U5. primary sector

1. PRIMARY SECTOR.
AGRARIAN SPACES.
UNIT 5
IES CAMILO JOSÉ CELA
Teacher: Rocío Bautista

2. PRIMARY SECTOR:
ACTIVITES RELATED TO THE
EXTRACTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES
 Agriculture
 Livestock farming
 Silviculture (forestry)
 Fishing

3. What activities can you recognize in
these pictures?

4.  AGRARIAN SPACE: Land where agrarian
activities are undertaken. Cultivated
lands, pastures, woodland…
 RURAL SPACE: all non-urban areas. It
includes agrarian spaces + land where other
activities are also carried out (some of
them more typical of cities: leisure areas,
shopping centres, factories…).

5. AGRARIAN SPACES

6. RURAL SPACES

7. Types of
spaces
URBAN
(city)
RURAL
(countryside)
AGRARIAN
(primary activities)
Agriculture
Livestock farming
Silviculture
Fishing
NON AGRARIAN
(industrial & tertiary
activities)

8. AGRARIAN
POPULATION

9. AGRARIAN
POPULATION

10. AGRARIAN POPULATION  the total agrarian population has
decreased. However, there are big contrasts between developed &
underdeveloped countries.
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
 Employment: <10%
 GDP: <4%
UNDERDEVELOPED COUNTRIES
 Employment: >50%
 GDP: >10%

11. ACTIVITIES
 P.104-105: activities 1, 2, 4, 5.

12. FACTORS OF AGRARIAN
ACTIVITIES
- Physical factors
- Human factors

16. FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE
AGRARIAN ACTIVITIES
FACTORS
NATURAL
(PHYSICAL)
Climate
Relief
Soil
Vegetation
HUMAN
Population
Technological
development
Economic & social
organization

17. Natural factors: CLIMATE
Different crops adapt to different climatic conditions.
 Maize & rice  need humidity
 Potatoes  need cold temperatures
 Sugar cane & coffee  need warm temperatures

18. Natural factors: CLIMATE

19. Natural factors: RELIEF
Agriculture can’t be undertaken in places
with too high altitudes.

20. Natural factors: RELIEF
AGRICULTURE  prefers flat valley
floors; avoids mountainous areas.

21. Natural factors: RELIEF
SILVICULTURE & LIVESTOCK
FARMING  can be undertaken
better in places at a high
altitude (mountainous areas).

22. Natural factors: SOIL
Agriculture is conditioned by the type
of soil (surface layer of the Earth’s
crust).
A good soil for agriculture is the one
that is…:
• Deep (many layers of organic
material)
• Retains water
• Porous: lets air reach the plants’
roots.
• Neutral PH (acidity/alkalinity)

23. Natural factors: SOIL
Humus:
 Top soil layer  formed by the
decomposition of organic
matter.
 It’s essential for soil fertility,
as it provides basic nutrients.

24. Natural factors: VEGETATION
Having a certain type of vegetation can
condition what type of agrarian activities
you can develop:
 Abundant pastures (grass)  livestock
farming
 Abundant forests  silviculture

25. ACTIVITIES
 Devise an outline about the
physical/natural factors that
condition agrarian activities.
 P.107: activities 2, 3.

26. FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE
AGRARIAN ACTIVITIES
FACTORS
NATURAL
(PHYSICAL)
Climate
Relief
Soil
Vegetation
HUMAN
Population
Technological
development
Economic
organization
Agrarian
policies
HUMAN’S ACTIONS
ALSO INFLUENCE THE
CHARACTERISTICS OF
AGRARIAN
ACTIVITIES

27. Human factors: POPULATION
The increase of the world’s population has led to:
 More land is being dedicated to agrarian activities
 Agrarian space is being used to its maximum potential

28. Human factors: POPULATION
 More land is being dedicated to agrarian activities
… it causes DEFORESTATION (reduction of natural vegetation)

29. Human factors: POPULATION
 Agrarian space is being used to its maximum potential
… it causes SOIL OVEREXPLOITATION, and subsequently
DESERTIFICATION
VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU-8FwgNK0w
DESERTIFICATION = the
process by which fertile land
becomes desert, typically as
a result of drought,
deforestation, or
inappropriate agriculture &
livestock farming.

30. Human factors: POPULATION
Regarding areas scarcely populated  crops are abandoned and the
region suffers an ENVIRONMENTAL DECLINE (e.g.: fires).

