difficulties:
-Oversimplified
-Outdated
-Fail to recognise the role of
government
-Fail to include behavior factors
-Applicability in Hong Kong
Difficulties:
-Oversimplication of assumptions
-Pattern of urban sprawl
-Dynamic nature of agricultural
landuse
-Government policy
-Applicability in Hong Kong
Impacts of urbanization and
industrialization on the farming pattern
Industralization
•  Process by which manufacturing industries develop
from within a predominantly agrarian society
•  Application of scientific methods to solving problems
•  Accompanied by social and economic changes such
as increase in birth rate, rise in per capita GNP
Urbanization
•  Migration of rural population into towns and cities
•  An increasing proportion of the world’s population
resides in towns
•  Indicates a change of employment structure from
agriculture to mass production and service industries
• Industralization Leads to Urbanization!!!
(A) Alteration of farming Production
• Traditional farming methods (subsistence) 
modern farming methods (commercial)
• Positive impacts: increase output, solve food problem
• Negative impacts: disrupt ecosystem, pollution
• Increase in total crop yield and variety/ Low
production cost
• Positive impacts: increase total yield, diversification of crops, stable
income, improve living standard
• Negative impacts: health impact
(B) Alteration in rural land uses
• Change in general land use pattern
• Farmlands change to urban uses e.g. commercial,
industrial, residential, transportation etc.
• Positive impacts: economic development
• Negative impacts: lost of potential farmland
• Change in agricultural land use pattern
• Area of market gardening, fish ponds increase
• Positive impacts: diversification of crops, stable income
• Negative impacts: decrease production in traditional crops e.g.
paddy rice
• Increase abandoned land
• Farmlands are being held for speculative purpose due to
the anticipation of urbanization
• Positive impacts: None
• Negative impacts: lands cannot be fully utilized, waste of resources
• (C) Alteration in the structure of
rural population
• Rural-urban migration
• People move from rural to urban due to the higher living
standard and more job opportunities found in the urban
area
• Positive impacts: None
• Negative impacts: Increase the number of economic inactive groups
in the rural area, unbalanced sexual ratio
• Urban-rural migration
• People move from urban to rural due to the availability of
flatland and pollution-free environments
• Positive impacts: problem of urban congestion could be solved
• Negative impacts: increase rural population, increase landuse
competition
Case study: Hong Kong
Alteration of rural landuses
• Mainland China was liberated in 1949 Influx of refugees
• Accelerates Hong Kong’s population growth
• New towns established  E.g. Tsuen Wan, Shatin, Tuen Mun
RESULTS:
• Construction of towns and roads leads to a great loss of
arable land
• Farm abandonment
• Rural decay
• E.g. rural labour force in Sai Kung North is shrinking
Alteration in the structure of rural
population
• Farmers lay the land in fallow on purpose of hoping to
gain better return
• Better job opportunities attracts young rural population
• Rural-Urban migration
RESULTS:
• Labour shortage in the rural area
• Aging of rural population
• Increase the dependency ratio
• Alteration in farming production
• Increase in urban population
• Increase demand of certain kinds of farm products e.g.
fish, fresh vegetables and flowers
RESULTS:
• From rice field and pig raising to market gardening and
fish ponds
•Newspaper Article---SAR Pig farms in mainland sought to
stabilize supply (standard) 07/07 sat
• A lawmaker and some pig farmers have
urged the government to help Hong Kong
farmers establish farms in the mainland to
ensure the city gets a steady supply pork at
stable prices.
• Proposal: designating a special area in the
mainland for Hong Kong pig farmers
operations
• 90% of farmers have surrendered their
licenses, and 249 of the 265 registered local
pig farms have been closed.
Another example:
HKAL 2003, Paper 2, #6
• With reference to one of the farming
regions in China, discuss the effect of
market forces on agriculture in the last two
decades. As a result of the Go West
Policy, what would the impact of rural
industrialization be on agriculture in
western China?
