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environmental management > agriculture and the environment > Flashcards

agriculture and the environment Flashcards

1
Q

what is soil?

A

Soil is loose material on the upper layer of the earths crust it is formed by the breaking down of rocks, containing a mixture of sediments and organic matter. It is the cheapest medium for plants to grow while providing all of the nutrients needed for sufficient growth. It also provides a home for microorganisms.

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2
Q

what is topsoil?

A

Topsoil is the upper layer of the soil that gains new material from the decomposition of plants and trees minerals can also get washed out in this layer by leeching

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3
Q

What is subsoil?

A

Subsoil is the middle layer of soil that accumulates material from the above horizons, and the below horizons

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4
Q

what is weathered bedrock?

A

This is the loose pieces of rock that are broken off by weathering

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5
Q

what is soil made up of?

A

Mineral particles, organic content, air, and water

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6
Q

What are mineral particles?

A

These are rock fragments that are formed due to weathering of soil

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7
Q

what is organic content?

A

This comprises of living organisms, and their dead remains, which is also known as hummus, and this can provide many nutrients for plants

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8
Q

What is air and water?

A

Air and water is held within the poor spaces between the soil particles

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9
Q

why is soil composition different from place to place?

A

Soil composition varies from place to place due to its climate and the existing rocks

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10
Q

what does soil moisture mean?

A

Soil moisture is the metric water content of the soil that is held within the spaces of the soil particles (pore spaces)

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11
Q

what is surface soil moisture

A

This is the water or the moisture that is present on the upper layer of soil

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12
Q

what is root zone moisture?

A

This is the moisture or water that is found within the soil that can be used by the plant for its growth

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13
Q

what are the different types of soil?

A

Sand, silt, clay, loamy

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14
Q

what do earthworms do in soil?

A

They break down and spread the organic matter through the soil

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15
Q

what does bacteria do in soil?

A

They break down and work on the organic modern order to produce simple chemicals

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16
Q

what are the advantages of high levels of organic matter?

A

More nutrients are provided to the plant leading to more efficient growth. There is increased air spaces increased water holding capacity and additional drainage property

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17
Q

what is soil pH?

A

Soil pH depends on the type of parent rock, and the pH of water that is absorbed by the soil

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18
Q

what does acidic soil mean?

A

This means that route access to water and minerals or nutrients is restricted

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19
Q

what does alkaline soil mean?

A

This means that the soil is too salty, which can kill crops

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20
Q

What is soil texture?

A

soil texture is determined by the percentage of sand silt and clay in the soil

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21
Q

what are the characteristics of Sandy soils?

A

There are large particles and large poor spaces between the soil particles making it lightweight and easy to handle

22
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of sandy soils?

A

They warm up quickly in the spring
However, water and fertilizer can easily leach out of the soil as it is so dry in the summer it cannot hold any of the moisture content. Thus frequent fertilizer is needed, which increased cost. This makes the soil low in nutrients and acidic.

23
Q

what are the characteristics of clay soils?

A

The particles are closely joint together with very small, poor space, and no air between the soil particles

24
Q

what are the advantages and disadvantages of clay soil?

A

It holds onto nutrients as well as water, which is beneficial for crops that need a lot of water like rice
However, it takes a very long time to drain a very long time to warm up it compact easily and cracks, and it is alkaline

25
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of silty soil?

A

Soil are highly fertile that holds onto nutrients there is better water holding capacity as compared to Sandy soils and it is easier to work with as compared to clay soils
However, water filtration can be difficult and it can be compact and hard

26
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of loamy soil?

A

this is the most fertile soil and it is a combination of Sandy silt and clay particles. It is drought resistant due to water holding capacity. It’s faster to warm up in the spring as compared to clay, and it holds onto nutrients making it fertile. There is also good infiltration of air and water.

27
Q

what does drainage mean?

A

Drainage refers to the ability of soils to drain water, ensuring that there is no surplus or loss of water

28
Q

What does arable agriculture mean?

A

this refers to the cultivation or production of plants for consumption, such as rice, wheat and maize

29
Q

What does pastoral farming mean?

A

This refers to the production or cultivation of animal based products like milk, eggs, and wool

30
Q

what is subsistence farming?

A

Subsistence farming is the cultivation of food for the consumption of the farmer and his family there is surplus remaining after consumption. It can then be traded for money.

31
Q

what does commercial farming mean?

A

This is the production of crops and goods to sell for cash

32
Q

what are the features of commercial farming?

