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Semester 1 > APES Unit 5 - Agriculture > Flashcards

APES Unit 5 - Agriculture Flashcards

1
Q

Ecological Footprint

A

measure of how much a person/group consumers, expressed in an area of land

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2
Q

carbon footprint

A

measured in tons of CO2 produced per year (material goods, food production, energy use)

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3
Q

sustainability

A

consuming a resource or using a space in a way that does not deplete or degrade it for future generations (using compost over synthetic fertilizer)

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4
Q

maximum sustainable yield

A

the maximum amount of a renewable resource that can be harvested without reducing or depleting the resource for future use

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5
Q

Biodiversity Indicator of sustainability

A

genetic, species, and ecosystem (high Biodiversity=healthier ecosystems, low Biodiversity=pollution, habitat destruction, climate change)

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6
Q

food production indicator of sustainability

A

indicates ability of earth’s soil, water, climate (major threats to food production=climate change, soil degradation, groundwater depletion

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7
Q

CAFO

A

concentrated animal feed operations

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8
Q

Manure Lagoons

A

large, open storage pits for animals waste (waste contains: ammonia (N), hormones, antibiotics, fecal coliform bacteria (heavy rain can flood lagoons and contaminate nearby surface and ground water with runoff

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9
Q

Free Range Grazing

A

Animals (usually cows) graze on grass and grow at a natural rate without growth hormones

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10
Q

positives of free range grazing

A

no need for antibiotics, doesn’t require production of corn to feed animals, water is dispersed over land naturally, animals can graze on land too dry for most crop growth

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11
Q

negatives of free range grazing

A

requires more land/meat, more expensive

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12
Q

overgrazing

A

too many animals grazing an area of land can remove all the vegetation which leads to topsoil erosion, animals also compact soil, decreasing H2O holding capacity

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13
Q

desertification

A

can occur if plants are killed by overgrazing and soil is compacted so much that it can’t hold enough water anymore

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14
Q

inefficiency of meat

A

producing meat for humans to eat is far less efficient than producing plants in terms of energy, land and water use

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15
Q

energy used for meat production

A

energy needed to bring water to animals, energy needed to house animals, energy needed to slaughter and package

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16
Q

land used for meat production

A

all of the energy needed to grow plants to feed animals plus room the animals take up

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17
Q

water used for meat production

A

all of the water for crops that animals eat plus the water the animals drink

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18
Q

Industrialized agriculture

A

uses large amounts of fuel energy, water, commerical fertilizers and pesticides, frequently grow wheat and cotton, harvest can be obtained easily and efficiently

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19
Q

problems with Industrialized agriculture

A

soil erosion, crops become more vulnerable to attack by pests

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20
Q

Plantation agriculture

A

mostly for sale in developed countries - produces increased yield but decreases biodiversity

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21
Q

high input monoculture types

A

Industrialized agriculture, and plantation agriculture

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22
Q

traditional agriculture

A

low input polyculture

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23
Q

traditional subsistence agriculture

A

human labor to produce only enough crops or livestock for a family’s survival

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24
Q

traditional intensive agriculture

A

increase inputs of labor, fertilizer and water to obtain a higher yield - feed family and sell, most grow several types of crops on the same cleared plots, recent studies have shown that low-input usually produces high yields

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25
Q

tilling

A

mixing and breaking up soil to make planting easier (loosens soil for roots), increases erosion by loosening topsoil, breaking up leftover root structure from harvest, loss of organic matter and topsoil nutrients over time

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26
Q

slash and burn

A

cutting down vegetation and burning it to clear land for agriculture and return nutrients in plants to soil

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27
Q

furrow irrigation

A

easy and inexpensive; dig trenches along the crop rows and fill them with water

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28
Q

flood irrigation

A

flooding an entire field with water, generally more disruptive but relatively efficient

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29
Q

spray irrigation

A

more expensive and uses a fair amount of energy; water is pumped from a well into an apparatus that contains spray nozzles which spray water across the field

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30
Q

drip irrigation

A

uses a slowly dripping hose that is either laid on the ground or buried beneath the soil

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31
Q

negative consequences of irrigation

A

can deplete groundwater, promotes saltwater intrusion into freshwater wells, waterlogging, salinization

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32
Q

waterlogging

A

soil remains under water for prolonged periods of times

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33
Q

salinization

A

small amounts of salts in irrigation water become concentrated

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34
Q

industrial human water use

A

power plants, metal/plastic manufactoring

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35
Q

municipal human water use

A

households (toilet, shower, drinking water)

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36
Q

agriculture human water use

A

water for livestock, irrigation water for crops

37
Q

Groundwater

A

H2O stored in pore space of permeable rock and sediment layers

38
Q

aquifers

A

useable groundwater deposits for humans

39
Q

unconfined aquifers

A

recharge quickly

40
Q

confined aquifers

A

recharge are longer-term water deposits that recharge more slowly

41
Q

saltwater intrusion

A

excessive pumping near coast lowers water table pressure, allowing saltwater to seep into groundwater

42
Q

cone of depression

A

forms when water table is lowered by excessive pumping, depleting water and drying nearby wells

43
Q

fertilizers

A

contains essential nutrients for plants - N, P, K

44
Q

organic fertilizers

A

composed of organic matter from plants and animals; usually animal manure, contains microorganisms that break down soil and improve structure over time, slow release of nutrients allows for roots systems to be created, ultimately increases tolerance to drought and stress and reduces plant disease

45
Q

drawback of organic fertilizers

A

process is slow

46
Q

synthetic fertlizers

A

produced commercially; highly concentrated; widespread use has increased crop yields, designed for easy application, accelerated results: quick release of nutrients, processes of manufactoring uses fossil fuels, more likely to be carried away by nutrient runoff due to over usage, do not add organic matter to the soil since there are no microorganisms present