• With Go West Policy, more resources are used for
developing interior provinces of China such as
Gansu Province
• Positive impacts:
– Farm labours shift to rural industries. Solve the problem of
low production
– Development of industries such as food processing
industries create demand for farm products
– Income from rural industries may be invested in farms and
promote farm modernization
• Negative impacts:
– Labour shortage
– Loss of arable land due to dramatic development of
industries
– Pollutions affect water for irrigation; soil degradation from
water and land pollution reduces farm productivity
Impact of Globalization on
farming
Discussion
•
•
•
•
Positive impacts
Negative impacts
Possible remedies
Effectiveness
Positive impacts
• 1. Allow trading among countries
• 2. Countries could practice specialized farming
according to their comparative advantage
• 3. Improving farm efficiency by advanced
technology
Negative impacts
• 1. Promotion of farm commercialization
•  Rely heavily on biotechnology
• 2. Elimination of small-scale farms in LDCs
by farm specialization in MDCs
•  Trading of farm products among countries is needed
• 3. Impact on natural ecosystem
• 4. Affect the local people’s livelihood
•  Small scale farms would be exploited by transnationals
•  Lower farm wages in LDCs because Local agricultural products
are less competitive
Possible remedies
•
•
•
•
•
•
1. Provide subsidies
2. Improve infrastructure
3. Reduce taxes
4. Develop collective farms
5. Provide technological assistance
6. Provide assistance
Effectiveness
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Measures not effective in LDCs
 poor government
 farmers are having low educational level
 Lack of market awareness
 badly-skilled
 Reluctant to make changes
 Lack of capital
Farm Technology
Green Revolution
• Improvement in farming methods due
to technological improvement
Farm technology
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1. Mechanization
2. Application of agro-chemicals
3. Irrigation
4. Drainage
5. Greenhouse farming
6. GM crops
7. Global positioning system (GPS)
8. Geographic information system (GIS)
9. Satellite/Aerial photo
1. Mechanization
Farm mechanization
• Processes that can be mechanized due to
advancement of farming technology
– substitution for man power
– increasing agricultural productivity
– extending agriculture to marginal land
Machines for cultivation, harvesting
and processing of crops
•
Examples ONLY! (DO NOT COPY!!!)
•
•
•
•
Ploughing machines and tractors
Sowing machines
Transplanting machines
Electricity operated pumps to draw water from nearby
rivers e.g. plain of East China Sprinkler
Helicopters  broadcasting seeds systems/ watering
crops
Spraying machines  Fertilization of soils
Combine harvesters  Harvesting crops
Conveyer belts  Selection of fruits for sale
Trains and trunks  Transport crops
•
•
•
•
•
Machines for rearing animals
and harvesting animal products
•
Examples ONLY! (DO NOT COPY!!!)
•
•
•
Air conditioning  lower the temperature in summers
Heaters  raise the temperature in winters
Pipes, tapes and electric pumps  provides drinking
water for animals
Electric shearers  wool cutting
Milking machines and refrigerated tankers  keeping
the milk fresh
Lorries with refrigeration facilities  transporting highly
perishable products to nearby urban markets e.g. milk
tankers
•
•
•
Effects of farming mechanization
• Farm size
•  enlarged and made less fragmented
• Farmland
 opening of some marginal lands for cultivation
• Higher efficiency of each worker
 quicken farming operation, more cropping in a year and
farm yield and profits also increases
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Rural-urban migration
 rapid rural-urban migration/ depopulation in rural are
Supply of workers
 solve the problem of labour shortage in MDCs
Higher productivity and quality of products
Lower cost of production
 cheaper in long term
Problems of farm mechanization
• Unemployment
• Machine management
•  Deterioration of machines due to lack of maintenance
•  Inappropriate use of machine
• Uneven mechanization
• High initial cost of farm machines
•  Poor farmers in LDCs
2. Application of agrochemicals
What is agro-chemicals?
•
•
•
•
Fertilizers
Pesticides
Insecticides
Herbicides
Why use agro-chemicals?
