Exam 2 Flashcards
What was the Green Revolution?
A period of agricultural transformation aimed at increasing crop yields through new varieties and technologies.
Major researcher tied to this revolution was Norman Borlaug.
What are the negative impacts of the Green Revolution?
- Drove up costs
- Required large amounts of water and fertilizer
- Resulted in loss of genetic diversity
Define chronic undernutrition or hunger.
Condition where people cannot grow or buy enough food to meet their basic energy needs, threatening their health and productivity.
What is the definition of malnourishment?
Nutritional imbalance caused by a lack of specific dietary components or an inability to absorb or utilize essential nutrients.
What are examples of macronutrients?
- Carbohydrates
- Proteins
- Fats
- Fiber
What are examples of micronutrients?
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin C
- Minerals like iron and calcium
What health issues arise from a lack of micronutrients?
- Vitamin A deficiency in children
- Iron deficiency leading to anemia
- Iodine deficiency affecting thyroid function and metabolism
Define food security.
Ability to obtain sufficient and nutritious food on a day-to-day basis.
What is a food desert?
Geographic area lacking access to healthy food, often with no grocery stores and predominance of convenience stores.
What is the role of organizations like VINES in food security?
Improving neighborhood environments through community gardens.
What trends are observed in meat production and consumption?
Meat production has doubled; top producers include China for pork and the US for beef.
What are CAFOs?
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, which have specific environmental and health concerns.
What are the problems associated with CAFOs?
- Major greenhouse gas emissions (methane)
- Increased disease spread due to close living conditions
- Antibiotic resistance
- Waste accumulation affecting water supplies
What is the difference between fisheries and aquaculture?
- Fisheries: Concentration of wild aquatic species
- Aquaculture: Farming of fish
What are the stresses faced by fisheries?
- Overfishing
- Overharvesting
What fishing technique involves dragging a large net along the seafloor?
Trawling.
What are the benefits and drawbacks of farm subsidies?
- Benefits: Help farmers stay in business
- Drawbacks: Often favor larger farms and crops like corn and soy
What is soil?
A complex mixture of rock pieces, mineral nutrients, decaying organic matter, water, air, and living organisms.
What is the difference in particle size between sand, silt, and clay?
- Sand: Largest particle size
- Silt: Medium particle size
- Clay: Smallest particle size
What is loam?
A soil texture well-suited for plant growth, composed of approximately 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay.
What are the different soil layers?
- Organic layer
- Topsoil
- Subsoil
- Parent material
- Bedrock
What is the carbon cycle?
Involves processes like photosynthesis and respiration; cutting trees reduces carbon storage.
What leads to eutrophication?
Excessive nutrient richness in water bodies, often due to land runoff.
What is erosion?
Movement of soil from wind or water, often exacerbated by agricultural practices.
What can happen to soil if farmers overwater?
- Nitrogen and phosphorus washed away
- Soil salinization
- Waterlogging
What are pesticides?
Chemicals used to kill or control pests like insects, weeds, fungi, and rodents.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of synthetic pesticides?
- Advantages: Effective pest control, fast action
- Disadvantages: Environmental contamination, harm to non-target organisms, human health concerns
What is integrated pest management?
An ecosystem-based strategy for managing pests that includes biological controls and minimal pesticide use.
What is hydroponics?
A farming method where plant roots are exposed to a nutrient-rich water solution instead of soil.
What are the benefits of hydroponics?
- Water conservation
- No runoff
- No pesticides
What is organic agriculture?
A production system managed to respond to site-specific conditions, integrating cultural, biological, and mechanical practices.
What are examples of environmental pressures affecting farmer decision-making?
- Soil type
- Rainfall
- Climate changes
- Pests and diseases
What is the main difference between cross breeding and transgenesis?
- Cross breeding combines existing traits of compatible species
- Transgenesis involves inserting a gene from another species into the plant’s DNA.
Give an example of a cross bred tomato.
Galaxy Suite Tomato, developed for enhanced flavor and disease resistance.
What is the aim of genetic modification techniques in agriculture?
To improve traits, such as enhancing vitamin D levels, by altering existing genes
What is the method used to develop the Galaxy Suite Tomato?
Crossing two different parent plants with complementary traits
What are the traits and rationale for the Galaxy Suite Tomato?
- Enhanced flavor and a mix of colors and textures
- Improved disease resistance and better transportation durability
- Responds to environmental demands and social preferences
How is the Transgenic Purple Tomato developed?
By inserting genes from a snapdragon into the tomato’s DNA using lab techniques
What are the traits and rationale for the Transgenic Purple Tomato?
