5.4: Impacts of Agricultural Practices

Question 1

Tilling

Answer 1

Mining and breaking up soil to make planting easier

Question 2

Costs of tilling

Answer 2

• Increases erosion by loosening top soil, breaking up leftover root structure from harvest which leads to loss of organic matter and top soil nutrients over time
• Increased PM in air which can lead to respiratory irritation and sediments in water

Question 3

Slash and burn agriculture

Answer 3

Cutting down vegetation and burning it to clear land for agriculture to return nutrients in the plants back to the soil

Question 4

Consequences of slash and burn agriculture

Answer 4

• Deforestation leads to loss of habitat and biodiversity, loss of ecosystem services like carbon dioxide sequestration, and loss of air pollution filtration
• Increases PM in the air
• Lowers the albedo of the area
• Releases carbon monoxide (which is toxic to humans in high concentrations), N20/ GHGs that contribute to climate change

Question 5

Haber-Bosch Process

Answer 5

3H2 + N2 = 2NH3 (ammonium)

Question 6

Pros of synthetic fertilizer

Answer 6

• Easy to transport and use
• Timed release
• Customizable

Question 7

Cons of synthetic fertilizer

Answer 7

• Eutrophication and algal blooms

Question 8

Pros of Organic Fertilizer

Answer 8

Contributes organic matter to the soil which improves soil structure

Question 9

Cons of organic fertilizer

Answer 9

• You have to go out and collect it
• The nutrient levels are unknown

Question 10

Pesticide Treadmill

Answer 10

Use of pesticides -> some die but the resistant ones survive -> they grow in number and infest -> there’s more of a need for pesticides