Agroforestry

Question 1

what are agroecosystems?

Answer 1

ecosystems that have been modified to produce food, fiber, and other resources

Question 2

How much does agriculture contibute to GHG emissions?

Answer 2

25%

Question 3

How much does livestock contribute to GHG emisions?

Answer 3

14.5%

Question 4

Do fertilizers also contribute? Why or why not?

Answer 4

Yes, they contribute because of Nitrous Oxide and it is more potent than Carbon

Question 5

Deforestation lowers ____

Answer 5

carbon sequestration

carbon seuqestration is a natural or artificial process by which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and held in solid or liquid form.

Question 6

what is monoculture

Answer 6

it is the cultivation of a single crop in a given area

Question 7

what are the consequences of monoculture

Answer 7

Reduces biodiversity, degrades soil health, and increases susceptability to pathogens

Question 8

Consequences of using pesticides and fertilizers

Answer 8

• Nutrient runoff
• Water pollution
• lower resilience
• increased GHG emissions

agriculture run off is the leading cause of water pollution

Question 9

what are some examples of mitigation?

Answer 9

• Crop rotation
• Agroforestry
• Organic farming

Question 10

What is crop rotation and what does it do?

Answer 10

cycles different types of crops in the same soil but different times
* reduces need for synthetic fertilizers
* reduces pest infestations

Question 11

What is agroforestry and what does it do?

Answer 11

incorporating trees in agriculture
* act as carbon sinks
* provide shade -> reduce soil evaporation
* stabilize soil, prevent erosion, and improve water retention
* increase biodiversity

Question 12

What is organic farming and what does it do?

Answer 12

minimizing use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and genetically modified organisms

maintain soil health and productivity

Question 13

What is fragmentation?

Answer 13

continuous habitats are divided into smaller, isolated patches due to agriculture, urbanization, and infrastructure development

Question 14

What is the edge effect?

Answer 14

increases exposure to predators, invasive species, and environmental fluctuations

changes in a population or community along the boundary of a habitat

Question 15

What is the consequence of the edge effect?

Answer 15

Can alter the habitat for species living near the margin

Question 16

what happens to smaller patches?

Answer 16

the smaller the patch, the more affcted it is by the edge effect

Question 17

how does the edge effect alter the habitat for species living near the margin

Answer 17

• limits genetic diversity
• weakens ecosystem
• more prone to extinction

Question 18

What is stress ecology?

Answer 18

studies how species cope with environmental pressures*

*like fragmentation, pollution, and climate-related changes

Question 19

what happens to species in fragmented landscapes?

Answer 19

experience heightened stress due to altered microclimates and resource limitations

Question 20

In stress ecology, adaptation comes at a cost. What happens?

Answer 20

• reduce reproductive success
• shorter life span

Question 21

What are the diffrent ecological scales?

Answer 21

• Ecosystem function
• community
• population
• individual
• metabolism/physiology

Question 22

What is ecological footprint?

Answer 22

measure of the demands made by people on global natural resources

Question 23

Contributors of ecological footprint

Answer 23

• Cropland
• Grazing
• Forest products
• fishing grounds
• built up land

Question 24

What are croplands?

Answer 24

Land used to grow food, fiber, and biofuels.

Impacts: Deforestation, biodiversity loss, soil depletion, and CO₂ emissions from land conversion.

Question 25

What are grazing lands?

Answer 25

Land used for livestock, especially cattle, sheep, and goats

impacts: Deforestation for pasture, methane emissions, soil erosion, and desertification from overgrazing.

Question 26

What are forest products?

Answer 26

Use of wood and forest resources for timber, paper, and fuelwood.

impacts: Carbon release from deforestation, loss of carbon sinks, and reduced biodiversity.

Question 27

What are fishing grounds?

Answer 27

area used for fishing

impacts: overfishing, biodiversity loss, and habitat disruption

Question 28

What is built up land?

Answer 28

Land used for infrastructure like buildings, roads, and urban development

impacts: Habitat loss, increased impervious surfaces (flooding risk), and urban heat islands

Question 29

lower income countries usually have ____ footprints than high income countries

Answer 29

lower