A

Money is made from the selling of crops. There are larger farms, there is more mechanization and modern equipment. There are large inputs of fertilizer, and only few species of crops being grown at a time. the farmer also owns or rents the land.

33
Q

what are the features of subsistence farming?

A

The food that is cultivated is only used for consumption, and it is only sold if there is surplus, there are smaller farms, traditional methods are used, the farmers family are likely to be working on the farm, small yields are available, little inputs of fertilizers are available and many types of crops are grown at once and grazing is one of the main issues

34
Q

What can impact agriculture?

A

overuse of chemicals which can lead to bioaccumulation and biomagnification, as well as eutrophication, which encourages algae growth
Overuse and mismanagement of water can lead to water, logging and salinity, and loss of nutrients due to leaching
Over cultivation and overgrazing can lead to soil erosion and desertification

35
Q

What are methods to increasing agricultural yields?

A

Crop rotation, irrigation, chemicals, mechanization, selective, breeding, controlled environment and genetically modified organisms

36
Q

What is crop rotation and it’s advantages?

A

Crop rotation is the growing of different types of plants on different parts each year
This reduces the diseases in soils ads. They are left behind. It reduces the amount of pests. The soil is likely to have new nutrients each time, and you plant is planted Lesley bruise needed, which reduce costs, and there is less waste.

37
Q

What is irrigation?

A

Irrigation is the provision of water from various sources, such as rivers and underground sources that ground water to farmland
This can be done with the use of canals, which are artificial channels that carry water from rivers and dams to fields to irrigate them

38
Q

Why is water important for plants?

A

It is needed for photosynthesis mineral nutrient uptake, and cell activity

39
Q

What are chemicals?

A

Chemicals, such as fertilizers and pesticides, are added to ensure a greater crop yields, make the cob stronger and resistant to diseases, and to make up for nutrient deficiencies in soil

40
Q

What are the advantages of weed?

A

Weed has medicinal properties, provides a habitat for many creatures, and it is also fodder for animals

41
Q

What are the disadvantages of weed?

A

Weed can compete with other crops which can stunt and or reduce their output or growth as they may take up resources like sunlight, water, and minerals, as well as this weed can cause harm to animals, and it may cause diseases, and has an impact on tourism areas with scenic beauty declining
To solve the issue of weeds herbicides are used

42
Q

How does soil exhaustion occur?

A

Reusing the same area of land over and over again for the same crop, spread of disease and cash, crop and overgrazing

43
Q

What is the advantages of mechanization?

A

Faster, agricultural processes, such as plowing and harvesting, large scale and controlled and efficient does leading to reduce mistakes on maximizing crop output

44
Q

What is selective breeding?

A

Selective breeding is when a farmer chooses a species of plant with the best characteristics in order to farm more crops out of those two, and this process will continue until the best results are produced from the plant

45
Q

What is cross breeding?

A

Cross breeding is when an animal or a plant is produced by meeting two different species or varieties

46
Q

How can breeding be done for plants?

A

There is self pollination, which is the transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the stigma of the same flower, or another flower of the same plant

47
Q

What is eutrophication?

A

Eutrophication is caused by an increase in algae blooms, which is caused by fertilizers that are leeched from the field into water bodies. The algae blooms can block sunlight from any organisms and marine creatures which can impact their rates of photosynthesis and reproduction. Overtime algae will die and new algae, will replace it with bacteria and micro organisms feeding on the dead I’ll be taking up a lot of oxygen, which can then intern, kill many marine creatures, thus reducing biodiversity.

48
Q

What is soil erosion?

A

Soil erosion is when the upper most fertile layer of soil is removed by the removal of natural vegetation, over cultivation, overgrazing, wind erosion, and water erosion

49
Q

How can soil erosion be managed

A

There can be managing of vegetation cover, afforestation, terracing, contour plowing, and improvement of soil structure by adding more organic matter

50
Q

What are the impacts of soil erosion?

A

This can lead to the upper most nutrient, rich layer of soil being washed away, which can affect crop growth, and as well as this the soil can be transported to water bodies, which can lead to eutrophication as the soil will be heavy in fertilizers and nutrients as well as this organisms, who live in the topsoil will lose their habitat and this can also lead to desertification

51
Q

What is desertification?

A

Desertification is when land in dryland and semi arid lands face a decrease in vegetation, thus leading to land degradation

environmental management (5 decks)

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