- High in anthocyanins, boosting antioxidant levels
- Longer shelf life and improved health benefits
- Developed for consumer demand for functional foods
What method is used for the Gene-Edited Tomato that enhances Vitamin D?
CRISPR is used to target and knock out the 7DR2 enzyme gene
What are the traits and rationale for the Gene-Edited Tomato (Enhanced Vitamin D)?
- Accumulation of pro vitamin D3
- Improved nutritional profile with increased vitamin D content
- Designed for consumers seeking nutrient-enriched foods
What are some ecosystem services provided by forests?
- Lumber
- Oxygen
- Fuel
- Reduces soil erosion
- Provides habitats
What are some economic services provided by forests?
- Pulp to make paper
- Windbreaks for agriculture
- Shade for thermoregulation
- Water retention
What is clear cutting?
A harvesting technique that involves taking down all trees in an area, leading to major erosion problems
What is shelterwood harvesting?
Harvesting select mature trees at short intervals to provide shelter to new saplings
What are the causes of loss in tropical rainforests?
- Palm oil production
- Soybean plantations
- Cattle grazing
- Logging
Name some ways to reduce deforestation.
- Regulations
- Third-party certifications
- Forest sustainability council
- Market perspective on certified wood products
What are surface fires?
Fires that burn undergrowth and leaf litter, reducing fuel sources to prevent destructive fires
What are crown fires?
More destructive fires that start as surface fires and spread to the tree canopy
What environmental problem is facing grasslands?
Overgrazing by livestock
What is a potential solution to overgrazing in grasslands?
Rotational grazing to allow land recovery
What agency manages the National Forest System?
The US Forest Service
What practices are allowed in the Bureau of Land Management?
- Mining
- Oil/gas extraction
- Livestock grazing
What is the focus of National Wildlife Refuges?
To conserve fish, wildlife, and plants with minimal recreational activities
What did Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic emphasize?
Aldo leopold
Helped found the U.S wilderness society
Wrote sand county almanac
Message: humans should protect environment bc we are a part of it
What is the Green Belt Movement?
A movement promoted by Wangari Maathai focusing on tree planting in Kenya
Why should we care about biodiversity?
- Provides vital ecosystem services
- Many plants have medicinal properties
- Existence value of species
What are some threats to biodiversity?
- Land conversion to agriculture
- Deforestation
- Oil and gas drilling
- Destructive fishing practices
Define invasive species.
Non-native species that outcompete native populations and disrupt ecosystem services
What harm do zebra mussels cause?
- Clog pipes
- Damage boats
What is the role of the Endangered Species Act?
To prohibit the import/export/taking of endangered or threatened species
What can be done to help address biodiversity loss?
- International treaties
- Endangered Species Act
- Setting up pollinator habitats
What is the function of seed banks?
To preserve genetic information of plant species
What are coral reefs?
World’s oldest, most diverse, and productive ecosystems formed by tiny animals and algae
What are some major threats to coral reefs?
- Soil runoff
- Climate change
- Destructive fishing practices
- Coral bleaching
What is a key component of ecological restoration?
Active manipulation of nature to recreate conditions that existed before human disturbance
What is remediation in ecological restoration?
Mild methods to remove pollution without severe disruption
What is an example of a restoration project discussed in class?
Onondaga Lake restoration, focusing on removing physical stressors and controlling invasive species
financial realities of agriculture
Costs of seed
Regulation costs
Loss from environmental pressures
Harvesting costs
Transportation costs and processing opportunities
Market value
Agreements with companies
social dynamics of agriculture
Demand for the product
Origin or DNA modifications
Nutritional profile
quality/ appearance
Taste
cross breeding
Process:
* Involves mating two sexually compatible species to combine existing desirable traits
* Relies on natural genetic variation and traditional breeding methods
Genetic Outcome:
* The resulting plants retain the same number of chromosomes and genes; differences arise from which versions (alleles) of each gene are inherited
Focus:
* Can improve traits such as flavor, disease resistance, and appearance over multiple generations (e.g., the Galaxy suite tomato developed at Cornell)
transgenesis
Process:
* Involves isolating a specific gene (often from another species, like a snapdragon) and inserting it into the plant’s DNA using laboratory techniques
* The gene is combined with a regulatory element (such as a fruit promoter) to ensure expression in the desired tissue (e.g., the fruit)
Genetic Outcome:
* The plant maintains the original chromosome number but now carries one or a few additional genes that were not present before
Focus:
* Often used to add entirely new traits, such as increased antioxidant levels (as seen in the purple tomato developed by Professor Cathie Martin’s team), longer shelf life, and improved health benefits
gene editing
Process:
* Utilizes precise molecular tools (e.g., CRISPR-Cas systems) to directly modify or delete specific genes within the plant’s existing genome
* Does not typically involve adding foreign DNA; instead, it makes targeted changes to the plant’s own genetic material
Genetic Outcome:
* Results in small but significant alterations (such as knocking out a gene like 7DR2 in tomatoes) that lead to modified traits
Focus:
* Aims to improve traits (for example, enhancing vitamin D levels) with a technique seen as more “natural” because it only alters existing genes
galaxy suite tomato
is cross bred
purple tomato
is from transgenesis
enhanced vitamin D tomato
from gene editing
national forest system
Managed by the US forest services- can use for logging, livestock grazing, farming, oil/gas extraction, recreation, conservation
Bureau of land management
Manages a variety of large tracts of land for mining, oil/gas extraction and livestock grazing
National wildlife refuges
Managed by U.S. fish and wildlife services- meant to conserve fish, wildlife, and plants. Minimal recreation activities allowed- birding, photography, fishing, and hunting
National park system
Managed by the national park services- can camp, hike, fish, boat
aldo leopold
Helped found the U.S wilderness society
Wrote sand county almanac
Message: humans should protect environment bc we are a part of it
biodiversity threats
Converting land to agriculture and cutting down forests
Drilling for oil or gas
The ways in which we fish
bottom trollers who are destroying bottom of the ocean habitats.
