Changing Countryside

Key Terms Accessible countryside - countryside within easy reach of urban areas Chocolate box village – a rural settlement that appears to match the picturesque pretty image sometimes used on boxes of chocolate Commuter belt – residential area within relatively easy reach of (and often surrounding) a city, where many of the residents travel to and from the city daily. Counterubanisation – The movement of people and employment from major cities to smaller settlement and rural areas locate just beyond the city, or to more distant smaller cities and towns. Diversification – Farmers are having to find other ways of income because of the falling income, like opening a farm shop. Dormitory town - a settlement dominated by commuters who work in a nearby city. Environmental degradation – Negative impacts on the natural environment generally through human action. Globalisation – The process led by transnational companies, whereby the worlds countries are all becoming part of one vast global economy. Grassroots scheme – A scheme that originates within a local community rather than being imposed from above. Honey pot – A place of special interest or appeal that attract large numbers of visitors and tends to become overcrowded at peak times. Remote countryside – rural areas that are distant from and thus little affected by urban areas and their populations. Rural depopulation – the decline of population in rural areas regions. Rural idyll – the common perception that rural areas are quite and attractive and therefore good places to live in. SSSI – (Site of special scientific interest) a small area that has been officially designated for protection because of its wildlife or geology Telecottaging – working from a home in the country using computer communication Urban fringe – the countryside adjacent to or surrounding an urban area

Summary 1.Decline in agricultural employment 2.Farm diversification 3.Changes in population, employment and services 4.Village shop closures 5.Retirement migration 6.Recreation, leisure and tourism 7.Honeypot villages 8.Suburbanisation of the countryside 9.The spread of commuting 10.The challenges for the four types of countryside 11.Environmental impacts of farming 12.Conservation

Diagrams

Case study: New forest national park One of the most recent parts of the UK to be turned into a national park 2005, covers a 570km West of Southampton and North of the Solent Once a royal hunting ground however now it is a mix of bogs heaths and ancient woodlands It has some very rare and endangered species and also some more common species such as ponies, pigs and cattle which are owned by the local farmers but roam through most of the forest Its managed by the NPA (national park authority)

…… However it has some pressures… Because there is so much accessibility, there is sometimes a problem of having to many visitors which sometimes cause traffic congestions, overfull car parks, disturbance of wildlife and footpath erosion Some local people find it hard to make a living because there are so many restrictions about what can and cannot be done inside the national park.

….. And there are also some conflicts… Between being able to conserve the wildlife and their habitat and the forest being a recreational area Between incomers and locals because it is becoming increasingly hard for young local people to find new homes in the area because of people from London who are buying the houses and commuting

Quiz… 1.What is a honeypot? 2.What is diversification? 3.What does SSSI stand for? 4.What are the 3 types of countryside outside an urban area? 5.Describe the spiral of decline in rural areas of the developing world.