Agroecology Flashcards
How will the population projected increase to 9 billion by 2050 affect agriculture?
Demands for different food types will increase (meat, wheat, vegetable oils)
What was the green revolution?
X
Despite rapid population growth, how much more food per capita is produce now compared to 30 years ago?
25%
How has agricultures been intensified in the UK?
Land drainage
Improvement of pasture
Hedgerow removal
Etc
What is the EUs Common Agricultural Policy?
X
X trend
X
What is the book ‘silent spring’ 1962 in reference to
DDT and other pesticides had detrimental effects on biodiversity, in particular song birds
Which birds are now rare to see in Britain?
Their decline driven by agriculture
Turtle dove
Tree sparrow
Agriculture dependent species
Arable weeds
Butterflies in early successional grazed habitats
Adonis
X
X
X
X
Fungus dominated ecosystem to bacterial dominated ecosystem has consequences for the recycling of nutrients within that ecosystem
(Inefficient use of nutrients usually found in intensively farmed soil)
Intensification can erode above ground ecosystem services
Pollination increases
As wild bee richness increases and they proximity to natural habitat increases
What is organic farming
Form of agriculture that relies on natural techniques
Types of organic farming
Crop rotation
Green manure
Compost
Biological pest control
How much higher species richness do organic farms have than conventional farms?
30%
What do organic plots have more of?
More diverse microbial communities
In turn correlates with more efficient functioning
Earthworks example of higher abundance in organic farms
Biomass and abundance of earthworms higher by factor of 1.3 to 3.2 in organic plots
What is agroforestry
Integration of trees into crop farming systems
What are the biodiversity benefits of agroforestry?
Replacement for forests (can support more than 2/3 forest species)
Favourable matrix between forests remnants (???)
What are agro environment schemes ?
Schemes that provide funding to farmers so they can farm in a way that supports biodiversity
How much money is given to farmers in England each year under agriculture schemes?
£400 million
X
X
X
X
Post Brexit changes in UK farming
Environment act 2021 pays farmers for delivering the public
Clean air
Thriving plants and wildlife
Protection from environmental hazards
Lane sparing
Some land farmer intensively to increase yield
While other land is protected as reserves
Land sharing
All land is farmed using wild life friendly techniques which may reduce yields
X
X
X
X
Where is land sharing more desirable?
- Regions of shallow souls or low rainfall where intensive use is not suitable
- In countries that lack the means to effectively protect area in the long run (if land sparing was done they’d have to protect one area) but have a long record of sustainable sharing
- Situations where both yields and biodiversity are high or where biodiversity depends on agriculture
What is the universal consequence of agricultural intensification?
Ecological heterogeneity