Want to control the rate of water flow through the building of dams messes up some of the way species live and reproduce
zebra mussels
They attach to the rudders of boats and pipes and clog it
They hurt to step on
INVASIVE
goby fish
Reproduce easily
Ballast water- water that a boat will take in and let out based on where it needs to be leveled. So invasive species a lot of the time will travel through ballast when they get dumped.
The gobies eat the mussels preventing them from growth
INVASIVE
emerald ash borer
Beatle
Wood boring insect
Came over via wooden crates
Creates a tunnel
To prevent it they cut down a bunch of ash trees
Don’t move firewood campaign
INVASIVE
spotted lanternfly
Kills trees by feeding off the sap and then secretes this honey dew material that then attracts fungi and mold to develop and other insects to feed.
They especially like apple trees which is why New York state is very concerned.
INVASIVE
invasive PLANTS
Autumn olive
(A shrub)
preserving biodiversity
United nations convention on biological diversity goals
-Reduce global rate of biodiversity loss
-Share use of genetic resources
-Control and prevent spread of invasive species
What can be done- endangered species act
Endangered species Act(1973)
Prohibits import/export/taking of fish, wildlife, plants that are considered endangered or threatened
Endangered
Risk of extinction
Threatened
-Overseen by the U.S. fish and wildlife service and national marine fisheries service
how WE support biodiversity
Set up pollinator habitats
Leaving weeds on the ground so that nutrients could be added back to the soil
Mindset change- its okay if your lawn isn’t perfect
seed banks
storage environments to preserve genetic information
Botanical gardens are educational to teach people about different plants but are also a preservation for different kinds of plants as well
zoos + aquariums
Captive breeding
Increase the number of offs-pring to then possibly introduce them into the wild
reef polyps
Tiny animals (polyps) and single celled algae have the mutualistic relationship
Polyps provide a home for the algae and the algae provides food for the polyps
Polyps secrete calcium carbonate shells for protection
why WE should care abt reefs
Natural barrier to protect coastlines
Habitat, food, or spawning for ¼- ⅓ of oceans organisms
Hold lots of marine biodiversity
Tourism
Fishing
reef threats
Soil runoff
Climate change increasing ocean temperature
Increasing ocean acidity
Destructive fishing practices
Coral bleaching
Changing temps and acidity causes the algae to die off
ecological restoration
Bringing a landscape back to a former condition
Active manipulation of nature to recreate conditions that existed before human disturbance
remediation
Chemical, physical or biological methods to remove pollution- relatively mild or nondestructive
rehabilitation
To rebuild a community to a useful, functioning state but not necessarily to its original condition
reclamation
More extreme techniques to clean up severe pollution- usually on severely degraded or barren sites
5 major components for restoration projects
Removing physical stressors
Controlling invasive species
Planting
Captive breeding and re establishing fauna- wildlife that is found there
Monitoring
pest management pyramid
(cultural→ physical→biological → chemical (last resort)
norman bourlock
Major researcher tied to revolution- try to bring diff varieties of crops to different parts of the world to increase their yield
New rice varieties that would respond to water better
burkina faso
The US - industrialized, Monoculture (growing one type of plant), mass production, technology (machinery), chemicals
Pollution concerns, health of soil
Burkina Faso - small scale agriculture, relies on local ecology to help with water retention
