Environmental Science - Ch 9 Flashcards
Agriculture
The practice of raising crops and livestock for human use and consumption
Cropland
Land used to raise crops for human use
Rangeland
Land used for grazing livestock
Traditional Agriculture
The work of cultivating, harvesting, and distributing crops was/is performed by human and animal muscle power
Industrial Agriculture
Introduced large - scale mechanization and fossil fuel consumption into agriculture
Monoculture
Farmers grow vast areas with single crops in orderly rows
Polycultures
Mixed crops in the same fields
The Green Revolution
Introduced new technology, crop varieties, and farming practices into the developing world
Sustainable Agriculture
Maintains healthy soil, clean water, pollinators, and other vital resources
Soil
A system consisting of disintegrated rock, organic matter, water, gasses, nutrients, and microorganisms
Mycorrhizae
Fungi that form mutualistic relationships with plants by providing water and nutrients, while the plant provides carbohydrates from photosynthesis
Parent Material
The base geological material in a particular location
Bedrock
The mass of solid rock that makes up most of Earth’s crust
Horizons
The movement and sorting of soil particles that create distinct layers
Soil Profile
The entire cross section of soil
Leaching