47
Q

pesticides

A

natural or synthetic substance that kills or controls organisms that people consider pests, due to increased pest populations that are encouraged by mono-cropping pesticide use has become routine

48
Q

insecticides

A

target species of insects and other invertebrates that consumer crops

49
Q

herbicide

A

target plant species that compete with crops - makes agriculture more efficient

50
Q

genetic engineering

A

scientists engineered seeds for plants that could withstand the spraying of the herbicide glyphosate, allowing farmers to spray over growing corn while killing weeds

51
Q

drawbacks of genetic engineering

A

some pesticides are persistent - remain in the environment for a long time, non-persistent, pest populations may evolve resistance to pesticides, pesticides can also kill organisms that benefit farmers, can runoff into surrounding surface waters

52
Q

integrated pest management (IPM)

A

an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management

53
Q

goal of IPM

A

manage pest damage by the most economical means, and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment

54
Q

biocontrol

A

introducing a natural predator, parasite, or competitor to control the pest populations, purchasing and spreading the control organisms in fields, or building homes for them/planting habitats they need to attract them naturally

55
Q

crop rotation

A

many pests prefer one specific crop or crop family, rotating crops can prevent pests from becoming established since it disrupts their preferred food choice, disrupts weed growth

56
Q

intercropping (push-pull system)

A

“push” plants emit volatile chemicals that naturally repel pests away from crop
“pull” plants emit chemicals that attract moths to lay eggs in them, instead of crop

57
Q

Benefits of IPM

A

reduces deaths and mutation of non-target species, reduces effects on humans consumers of produce, reduces contamination of surface and ground water by agricultural runoff with pesticides

58
Q

negatives of IPM

A

many pesticides are carcinogens (cause cancer), can be more time consuming and costly than just crop dusting pesticides

59
Q

soil erosion

A

wind and water, includes a breakdown, detachment, transport or redistribution of soil particles

60
Q

topsoil

A

renewable resource but it is a slow process-when topsoil is eroded faster that it can be replaced it becomes nonrenewable

61
Q

desertification

A

causes: overgrazing, erosion, salinization, soil compaction, natural climate change

62
Q

cover methods: mulching

A

bare soil between growing plants is covered with a layer of organic matter such as straw, grasses, leaves, and rice husks - anything readily available

63
Q

cover crops

A

cover methods: over crops are a kind of living mulch. They are plants (legumes) which are grown to cover the soil, also reducing weeds

64
Q

green manures

A

cover method: also usually legumes - are planted specifically to improve soil fertility by returning fresh leafy material to the soil

65
Q

mixed crop and intercropping

A

cover method: planting alternating steps of a row crop and another that covers the soil

66
Q

crop residues

A

cover method: after harvest, unless the next crop is to be immediately replanted, it is a good idea to leave the stalks, stems and leaves of the crop just harvested, lying on the soil

67
Q

agroforestry

A

cover method: planting trees among agricultural crops helps us to protect the soil from erosion, particularly after crops are harvested

68
Q

minimum cultivation

A

cover method: each time the soil is dug or plowed, it is exposed to erosion. In some soils it may be possible to show crops without plowing or digging, ideally among the crop residue from the previous crop

69
Q

man-made terraces

A

barrier method: grow food on step slopes - don’t deplete topsoil

70
Q

contour plowing

A

barrier method: whenever possible all land should be plowed along the contour line - never up and down, since this simply encourages erosion

71
Q

contour barriers

A

almost any available material can be used to build barriers along the contours

72
Q

natural terraces

A

barrier method

73
Q

early planting

A

cover method

74
Q

crop rotation

A

replanting some crops continuously depletes soil of the same nutrients, can allow soil to recover from nitrogen demanding crops

75
Q

limestone

A

releases calcium carbonate - neutralizes acidic soil, acidic soil makes toxic metals more soluble in soil

76
Q

hydroponics

A

growing crops in a medium other than soil, can be grown using liquid, sand, or gravel

77
Q

aquaponics

A

sustainable food production system that combines a traditional aquaculture with hydroponics - in a symbiotic environment

78
Q

aeroponics

A

growing plants in a moist environment, suspends the plant in a somewhat closed environment and water is sprayed with a nutrient-rich water

79
Q

ways to improve soil fertility

A

crop rotation, limestone, hydroponics, aquaponics, aeroponics

80
Q

organic food

A

has been grown or raised without chemical fertilizer, pesticides, weed killers, or drugs

81
Q

organic

A

no toxic or persistent pesticides, no synthetic grown hormones, no cloning, no petroleum based fertilizers, no artificial colors or flavors, no GMOs, no artificial preservatives, no irradiated products

82
Q

natural

A

no artificial flavors or colors, no artificial preservatives, no irradiated products, no GMOs

83
Q

FDA

A

Food and Drug Administration: protects public health by ensuring food is safe to eat

84
Q

herbicide

A

used to kill undesirable plants or “weeds”

85
Q

GMO

A

Genetically Modified Organism: produced through any type of genetic modification whether by high-tech modern genetic engineering OR long time traditional plant breeding methods

86
Q

Genetic Engineering

A

on the other hand, can create plants which incorporate genes directly into an organism

87
Q

advantages of GMOs

A

pest resistance, herbicide tolerance, disease tolerance, cold tolerance, drought tolerance/salinity tolerance, nutrition

88
Q

disadvantages of GMOs

A

unintended harm to other organisms, reduced effectiveness of pesticides, cross-breading, unknown effects on humans health, loss of variety, decreased nutritional value and potential allergic responses, damage to biodiversity

Semester 1 (13 decks)

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