31. Human factors: TECHNOLOGICAL
DEVELOPMENT
TRADITIONAL
SOCIETIES
ADVANCED
SOCIETIES
Farming tools
Farming
techniques
 The level of technological development of a society  influences
the farming tools & techniques they use

32. FARMING TOOLS
TRADITIONAL SOCIETIES ADVANCED SOCIETIES
Spade
(pala)
Hoe
(azada)
Sickle
(hoz)
Plough
(arado)
Tractor
Harvester (cosechadora)
Milking
machines
(ordeñador
eléctrico)
Basic tools 
require a large
labour force
Modern tools
 require a
small labour
force

33. FARMING TECHNIQUES
TRADITIONAL SOCIETIES ADVANCED SOCIETIES
Use of natural
fertilizers (for the
soil to recover its
nutrients)
Advanced
irrigation
techniques
Crop
rotation
(leaving a
part fallow)
Soil is farmed
until it’s
exhausted
(overuse of
soil)
Chemical
fertilizers &
pesticides
Selection &
genetic
manipulation of
species
Greenhouses

34. Greenhouses in
Almería (Satelite
view)

35. Irrigation techniques

36. Genetic manipulation of species
Seedless
watermelon
Genetically modified tomatoesNatural
tomatoes

37. Human factors: ECONOMIC
ORGANIZATION
SUBSISTENCE
ECONOMIES
• Only produce enough to cover their
own needs  farmers tend to
practice polyculture (various
products are cultivated) & combine
agriculture & livestock farming.
• Farming is done on a small scale by
landowners.
MARKET
ECONOMIES
• Produce food to sell it  farmers
tend to specialize in a type of crop
(monoculture) or a type of
livestock.
• Farming is done on a large scale by
companies.

38. Human factors: AGRARIAN
POLICIES
Agrarian policies implemented by governments also influence agrarian
activities deeply.
Politicians’s decisions can determine…
 Distribution of agrarian property
 The level of modernisation & competitiveness
 The environmental impact of their country’s agrarian activities
 Abandonment/promotion of certain agrarian activities & crops
 …

39. Human factors: AGRARIAN
POLICIES In the EU there is a Common Agrarian
Policy (CAP / PAC in Spanish)

42. AGRARIAN LANDCAPES

43. AGRARIAN LANDSCAPES = are the result of the
transformation of the natural environment due to
agrarian activities.
There are many different agrarian landscapes
around the world. Their aspect depends of the
combination of 2 elements:
INHABITED
SPACE
FARMLAND
AGRARIAN
LANDSCAPE

44. a) Inhabited space
AGRARIAN SETTLEMENTS = way
in which the agrarian population
is distributed across the land
AGRARIAN
SETTLEMENTS
Dispersed
(disperso)
Concentrated
(concentrado)
Interspersed
(intercalar)
AGRARIAN HABITAT = combination
of houses & agricultural buildings
(stables, barns…).
AGRARIAN HABITAT
 usually made
with local materials.
Stone
WoodClay

45. Dispersed settlements

46. Concentrated settlements
Linear
concentrated
settlement
Clustered
concentrated
settlement

47. Interspersed settlements

48. Clay
Agrarian habitats

49. Stone
Agrarian habitats

50. Wood
(or combined
materials)
Agrarian habitats

51. Different spaces (living &
agrarian) in the same building
Agrarian habitats

52. Different buildings for each
space; arranged around a
patio.
Agrarian habitats

53. b) Farmland
FARMLAND = land dedicated to agrarian activities.
It is divided into fields (“parcelas”).
Classification of fields
SIZE
Small
(<10 ha)
Medium
(10 – 100 ha)
Large
(>100 ha)
SHAPE
Regular
Irregular
LOCATION
Open
Enclosed
USE
Agriculture
Livestock
farming
Silviculture

54. 1 ha = 10.000 m2 (100 m X 100m)
Size

55. REGULAR VS IRREGULAR
Shape

56. OPEN FIELD VS ENCLOSED FIELD
Location

57. AGRICULTURE
USE
LIVESTOCK FARMING
SILVICULTURE

58. ACTIVITIES
 P.108: activity 2.
 P.110: activity 1.
 Define the following concepts:
 Deforestation
 Polyculture
 Monoculture
 Greenhouse
 Dispersed settlement
 Concentrated settlement
 Openfield
 Enclosed field

