Food resources (effects of intensification of food production) Flashcards
1
Q
effects of continuing intensification of food production?
A
- —> irrigation on water and soil quality
- —> Overuse of chemicals
- —> waterlogging
2
Q
salinisation
A
- —> water added to soil during irrigation evaporates directly from moist soil
- —> salt left behind
- —> occurs when there’s no proper drainage of excess water
- —> groundwater may reach upper soil layers
- —> bring up dissolved salts from the ground
3
Q
salinisation examples
A
- —> Murray-Darling Basin, Australia
- —> salt commonly found in landscapes and rivers
- —> naturally occurring salts became concentrated
- —> caused by irrigation & land clearing
- —> salinisation
4
Q
effect of chemicals
A
- —> chemicals concentrated in the soil
- —> seep into groundwater
- —> contamination of groundwater
Eutrophication:
—-> it is the presence of excess nutrients in the water, causing algae bloom
(causes)
- —> chemicals washed into streams & rivers by surface runoff
- —> chemicals reach streams and rivers
- —> nutrients for algae to grow
(results)
- —> algae bloom depletes O2
- —> blocks sunlight from reaching aquatic plants
- —> death of plants & organisms like fish
- —> decomposition of these organisms depletes O2
5
Q
chemicals examples
A
- —> USA
- —> pesticide from farmland contaminated groundwater
- —> 23% freshwater used in country comes from groundwater sources
6
Q
Waterlogging
A
- —> Extensive irrigation cause ground to be waterlogged
- —> waterlogging: too much water seeps into the soil, causing soil to be over-saturated
- —> roots deprived of air and nutrients, die
7
Q
waterlogging examples
A
- —> Pakistan, India
- —> soil oversaturated
- —> deprived of O2
- —> crops die
