rural landscape

Reliefs-And-Ecosystems

2022

We explain what the rural landscape is, its characteristics, elements and various examples. Also, differences with the urban landscape.

Agricultural, livestock and forestry activities are developed in the rural landscape.

What is the rural landscape?

The rural landscape is a space formed by large areas of land where the human develops agricultural, livestock and forestry activities, which correspond to the primary economic sector.

It is a field area away from the town but easily accessible, allowing a fluid connection between the two to be maintained. It tends to have few residential spaces where the majority of the persons who work in the field.

Every rural landscape is made up of a series of tangible factors (such as the type of crop) and intangible factors (such as decisions politics Y economic that impact rural work). The combination of both factors produces different rural spaces or country areas that, however, maintain common characteristics.

Characteristics of the rural landscape

The rural landscape features delimited land and cultivated land.

Among the main characteristics of the rural landscape are:

  • The cultivated land. It is the space intervened by human labor, both for cultivation and for forest production, which allocates very little space for the development of infrastructure or public services.
  • The reduced public transport. The development of transport services in rural areas is scarce and of low frequency. Its route usually connects the main routes with the nearest towns.
  • The low population density. The rural area has few residential areas, and the houses are widely separated from each other. They are mostly inhabited by employees who work in the field.
  • The abundant vegetation. The large number of plants, grasslands and trees spreads throughout rural territory in a uniform way, naturally or by intervention of the human.
  • The division of the land. The rural area has delimited lands that can be minifundios (small agricultural properties that are not very profitable due to the type of soil) or latifundios (large properties and very profitable due to their I usually rich in nutrients).
  • The low percentage of environmental pollution. The rural area has a low level of emissions of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide, compared to urban areas that have a high concentration of vehicles and transportation.
  • The sightseeing rural. Country houses and farms are usually a destination requested by people who live in cities, to enjoy the tranquility and relaxation during the seasons or on weekends.

Rural landscape elements

Rural landscapes are conditioned by geographical accidents, since not all climates not all types of soil are conducive to the development of rural activity. Among the main elements that make up the rural landscape are:

  • The relief. It is the set of complex natural forms, for example, the Mountain range, the plain, the hill and the Valley, which present adequate natural conditions and allow the development of human work for the use of the land.
  • The earth. It is the layer of the Earth crust that is formed from the decomposition of rocks by changes in temperature, the erosion of the wind, the action of the Water, etc., and which, depending on its conditions, may or may not be suitable for the natural development of vegetation or for crops created by man.
  • The minerals. Are substances (habitually inorganic) found on certain patches of land, for example, the metal of iron, the copper and the nickel, and the no metals like sulfur, gypsum and salt. These contribute to give value to the land by being rich in nutrients necessary for crops.
  • The weather. It is the set of atmospheric conditions that characterize a certain region according to temperature, humidity, Pressure, wind and rainfall, which make possible the growth of natural vegetation and the work of the land by man.

Examples from the rural landscape

In modern rural landscapes, technology is applied to the agricultural sector.

Here are some examples of rural landscapes:

  • Traditional landscapes. They are those rural areas that are characterized by reduced production, although sufficient for self-sufficiency. The land is worked by techniques old, since the capacity of the soil and work are limited. They are common landscapes in the underdeveloped countries of Africa, Asia Y Latin America.
  • Modern landscapes. They are those rural areas that are characterized by the use of technology applied to the sector agrarian, which makes large-scale production possible. This type of landscape originated in Europe together with Industrial Revolution and it expanded rapidly first in the United States and then throughout the world.
  • The revolutionary landscapes. They are those rural areas with greater production capacity than modern landscapes, but not necessarily because they have more extensive territories. These are fields that are exploited to the maximum of their potential, where they work with agricultural practices and technologies applied through the use of fertilizers, pesticides and varieties of seeds genetically modified that achieve more resistant cereals to extreme climates. These practices originated in the United States in 1960 and made it possible to significantly increase production, but without paying enough attention to nutritional quality.

Rural landscape and urban landscape

The rural landscape consists of an area of ​​harvested fields (for the farming, the deforestation wave cattle raising). These activities allow the human development in cities, since they supply them with food Y raw Materials.

In contrast, the urban landscape is made up of cities of various sizes and density of population. Even though both scenery they develop with a great distance in between, they need each other for their developing and growth.

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