59. AGRICULTURE
- Cultivation methods
- Types of agriculture
- Traditional
- Modern: - Industrial
- Organic

60. CULTIVATION METHODS
PROCEDURES USED BY FARMERS TO GROW CROPS.
Different classifications:
According to
CROP VARIETY
MONOCULTURE
(monocultivo)
POLYCULTURE
(policultivo)
According to
WATER
SUPPLY
DRYLAND
AGRICULTURE
(secano)
IRRIGATED
AGRICULTURE
(regadío)
According to
SOIL USE
CONTINUAL
CULTIVATION
(cultivo continuo)
CROP ROTATION
(rotación de
cultivos)
According to
DEGREE OF
LAND USE
INTENSIVE
(intensiva)
EXTENSIVE
(extensiva)

61. CULTIVATION METHODS
MONOCULTURE
(monocultivo)
POLYCULTURE
(policultivo)
V.S.

62. CULTIVATION METHODS
DRYLAND
AGRIC.
(a. secano)
IRRIGATED
AGRIC.
(a. regadío)
V.S.

63. CULTIVATION METHODS
CONTINUAL
CULTIVATION
(cultivo contínuo)
CROP ROTATION
(rotación de
cultivos)
V.S.

64. CULTIVATION METHODS
INTENSIVE
AGRIC.
(a. intensiva)
EXTENSIVE
AGRIC.
(a. extensiva)
V.S.
Uses small amounts of labour & capital
(fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation
techniques, machinery…). High fallow
ratio. Since it has a lower productivity per
unit of land, it requires large quantities of
land to be profitable.
Uses large amounts of labour & capital
(fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation
techniques, machinery…). Low fallow ratio.
Greater productivity per unit of land. It
require less land than an extensive
agriculture to produce a similar profit.

65. TYPES OF AGRICULTURE
TYPESOFAGRICULTURE
TRADITIONAL
(Subsistence agriculture)
PRODUCTION: low; aimed to supply the
farmer & his family (self-consumption).
CHARACTERISTICS:
- Outdated technology.
- Large labour force.
LOCATION: underdeveloped regions (Africa
/ South-East Asia / Latin America).
Migratory agriculture
(slash-and-burn)
Sedentary dryland
agriculture
Irrigated monsoon
agriculture
MODERN
(Commercial agriculture)
PRODUCTION: sell production in national
& international markets.
CHARACTERISTICS:
- Technological & scientific advancements,
mechanisation.
- Minimum labour force.
LOCATION: developed regions (Europe /
North America / Australia) & some tropical
coasts.
Industrial agriculture
Organic agriculture
(bio-extensive)

66. TRADITIONAL:
Migratory agriculture (slash-and-burn)
Agricultura itinerante (de roza y quema)
1) Cut trees
(slashing)
2) Burn trees & undergrowth.
Ashes fertilize the soil.
Areas with dense vegetation (equatorial & humid tropical climate)
3) Cultivate continuously until soil is
exhausted. Repeat process
somewhere else.

67. SORGHUM (Sorgo)
CASSAVA (Yuca)
YAMS (Batata)
SWEET POTATOES
(Boniato)
MAIZE
(Maíz)

69. TRADITIONAL:
Sedentary dryland agriculture
Tropical areas.
Agricultura sedentaria de secano
• Extensive polyculture:
• Natural fertilizers (livestock manure) & crop rotation: FALLOW LAND /
MAIN CROP (maize) / COMPLEMENTARY CROP (tubers or peanuts).
• Vegetable plots near the houses.
• Soil is not exhausted. Enables permanent settlements.
MAIN
CROP
(Maize)
SECONDARY
CROP (tubers/
groundnuts)
FALLOW
LAND

70. PEANUTS
(cacahuetes)
FALLOW LAND
(barbecho)
MAIZE
(maíz)

72. TRADITIONAL:
Irrigated monsoon agriculture
Agricultura irrigada monzónica
Tropical monsoon climate (South-East Asia: China / Cambodia / Vitenam /
Philippines).
RIVERBED
ALLUVIAL
PLAIN
• Rice is grown in small fields (paddy fields)
separated by ditches (to flood the fields).
• Requires large labour force.
• 2-3 harvests per year  high production to
feed a large population.

