5+Ecosystems+and+rural+environments

These are **//KEYWORDS// ** which you should use wherever possible
**Key questions** 1. What are the main biomes and where will you find them? 2. What are ecosystems made up of? 3. What is the nature of temperate grassland and its agricultural use? ( Case study of an are of temperate grassland) 4. What are the characteristics of rural environments? ( case study of a national park) 5. How is farming defined as a system? 6. Can you identify a farm production system from a farm that you know (or from a website that gives all the information)? 7. What are the different types of farming? 8. How can agricultural production be increased? ( case study of one area in which production has been raised) 9. What are the causes and consequences of over production, and how can it be tackled? 10. What are the causes and consequences of food shortages, and how can it be tackled? 11. How have LIC rural settlement changed? 12. How have HIC rural settlements changed? 13. Can you identify site and situations of rural settlements from a map?
 * arable farming ** A type of agriculture where the emphasis is on growing crops.
 * biome ** A world-scale ecosystem usually defined by the dominant vegetation, for example the tropical rain forest.
 * conservation ** The protection of such things as wild animals and plants, their habits, fine scenery, historic buildings, etc. This is because of a growing awareness of their amenity and value, and often because they are scarce or threatened.
 * counter-urbanisation ** The movement of people and activities away from large cities to small towns, villages or the countryside.
 * ecosystem ** An organic community of plants and animals interacting with their environment.
 * genetically modified (GM) food ** Food coming from crops and livestock that have been genetically engineered to improve productivity and disease-resistance. The scientific techniques include either ransferring genes from one organism to another, or changing genetic materials within an organism.
 * irrigation ** The supply of water to the land by means of channels, streams and sprinklers in order to permit the growth of crops in dry areas.
 * pastoral farming ** A type of agriculture concerned mainly with the rearing of livestock, for meat, milk, wool or hides.