Chapter 8 (Midterm) Flashcards
Agriculture/soil
marasmus
A disease caused by undernutrition; victims suffer from inadequate calorie and protein intake and experience dehydration, stomach shrinkage, diarrhea, and weight loss.
macronutrients
Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins that make up a large percentage of our diets.
micronutrients
Nutrients that make up a small percentage of our diets; vitamins and minerals.
kwashiorkor
A disease caused by undernutrition; severe protein deficiency; symptoms of bulging abdomen, edema, and emaciation.
malnutrition
Deficiencies, excesses, or imbalances in a person’s intake of nutrients. (overnutrition/undernutrition)
food security
Consistent physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet dietary needs for a healthy life.
soil erosion
The breakdown, transportation, and redistribution of soil.
humus
The organic matter in soil.
integrated pest management
An ecosystem-based strategy to manage pests through a combination of techniques that minimizes risks to humans, nontarget organisms, and the environment.
high-input
Also known as industrialized agriculture, an intensive production of crops and animals reliant on machines and large inputs of energy, inorganic fertilizers, synthetic pesticides, and water.
aquaculture
The farming of aquatic organisms.
The Green Revolution
A sharp increase in the production of wheat, rice, and other food grains in developing countries in the mid- and late twentieth century achieved by the use of chemical fertilizers, high-yield crops, and synthetic pesticides.
polyculture
More than one crop is grown on the same plot of land
Changes in farming practices in the U.S.
number of farms decreased, but average size of farms has increased
Modern agriculture
high input, pesticides, chemical fertilizer, high irrigation, GMOs, monoculture
Traditional agriculture
low input, based on livelihood, polycultures
Sustainable/Organic agriculture
low input, no pesticides, low irrigation, IPM, polycultures, renewable energy, predators to control, local sales
GMOs
Most everything in the U.S. is genetically modified.
CAFOs
Concentrated animal feeding operations- generate large
volumes of waste
that end up in river
systems, lakes, and
oceans
Pesticides harm…
bees and amphibians
Alternatives to pesticides
IPM, pheromones/hormones
Most efficient type of irrigation
drip
leaching
Loss of dissolved substances, including nutrients, from soil.
soil profile
Sequence of horizontal layers (horizons) in soil.
C- parent material
B-mostly clay
A-topsoil
O-Organic Debris
6 roles that soil plays in ecosystem
Habitat for organisms
Engineering medium
System for water supply + purification
Medium for plant growth
Modifier of Atmosphere (microbial respiration)
Recycling system for nutrients and organic waste
soil
mixture of minerals, water, decaying organic matter, rock matter, rock fragments, gases
soil texture
relative prop. of silt, sand, + clay particles
soil structure
arrangement of soil particles into groups called aggregates (combo determines soil’s permeability/water-holding capacity- affects nutrient availability/pH, changes w depth)
soil formation
clorp
cl-climate
o-organism
r-relief (topography)
p-parent material
t-time
Soil type depends on
nutrients (NPK), PH
cover crops
small pores get bigger- air/water move more easily- replenishes soil, commonly legumes, capture N from atmosphere and fix in soil
Env. problems with farming (10)
agro-ecosystems cover 1/3 of earth
overgrazing/crop production
species loss from deforestation/habitat degradation
Green Revolution
soil erosion
plowing
desertification- salinization, waterlogging
over-cultivation- overgrazing/over tilling
invasive species
