Explain why external agencies create new place-meaning for particular localities. (4 marks)
External agencies such as event committees, international governments and tourism, organisations,
create new place-meanings for localities in order to improve the reputation and or perception of the
area. For example, an area of deprivation may be changed through investment by external
governments or event committees to improve the character and perception of the area and create
new place-meaning.
Assess the importance of managing soil problems for future agricultural productivity. (9 marks)
The management of soil problems is somewhat important for the future of agricultural productivity
as it will prevent a reduction in the amount of the earth’s soil and the reduction of agricultural
productivity.
One issue that soils face currently is soil erosion. Roughly 2,000 hectares of soil is lost per day as a
result of poor agricultural methods and a lack of biodiversity which results in soil erosion or the soil
becoming unproductive. Soil erosion is increasing as a result of climate change, due to increased
global temperatures which are making water insecure areas even more water insecure, resulting in a
lack of irrigation within agricultural soil. This lack of irrigation can cause desertification, as the soil
becomes dry and it’s structure breaks down causing it to become vulnerable to wind erosion where
the layer of soil can be blown away. In addition to this, the dry soil becomes unproductive as the
nutrients within the soil are lost through erosion and a lack of soil structure. This causes a reduction
in the amount of agricultural productivity that occurs and shows how soil erosion will have a large
impact on the level of agricultural productivity in the future.
One way in which humans can prevent this, however, is by providing access to water in parts of the
world or adopting farming methods that do not require as much or any soil. An example of this can
be seen in the green revolution where plants such as tomatoes could be grown in jelly substances
rather than soil. This adoption of new farming techniques shows how a reduction in soil may not
prevent agricultural productivity from occurring and thus managing soil problems may not be as
important as previously perceived.
Another threat that soils are facing is unproductivity that results from a lack of biodiversity. An
example of this can be seen in the amazon rainforest where deforestation occurs frequently at an
increasingly large rate. 80% of deforestation is caused by cattle farming, this reduction in vegetation
leads to soil exposure where soils are less protected from the sun and rain as a result of a decrease
in leaf coverage. This decrease in protection makes soil vulnerable to wind and water erosion as the
sun dries out the soil and the high levels of precipitation in the rainforest leaches nutrients through
the soil and washes away layers. This leaching of nutrients and the removal of topsoil through water
erosion, results in infertile soil that cannot be used for agricultural productivity or sustain life. Thus,
resulting in a loss of soil overall and causing a decrease in the potential for agricultural productivity
in the future.
External agencies such as event committees, international governments and tourism, organisations,
create new place-meanings for localities in order to improve the reputation and or perception of the
area. For example, an area of deprivation may be changed through investment by external
governments or event committees to improve the character and perception of the area and create
new place-meaning.
Assess the importance of managing soil problems for future agricultural productivity. (9 marks)
The management of soil problems is somewhat important for the future of agricultural productivity
as it will prevent a reduction in the amount of the earth’s soil and the reduction of agricultural
productivity.
One issue that soils face currently is soil erosion. Roughly 2,000 hectares of soil is lost per day as a
result of poor agricultural methods and a lack of biodiversity which results in soil erosion or the soil
becoming unproductive. Soil erosion is increasing as a result of climate change, due to increased
global temperatures which are making water insecure areas even more water insecure, resulting in a
lack of irrigation within agricultural soil. This lack of irrigation can cause desertification, as the soil
becomes dry and it’s structure breaks down causing it to become vulnerable to wind erosion where
the layer of soil can be blown away. In addition to this, the dry soil becomes unproductive as the
nutrients within the soil are lost through erosion and a lack of soil structure. This causes a reduction
in the amount of agricultural productivity that occurs and shows how soil erosion will have a large
impact on the level of agricultural productivity in the future.
One way in which humans can prevent this, however, is by providing access to water in parts of the
world or adopting farming methods that do not require as much or any soil. An example of this can
be seen in the green revolution where plants such as tomatoes could be grown in jelly substances
rather than soil. This adoption of new farming techniques shows how a reduction in soil may not
prevent agricultural productivity from occurring and thus managing soil problems may not be as
important as previously perceived.
Another threat that soils are facing is unproductivity that results from a lack of biodiversity. An
example of this can be seen in the amazon rainforest where deforestation occurs frequently at an
increasingly large rate. 80% of deforestation is caused by cattle farming, this reduction in vegetation
leads to soil exposure where soils are less protected from the sun and rain as a result of a decrease
in leaf coverage. This decrease in protection makes soil vulnerable to wind and water erosion as the
sun dries out the soil and the high levels of precipitation in the rainforest leaches nutrients through
the soil and washes away layers. This leaching of nutrients and the removal of topsoil through water
erosion, results in infertile soil that cannot be used for agricultural productivity or sustain life. Thus,
resulting in a loss of soil overall and causing a decrease in the potential for agricultural productivity
in the future.
