Agroecology

Question 1

How will the population projected increase to 9 billion by 2050 affect agriculture?

Answer 1

Demands for different food types will increase (meat, wheat, vegetable oils)

Question 2

What was the green revolution?

Answer 2

X

Question 3

Despite rapid population growth, how much more food per capita is produce now compared to 30 years ago?

Answer 3

25%

Question 4

How has agricultures been intensified in the UK?

Answer 4

Land drainage
Improvement of pasture
Hedgerow removal

Etc

Question 5

What is the EUs Common Agricultural Policy?

Answer 5

X

Question 6

X trend

Answer 6

X

Question 7

What is the book ‘silent spring’ 1962 in reference to

Answer 7

DDT and other pesticides had detrimental effects on biodiversity, in particular song birds

Question 8

Which birds are now rare to see in Britain?

Their decline driven by agriculture

Answer 8

Turtle dove

Tree sparrow

Question 9

Agriculture dependent species

Answer 9

Arable weeds

Butterflies in early successional grazed habitats

Question 10

Adonis

Answer 10

X

Question 11

X

Answer 11

X

Question 12

X

Answer 12

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)

Question 13

Intensification can erode above ground ecosystem services

Answer 13

Pollination increases

As wild bee richness increases and they proximity to natural habitat increases

Question 14

What is organic farming

Answer 14

Form of agriculture that relies on natural techniques

Question 15

Types of organic farming

Answer 15

Crop rotation
Green manure
Compost
Biological pest control

Question 16

How much higher species richness do organic farms have than conventional farms?

Answer 16

30%

Question 17

What do organic plots have more of?

Answer 17

More diverse microbial communities

In turn correlates with more efficient functioning

Question 18

Earthworks example of higher abundance in organic farms

Answer 18

Biomass and abundance of earthworms higher by factor of 1.3 to 3.2 in organic plots

Question 19

What is agroforestry

Answer 19

Integration of trees into crop farming systems

Question 20

What are the biodiversity benefits of agroforestry?

Answer 20

Replacement for forests (can support more than 2/3 forest species)

Favourable matrix between forests remnants (???)

Question 21

What are agro environment schemes ?

Answer 21

Schemes that provide funding to farmers so they can farm in a way that supports biodiversity

Question 22

How much money is given to farmers in England each year under agriculture schemes?

Answer 22

£400 million

Question 23

X

Answer 23

X

Question 24

X

Answer 24

X

Question 25

Post Brexit changes in UK farming

Answer 25

Environment act 2021 pays farmers for delivering the public

Clean air
Thriving plants and wildlife
Protection from environmental hazards

Question 26

Lane sparing

Answer 26

Some land farmer intensively to increase yield

While other land is protected as reserves

Question 27

Land sharing

Answer 27

All land is farmed using wild life friendly techniques which may reduce yields

Question 28

X

Answer 28

X

Question 29

X

Answer 29

X

Question 30

Where is land sharing more desirable?

Answer 30

1. Regions of shallow souls or low rainfall where intensive use is not suitable
2. 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
3. Situations where both yields and biodiversity are high or where biodiversity depends on agriculture

Question 31

What is the universal consequence of agricultural intensification?

Answer 31

Ecological heterogeneity