Question 3 : Agriculture
3 (a) 3x1
Evidence for commercial – outputs sold / milk sent to dairy / calves sent
to market
(3 marks)
Evidence for pastoral – 36 cows / animal feed / twice daily milking /
calves / silage
Evidence for intensive– it covers only 12 hectares (must be only)
3 (b) (i) From top: 1 mark for one correct, 2 for two correct, 3 for all correct. (3 marks)
Z X Y W
3 (b) (ii) 1x2
Fall off in yields due to loss of soil. Largely subsistence farmers who
have to grow their own food so suffer famine and malnutrition.
Fall off in income.
(2 marks)
3 (b) (iii) Can be MEDC or LEDC. (4 marks)
Level 1 (Basic) (1-2 marks)
Simple listing of different methods aimed at reducing soil erosion.
Contour ploughing. Magic stones. Growth of cover crops etc.
Crop rotation 1 fallow. Replanting hedges. Shelter belts. Controlled
grazing.
Level 2 (Clear) (3-4 marks)
Linked statements showing some description and indication of how the
method can reduce soil erosion.
Ploughing around the slope instead of up and down the slope reduces
the surface runoff. The growth of cover crops means that the soil is
protected from the heavy rainfall.
3 (c) Level 1 (Basic) (1-2 marks) (4 marks)
Simple statement listing the advantages without showing why this leads
to the increased amount of organic produce being grown.
Concern about chemicals getting into the food chain. Customer
demand. Encouragement from supermarkets. Increased demand. EU
grants.
Level 2 (Clear) (3-4 marks)
Linked statements show why there has been an increased output
Publicity given to healthy eating means there is a greater customer
demand for organic produce. Increased demand because growing
awareness of the dangers of chemicals getting into the food chain.
Supermarkets recognising the increased demand are encouraging
farmers to grow more.
AQA GCSE Mark Scheme, 2009 June series – Geography A
11
3 (d) Level 1 (Basic) (1-3 marks) e.g. plantation agriculture (9 marks)
Simple statements which are likely to be largely generic or do not relate
to a specific farming system. Does not deal with physical and human
factors.
High rainfall. Flat land. Deep soils. High temperatures. Cheap labour.
MEDC maximum Level 1
Level 2 (Clear) (4-6 marks)
Linked statements showing the impact of the physical and human
factors on the farming system.
There are high temperatures required for the growing of rubber. The
rubber has to be collected everyday so there is a need for a large
supply of cheap labour.
Need both physical and human factors for the top of Level 2.
Level 3 (Detailed) (7-9 marks)
Case study exemplar with a range of human and physical factors.
The rubber plantation Malaysia is owned by the TNC Firestone. There
is a well developed infrastructure which allow the rubber to be refined
as soon after it has been tapped from the rubber tree. The
temperatures reach 27 0C and the annual rainfall is 2000mm. There is
a large labour force of Malays and Chinese which is important because
it is a very labour intensive production system. Modern fertilizers, weed
killers and insecticides are used.
Total 25 marks