• 1. Control insects which eat food crops
• 2. Suppress weeds which complete with crops
• 3. Increase both quantity and quality of food
crops
•  Improve quality: improve human health
•  Improve quantity: solve the world food problem
Use of pesticides = “Intensification” of
farmland
•  Enable greater food production
•  without the expansion of agricultural land
•  Increase farm inputs on a given area of
farmland
Problems with pesticides
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
 Destroy natural and semi-natural habitats
 Pesticides are toxic
 Harmful to human health and wildlife
 Effects on target pests and non-target species
 e.g. Affect beneficial organisms like honey bees
 Contamination of water source
 Contamination of food chains
 Affecting drinking water supply
Strategies for tackling the problems
•  Develop target-specific pesticides
•  Control losses to water
•  Enforce adequate handling and application
procedures
•  Organic farming
6. GM crops
For and Against GM crops
7. Global positioning system (GPS)
8. Geographic information system (GIS)
Why use GIS and GPS?
• Collect, store view and analyze vast amount of data
• Allow better farm management
• Improving soil conservation practice
• Improving efficiency
•  e.g. precise application of chemicals and fertilizers
•  e.g. precise application of irrigation water
•  Over-application and Over irrigation could be avoided
Bio-fuels
• Alternative energy resource
• Ethanol extracted from corn and sugarcane
• Discussion
•
•
•
•
•
•
1. Advantages?
2. Disadvantages?
3. What are the
reasons for the
increasing price for
agricultural products?
Bio-fuels
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Advantages:
 alleviating Global warming
 Clean
 Renewable
 Environmentally friendly
 Clean/ Non-toxic
 Less carbon dioxide and sulphur emission
 Easy to handle
• Disadvantages:
•  bid up the price for food such as corn, sugarcane as
demand increase
•  the poor cannot afford
•  leading to the occurrence of famine in less developed
countries
•  unpredictable environmental consequence
•  Still release a certain amount of greenhouse gases
Reasons for the increasing price for
agricultural products
• 1. Increase in demand
•  population growth
• 2. Agricultural land use decrease
•  urbanization
•  in producing bio-fuels, land is specially
designed for growing crops
Further information……
• 7 April 2008
• Time Magazine
• Cover story
• In recent years, there have been significant
changes in oil price. As a result, more farmers
are involved in the development of alternative
energy resources such as biofuels.
• How may the changing oil price in recent years
affect the global crop production? To what extent
is the increasing oil price a factor leading to the
occurrence of famine in less developed
countries? Suggest measures that can be
carried out by governments to regulate the
production of biofuels. Illustrated your answer
with appropriate examples.
Preconditions and difficulties in
adopting advanced technology
Difficulties concerned with the
application of technology in farming
• Poor subsistence farmers  cannot afford very costly
inputs
• Low educational level  Resistance to innovation
• Small and fragmented farms  Hinder the adoption of
machines
• Lack of communication with the outside world
Essay question 2006#7
• Advanced farming technology such as remote sensing,
soil sampling and information management can help
optimize agricultural production. Farmers will therefore
be able to recognize differences in the field and to apply
correct quantities of inputs in the right place at the right
time.
• What are the ecological and economic advantages of
using this advanced farming technology? Explain the
conditions needed for the adoption of this technology. To
what extent is such technology applicable in China?
Section A – Natural Landscape
A1– Climatic System
a.
b.
c.
d.
Energy budget
Atmospheric moisture
Atmospheric circulation
Climatic variation
A2 – Landform System
a. Plate tectonics
b. Drainage system
A3 – Biotic System
a. Ecosystem
b. Soils
c. Vegetation
A4 – Man-environment
relationship
a. Tropical rainforest environment
b. Tropical desert environment
B. Agricultural Landscape
B1 – Farming systems
a. Farming as an ecological system
b. Farming as an economic system
B2 – Spatial patterns
a. Von Thunen model/concepts
b. Sinclair model/concepts
B3 – Impacts of urbanization and industrialization on
farming
Exam
• Paper 1
Map Reading
1/1
Section B
3/5
Section C
1/2
Total
5/9
Map Reading
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sketch map
Transect
Cross section
Gradient
Locational advantages
Average bifurcation ration
• Paper 2
Section A
3/6
Section B
1/2
Total
4/8