University of Bristol
Wellcome Trust
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Society of Biology
PEEP for Physics & Ethics at GCSE
 

Biodiversity


Image courtesy of
Picture the Past

Agriculture

Farming in the UK has always had an impact on the countryside and agricultural practices have always fashioned the landscape. Modern farm practices are now very intensive and have accelerated the negative impacts on biodiversity.

A modern tractor ploughing a large fieldGreater mechanisation, the development of agri-chemicals (fertilizers and pesticides) and intensive farming techniques have largely been responsible for this change. Worldwide there has been a rapid rise in the human population which has led to a greater demand for agricultural land and a dramatic impact on natural habitats.

More sustainable methods of Agriculture are possible and can have a very positive effect on biodiversity.
 

Some interesting farming facts:

(Source - Conservation in Britain – WR Pickering)

  • 75% of England is designated as farmland, only 2% of the population are involved in farming.
  • In 1850, one farm worker produced enough food for 4 people, now the same worker produces enough for 60 people.
  • In 1942 there were about 90,260 tractors and 700,000 horses in agriculture in England and Wales, by 1982 this had changed to 415,839 tractors and virtually no horses. (DB Davies – Trends in mechanisation in the lowlands – Agricultural Development and Advisory Service)
     

Agriculture has had an impact on biodiversity in the following ways:

  1. Intensive farming techniques (monocultures and mechanisation)
  2. A rise in the use of fertilisers
  3. The widespread use of pesticides
  4. Intensive farming techniques leading to soil erosion
  5. Drainage of wetlands
  6. Hedgerow removal
  7. Loss of genetic variation (selective breeding)
  8. Eradication programmes (Badgers and TB)
     

 Monoculture 


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IN THIS SECTION

MONOCULTURE
FERTILISERS
PESTICIDES
SOIL EROSION
NON-NATIVE SPECIES
ERADICATION
GENETIC EROSION
HEDGEROWS
DRAINAGE

SEE ALSO

AGRICULTURE & POLLUTION 
ORGANIC FARMING & CONSERVATION 
GM CROPS


Search for some images to contrast and illustrate farming practices.

If you use ‘Google’ and its image search facility you get a good choice of images. Prepare these in a ‘word documents’.

State the source of each image e.g. website or photographer.

Some suggested images to find. Try typing these phrases into the search engine, remember to click on 'images' on the Google search bar

• Farming in the 18th century
• Farming in the 21st century
• Monoculture
• Fertiliser application
• Pesticide spraying
• Soil erosion
• Drainage wetland
• Hedge removal
• Artificial selection
• Badgers and TB