Characteristics of hunting and gathering

(i) These are carried out at different levels with different orientations.

(ii) This is practised in regions with harsh climatic conditions

(iii) It often involves primitive societies, who extract, both plants and animals to satisfy their needs for food, shelter and clothing.

(iv) This type of activity requires a small amount of capital investment and operates at very low level of technology.

(v) The yield per person is very low and little or no surplus is produced.

Commercial livestock rearing is more organized and capital intensive. Commercial livestock rearing is essentially associated with western cultures and is practiced on permanent ranches. This is a specialized activity in which only one type of animal is reared.

Characteristics :

(i)Associated with western cultures.

(ii)The number of animals in the pastures is kept according to the carrying capacity of the pasture.

(iii)Only one type of animal is reared.

(iv)Rearing of animals in ranching is organized on a scientific basis. 

Characteristics of ‘Commercial Livestock Rearing’:

(i) Commercial livestock rearing is more organised and capital intensive.

(ii) Commercial livestock ranching is essentially associated with western cultures and is practiced on permanent ranches. These ranches cover large areas and are divided into a number of parcels, which are fenced to regulate the grazing.

 (iii) When the grass of one parcel is grazed, animals are moved to another parcel. The number of animals in a pasture is kept according to the carrying capacity of the pasture.

 (iv) This is a specialised activity in which only one type of animal is reared. Important animals include sheep, cattle, goats and horses. Products such as meat, wool, hides and skin are processed and packed scientifically and exported to different world markets.

 (v) Rearing of animals in ranching is organised on a scientific basis. The main emphasis is on breeding, genetic improvement, disease control and health care of the animals.

Subsistence agriculture is one in which the farming areas consume all, or nearly so, of the products locally grown.

Features of intensive subsistence agriculture:

(i) Intensive subsistence agriculture dominated by wet paddy cultivation: This type of agriculture is characterised by dominance of the rice crop.

(ii) Land holdings are very small due to the high density of population. Farmers work with the help of family labour leading to intensive use of land.

(iii) Intensive subsidence agriculture dominated by crops other than paddy: Due to the difference in relief, climate, soil and some of the other geographical factors.

(iv) it is not practical to grow paddy in many parts of monsoon Asia.

The differences: 

(i) Nomadic herding is a primitive subsistence activity while commercial grazing is more organized and capital intensive.

(ii) In nomadic herding, the nomads rely on animals for food, clothing and shelter whereas commercial rearing is associated with western culture.

(iii) Nomadic herders move from place to place in search of food and water whereas commercial ranches cover large area where they rear cattle permanently.

(iv) In nomadism, a wide variety of cattle are reared but in commercial grazing, it is a specialized activity with one type of animals.

(v) Pastoral nomadism is undertaken on vast horizontal movements but commercial grazing is stable and run on scientific basis.