73. 1) Before the rainy season,
the fields are ploughed &
rice is planted in fertilised
nurseries.
2) During the monsoon season, once the
plants are grown, they are transferred
to the paddy fields (arrozales).
3) After the monsoon, when the crops begin to ripen,
water is removed & rice is harvested & threshed.

75. MODERN:
Industrial agriculture
Developed countries (Europe,
N.America & Oceania) &
tropical coasts.
Agricultura industrial
• INTENSIVE MONOCULTURE:
• Mechanisation, technological & scientific advancements (chemical
fertilizers, pesticides, genetic manipulation & selection of species…)
• High production with minimum labour force.
• Specialisation (crop best suited to local environment)
• Mass-production  supply international market.

76. Agriculture in new countries
(America & Oceania)
• Very large & regular fields.
• Very mechanised.
• High degree of regional specialisation (MONOCULTURE) according to local
climate  ej: CROP BELTS (USA):
 Wheat belt
 Maize belt
 Tobacco belt
 Cotton belt

77. • Enormous fields.
• Belong to multinational companies
from developed countries.
• Products highly demanded in
developed countries:
• Food (bananas, pineapples,
coffee, cocoa, sugar)
• Industrial products (cotton, palm
oil, rubber).
• Advanced techniques but also
extensive paid labour force.
• Cheap mass production.
Tropical plantation agriculture
(Tropical coasts: S.America, SE Asia, G.Guinea)

78. MODERN:
Organic agriculture
Agricultura orgánica / ecológica
• Environmentally friendly techniques:
• Organic fertilizers
• Crop rotation
• Higher quality but lower yield  more expensive.
• Increasing number of consumers  prepared to pay more for better products.

79. ACTIVITIES
 Explain the difference between these pairs of concepts.
At home, find images to illustrate each of them:
 MONOCULTURE / POLYCULTURE
 DRYLAND AGRICULTURE / IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE
 INTENSIVE AGRICULTURE / EXTENSIVE AGRICULTURE.
 INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE / ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
 P.114. activity 2 / 3 / 4
 Explain the slash-and-burn agricultural process.
 Draw a diagram to represent the crop rotation in
sedentary dryland agriculture.
 P.116. activity 1

80. LIVESTOCK FARMING
- Farming systems: intensive VS extensive
- Types of livestock farming
- Traditional
- Modern: - Industrial
- Organic

82. LIVESTOCK FARMING SYSTEMS
PROCEDURES USED BY FARMERS TO REAR LIVESTOCK:
INTENSIVE
LIVESTOCK FARMING
V.S.
 Animals in large, open-air fields.
 Needs small amounts of capital & labour.
 Complements agriculture: provides
labour force & fertilizer.
 Lower productivity.
 Animals in barns & fed with
artificial feeds.
 Needs large amounts of capital &
labour: buildings, breed selection,
feeding technology, veterinary care…
 Greater productivity.
EXTENSIVE
LIVESTOCK FARMING

83. LIVESTOCK FARMING METHODSLivestockfarming
METHODS
TRADITIONAL
Nomadic livestock
farming
Seasonal migration
MODERN
Industrial
Organic

84. TRADITIONAL:
Nomadic livestock farming
Ganadería/pastoreo nómada
• Extensive
• Livestock continually moved looking
for fresh pastures.
• Characteristic of peoples in areas next
to deserts:
• Bedouins  Arabian Peninsula
• Tuareg  Sahara

85. TRADITIONAL:
Seasonal migration
Trashumancia
• Extensive
• Livestock seasonally moved, in
summer & winter, looking for fresh
pastures.
• Characteristic of mountainous areas.

86. MODERN:
Industrial livestock farming
Ganadería industrial
• Seeks maximum yield to be sold on the market.
• It can be extensive (large quantities of animals reared in the open-air) or
intensive (genetically selected livestock in barns, artificial feeds, technology…)

87. MODERN:
Organic livestock farming
Ganadería orgánica/ecológica
• Respects environment & animal welfare:
• Semi-extensive systems
• Balanced feeds: no artificial feeds, no growth stimulants
• Animal welfare: spacious shelters, they aren’t kept
permanently in barns.
• Avoid excessive use of pastures; appropriate number of
animals per hectare.
• Lower productivity, but higher quality.

