Food Systems 2 Flashcards
What is Acid Precipitation?
Sulfur dioxide reacts with water in the atmosphere to form sulfuric acid, contributing to acid rain.
How are Igneous Rocks formed?
They are formed from the cooling and solidification of magma or lava.
What are Sedimentary Rocks?
Rocks created from the compaction and cementation of sediments.
How are Metamorphic Rocks formed?
They are formed when existing rocks are subjected to heat, pressure, or chemical processes without melting.
What is Compaction and Cementation?
The process where sediments are compressed and glued together to form sedimentary rocks.
What is Melting in geology?
The process where rocks are heated to the point of becoming magma.
What occurs during Cooling and Crystallization?
Magma or lava cools to form igneous rocks.
What is Heat and Pressure in the context of Metamorphism?
The transformation of rocks into metamorphic rocks through intense heat and pressure.
What is Uplift in geology?
The process where rocks are pushed to the Earth’s surface by tectonic forces, exposing them to weathering.
What is the Pesticide Treadmill?
A cycle where pests become resistant to pesticides, leading to the development and application of stronger chemicals.
What are Energy-Intensive Crops?
Crops like corn and rice that require large amounts of energy for production and processing.
What is the Carbon Footprint of Agriculture?
The total greenhouse gas emissions associated with food production.
What is Industrial Agriculture?
Large-scale farming that relies heavily on synthetic inputs and mechanization.
What is Water Logging?
The saturation of soil with water, often reducing oxygen availability for plants.
What is Groundwater Recharge?
The process by which water infiltrates the ground to replenish aquifers.
What is Rainwater Harvesting?
Collecting and storing rainwater for agricultural and domestic use.
What is Surface Irrigation?
Water is distributed over the surface of the soil by gravity.
What is Flood Irrigation?
Fields are deliberately flooded with water to irrigate crops.
What is Sprinkler Irrigation?
Water is sprayed over crops using pressurized systems, mimicking rainfall.
What is Drip Irrigation?
A highly efficient system that delivers water directly to plant roots.
What is Center Pivot Irrigation?
A method where sprinklers rotate around a central pivot, irrigating crops in a circular pattern.
What is Subsurface Irrigation?
Water is delivered directly to the root zone through buried pipes or drip lines.
What is Terrace Farming?
A method of farming on sloped land by constructing flat terraces to prevent soil erosion and runoff.
What is Slash-and-Burn Agriculture?
A traditional farming method where vegetation is cut and burned to clear land for crops, often leading to nutrient depletion.
What is Conservation Tillage?
Farming methods that minimize soil disturbance to preserve soil health and prevent erosion.
What is No-Till Farming?
A sustainable farming practice where crops are planted directly into the residue of previous crops without tilling the soil.
What is Cover Cropping?
Growing crops such as clover or rye to protect and enrich the soil during off-seasons.
What is Alley Cropping?
Planting crops between rows of trees or shrubs to improve biodiversity and soil health.
What is Agroecology?
The application of ecological principles to agricultural systems for sustainable food production.
What is the O Horizon?
The top layer of soil, composed of organic material such as decomposed leaves and plants.
What is the A Horizon (Topsoil)?
A fertile layer rich in organic material and minerals essential for plant growth.
What is the E Horizon (Eluviation Layer)?
The layer where minerals and organic matter are leached from upper horizons, often lighter in color.
What is the B Horizon (Subsoil)?
The layer of soil where leached minerals accumulate, rich in clay, iron, and aluminum oxides.
What is the C Horizon (Parent Material)?
The layer composed of weathered rock and partially disintegrated material from which soil develops.
What is the R Horizon (Bedrock)?
The unweathered rock layer beneath the soil profile.
What is the Tragedy of the Commons?
A situation where individuals overuse a shared resource, leading to its depletion.
What is Integrated Pest Management (IPM)?
A pest control strategy combining biological, cultural, physical, and chemical tools.
What is Cultural Eutrophication?
Nutrient enrichment of water bodies caused by human activities, leading to algal blooms and oxygen depletion.
What is the Green Revolution?
A period marked by increased agricultural production due to high-yield crop varieties and advanced farming techniques.
What is the Conservation of Matter?
A principle stating that matter cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.
Which organisms carry out denitrification, and where does it occur?
Facultative anaerobes in anaerobic environments, such as waterlogged soils or soils with high clay content, perform denitrification
What is denitrification?
Denitrification is the process by which nitrates (NO₃⁻) are reduced to gaseous nitrogen (N₂) and lost to the atmosphere, occurring in anaerobic conditions.
How does ammonification affect nutrient availability?
Decomposition rates during ammonification determine the level of ammonia and nutrients available to primary producers in an ecosystem.
What is ammonification?
Ammonification is the conversion of nitrogenous wastes and organic matter in dead plants and animals into inorganic ammonia (NH₃) by decomposing microorganisms like bacteria and fungi.
Why is assimilation important for heterotrophic organisms?
Heterotrophs cannot absorb nitrogen directly, so they rely on acquiring nitrogen-based compounds from the plants or organisms they consume.
What is assimilation in the nitrogen cycle?
Assimilation is the process by which plants absorb nitrates (NO₃⁻) through their roots. These nitrogen-based compounds are then passed through the food web as heterotrophs consume plants or other organisms.
Which microorganisms are involved in nitrification?
Nitrosomas oxidize ammonia to nitrite (NO₂⁻), and Nitrobacter oxidize nitrite to nitrate (NO₃⁻).
What is nitrification?
Nitrification is the process where ammonia (NH₃) is oxidized to nitrite ions (NO₂⁻) and then to nitrate ions (NO₃⁻), the form of nitrogen most usable by plants.
How do Cyanobacteria contribute to nitrogen fixation?
Members of the Cyanobacteria phylum fix nitrogen in aquatic environments through photosynthesis-associated processes.
What are some examples of legumes involved in nitrogen fixation?
Clover, alfalfa, soybeans, and chickpeas.
