2. a) Explain how physical and economical factors have influenced the location of sheep.
There are three main categories that effect the location of sheep for physical factors. These are Climate, Topography and soils, and Natural vegetation.
Climate
The climate of the region must follow a few regulations to keep it from failing. It needs to be within 250 and 750 millimetres of rain. If it has too high rainfall, the soil becomes waterlogged. This affects the feet of the sheep, as well as causing the plants roots to rot. If there is too little rainfall, the crops dry up and die, as well as the sheep not getting enough water and they die.
Temperature also affects the sheep, as they do not survive well in high temperatures. The standard average maximum temperature for the location should be about 35°C. Any higher than this and the sheep start to die.
Topography and soils
The general topography of the land required for sheep grazing needs to be that of flat to undulating land. This makes it easy for the farmers to work the land, and manage the sheep, as well as the sheep not requiring putting up with the discomfort, for example, being on a slope. Rugged terrain would also affect the sheep in the sense that it could hurt their feet.
The soils of the Australian wheat belt are quite poor. They consist of sandy duplex soils, which are very infertile. With this there is the addition of fertilisers and phosphates, which aid in the fertility of the soil. This makes it easier to grow crops and support the sheep.