88. ACTIVITIES
 Devise a diagram to classify livestock farming traditional
& modern methods.
 P.118-119: activities 1 / 3 / 5

89. SILVICULTURE
- Forest spaces
- Forestry production & environmental roles
- Problems created by forestry activities

90. FOREST SPACES

91. FOREST SPACES
Equatorial & tropical forests
• Warm climate zone.
• Tall, hardwood trees.
• Many species combined
together  extensive
areas are deforested to
harvest the most
profitable ones.
MAHOGANY (caoba)
EBONY (ébano)
TEAK
(teca)

92. FOREST SPACES
Temperate forest
• Temperate climate zone.
• Smaller trees.
• More homogeneously
grouped.
OAK (roble) BEECH (haya) CHESTNUT (castaño)

93. FOREST SPACES
Temperate forest
• The deciduous temperate forest is
being replaced by more profitable
species: pine & eucalyptus
PINE (pino) EUCALYPTUS (eucalipto)

94. FOREST SPACES
Boreal/taiga forest
• Northern regions, near polar areas.
• Softwood trees.
• Dense forest, but few species
(homogeneously grouped): conifers.
PINE (pino) FIR (abeto) BIRCH (abedul)

95. FORESTRY PRODUCTION & ROLES

96. FORESTRY PRODUCTION & ROLES
FORESTS’
USES & ROLES
Energy source
(firewood)
Food (fruits,
mushrooms…)
Industrial
products (cork,
paper, resin,
rubber…)
Protect environment:
- Absorb CO2
- Protect soil from
erosion
- Helps biodiversity
Wood for
building/furniture Recreation
activities

97. Problems created by forestry
activities
• Uncontrolled
exploitation of
forests has led to
serious levels of
DEFORESTATION.
• 1/3 of Earth’s forest
 lost since 1950.

99. https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=yvdfqrnvu6Q
https://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=sf5SoW0YKMw
VIDEOS

100. Consequences of
DEFORESTATION
Bigger risk of
floods
Soil erosion 
landslides & loss
of land for
growing crops
Destruction of animals’ habitats:
- biodiversity loss (extinction of
animals).
- Wild animals appearing in urban
areas.
Greenhouse effect
increases  Weak
ozone

101. Solutions to prevent
DEFORESTATION
Policies to ensure
sustainable tree
felling
Education & consciousness-raising 
encourage local populations to care for
the forest
Recycling & reuse
wood products
(PAPER!!)
Replanting trees

102. FISHING
- Fishing systems
- Future of fisheries

103. FISHING SYSTEMS
• ACCORDING TO PLACE & TIME REQUIRED:
SHALLOW-WATER
FISHING
(Pesca de bajura)
DEEP-SEA
FISHING
(Pesca de altura)
OCEAN FISHING
(Pesca de gran
altura)

104. FISHING SYSTEMS
• ACCORDING TO TECHNOLOGY USED:
TRADITIONAL FISHING INDUSTRIAL FISHING

105. SOME INDUSTRIAL FISHING TECHNIQUES…

106. SOME INDUSTRIAL FISHING TECHNIQUES…
SONARS & RADARS TO
LOCATE SHOALS

107. SOME INDUSTRIAL FISHING TECHNIQUES…
TROLLING
SUCTION

108. SOME INDUSTRIAL FISHING TECHNIQUES…
SEINE FISHING
(PESCA DE CERCO)

109. SOME INDUSTRIAL FISHING TECHNIQUES…
TRAWLING
(PESCA DE ARRASTRE)

110. FUTURE OF FISHERIE
PROBLEMS SEA POLLUTION
DIFFICULTY TO
OBTAIN ACCESS TO
OTHER COUNTRIES’
FISHING GROUNDS
(caladeros)
OVERFISHING
SOLUTIONS:
• Promotion of aquaculture  breeding of fish, crustaceans & molluscs.
• Fishing quotas
• Prohibition of harmful fishing practices
• Anti-pollution measures
• International fishing agreements

111. AQUACULTURE (acuicultura)

112. ACTIVITIES
 P.120: activities 2 / 3
 Do a chart to compare traditional & industrial fishing
 Do a commentary about this map:
a) DESCRIPTION: describe
what the map shows.
Define technical
concepts (e.g.:
“deforestation”).
b) ANALYSIS:
 CAUSES of
deforestation
 CONSEQUENCES of
deforestation
 SOLUTIONS to avoid
deforestation