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Environmental science > Impacts of agriculture > Flashcards

Impacts of agriculture Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

name the 6 ways agriculture impacts habitats

A
  1. habitat clearance
  2. drainage of wetlands
  3. genetic contamination
  4. soil degradation/erosion
  5. reduced biodiversity
  6. ploughing of grasslands
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2
Q

issues with habitat clearance (3)

A
  1. soil erosion (no roots)
  2. decrease biodiversity/niches
  3. decrease OM = reduced nutrients of soil
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3
Q

why are wetlands drained? (2)

A
  1. increase agricultural land (productivity)

2. produce aerobic soils

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4
Q

issue with draining wetlands?

A

species supported by the wetland may not survive changes

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5
Q

issues with ploughing grasslands? (2)

A
  1. loss of habitat + it’s species (reduce biodiversity)

2. removes roots = increase erosion

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6
Q

farming replaces ______ community of species with ones that have few species or even a __________.

A

diverse, monoculture

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7
Q

how does farming reduce biodiversity? (3)

A
  1. native species predated by biological control/culling
  2. less variety of food/niches
  3. native species may not survive new conditions
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8
Q

what is genetic contamination? (agriculture)

A

pollen/seeds from crops contaminates wild gene pools and vice versa

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9
Q

name an issue with a pest resistant GM crop contaminates the wild gene pool

A

could outcompete wild varieties leading to reduction in biodiversity

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10
Q

name 3 ways that farming increases erosion

A
  1. crops harvested at the same time (soil exposed)
  2. no OM from crop residue to bind soil
  3. clearing of habitat (loss of roots/OM)
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11
Q

farming could cause soil _________ due to lack of _______, using toxic chems from pesticides and ______ of livestock

A

degradation, nutrients, overgrazing

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12
Q

what is the issue with erosion and water?

A

sedimentation in H2O, increase turbidity = reduces photo. + O2

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13
Q

what is the term which describes how arable land becomes infertile?

A

desertification

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14
Q

name the 3 main pollutants of farming

A
  1. Greenhouse gases
  2. pesticides
  3. nutrients
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15
Q

2 issues with pesticides

A
  1. kill non-target species (so disrupt interspecies relationships i.e. reduction in pollination)
  2. can bioaccumulate/biomagnify
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16
Q

if nitrates go into waterways it can be toxic to humans. It can lead to …. (2)

A

blue baby syndrome and cancer

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17
Q

organic nutrients encourage bacterial growth. What is the issue of this in H2O?

A

use up O2 (respiration), leads to deoxygenation

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18
Q

leaching of inorganic ions can lead to….

A

eutrophication

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19
Q

name the 2 types of farming that releases methane

A
  1. cattle farming

2. rice in padi fields

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20
Q

name 2 things in farming that releases CO2

A
  1. ploughing of soils

2. energy subsidies

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21
Q

name 2 things in farming that increases NOx

A
  1. denitrification of nitrate from fertilisers

2. livestock manure

22
Q

name the 3 changes to the hydrological cycle

A
  1. unsustainable irrigation
  2. changes to evapotranspiration
  3. runoff/drainage
23
Q

what are the 2 impacts of unsustainable irrigation?

A
  1. reduce flow rate downstream = increase conc. of pollutants
  2. if from aquifer, lower H2O table = saltwater incursion
24
Q

what are the impact of changes to evapotranspiration? = an example

A

could increase/decrease rate depending on previous ecosystem i.e. reduced if was previously forest

25
Q

what 2 things increase runoff?

A
  1. soil compaction (machinery)

2. less vegetation, less interception

26
Q

what are the 4 aspects consumers use to chose their food?

A
  1. social factors
  2. cultural factors
  3. religious factors
  4. ethical factors
27
Q

give 3 positive social impacts of agriculture

A
  1. provides direct/indirect jobs
  2. food security
  3. food supports pop./health
28
Q

why is there an uneven distribution of food?

A

global trade controlled by multinational corporations, land controlled by them

29
Q

give 2 reasons why cash crops are bad?

A
  1. fewer crops for domestic market = famine/refugees

2. replaces subsistence farming = less labour, fewer jobs

30
Q

define cash crop

A

a crop produced for its commercial value rather than for use by the grower

31
Q

give a cultural reason why a consumer may not buy a certain food

A

may not eat certain animals as it’s deemed culturally wrong i.e. horsemeat, sharks

32
Q

give a religious factor why a consumer may not buy a certain food

A

may avoid certain foods as it violates their religious laws i.e. jews don’t eat pork

33
Q

give 5 ethical factors why a consumer may not buy a certain food

A
  1. food miles
  2. based on how it is processed/treated/transported
  3. seasonal food
  4. choosing free-range livestock
  5. choosing fair trade food
34
Q

what are food miles?

A

the distance food is transported from producer to consumer and the amount of greenhouse gases produced

35
Q

why might a consumer choose fair trade food?

A

farmers get a fair wage and afford basic human rights like food

36
Q

why might a consumer choose free range livestock?

A

may view the conditions of intensive farming to be cruel

37
Q

why might a consumer choose seasonal food?

A

reduces environmental impact as not grown in artificial season + not transported far

38
Q

describe how MEDCs protect their farmers from farmers in LEDCs in 6 steps

A
  1. subsidy = reduces cost of production
  2. farmers in MEDCs get large subsidies
  3. produce food artificially cheaply
  4. food prices lower than should be
  5. farmers in LEDCs can’t produce it as cheaply
  6. kept in poverty by the subsidies
39
Q

what was the Marshall Plan?

A

set up to deal with food shortages and aid economic recovery in Europe after WW2

40
Q

how do grants increase productivity? (2)

A
  1. allow farmers to purchase machinery

2. remove hedgerows to increase field size

41
Q

how are guaranteed market prices set up?

A
  1. if surplus of harvest, government by some harvest off farmers
  2. food stored (cheese/grain) or destroyed (fruit/veg)
  3. = artificial market shortage
42
Q

what happens if there is a bad harvest in MEDCs?

A

stored food sold from previous surplus = prevent price rises

43
Q

what are the 2 goals of guaranteed prices?

A
  1. increase food production

2. market stability

44
Q

explain a farming quota and give an example

A

farmers given limits on how much they can produce i.e. milk quota in 1980s to curb milk production

45
Q

name the 3 ways to reduce food surplus

A
  1. set asides
  2. farm diversification
  3. agri-environmental schemes
46
Q

describe set asides

A

farmers paid for not using their land for farming (land has to be available if there were any food shortages in the future)

47
Q

explain farm diversification and give 3 examples

A

focus on new products + non-food production activities

i.e. farm shop, petting zoo, alpacas

48
Q

explain agri-environmental schemes

A

schemes that increase farmers income if they farm in a way that benefits the environment

49
Q

give 3 things farmers could do for the agri environmental schemes

A
  1. beetle banks
  2. nesting sites
  3. hedgerows
50
Q

name 2 agri environmental schemes

A

Countryside Stewardship Scheme

Environmentally Sensitive Areas

Environmental science (19 decks)

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