Impacts of agriculture Flashcards
name the 6 ways agriculture impacts habitats
- habitat clearance
- drainage of wetlands
- genetic contamination
- soil degradation/erosion
- reduced biodiversity
- ploughing of grasslands
issues with habitat clearance (3)
- soil erosion (no roots)
- decrease biodiversity/niches
- decrease OM = reduced nutrients of soil
why are wetlands drained? (2)
- increase agricultural land (productivity)
2. produce aerobic soils
issue with draining wetlands?
species supported by the wetland may not survive changes
issues with ploughing grasslands? (2)
- loss of habitat + it’s species (reduce biodiversity)
2. removes roots = increase erosion
farming replaces ______ community of species with ones that have few species or even a __________.
diverse, monoculture
how does farming reduce biodiversity? (3)
- native species predated by biological control/culling
- less variety of food/niches
- native species may not survive new conditions
what is genetic contamination? (agriculture)
pollen/seeds from crops contaminates wild gene pools and vice versa
name an issue with a pest resistant GM crop contaminates the wild gene pool
could outcompete wild varieties leading to reduction in biodiversity
name 3 ways that farming increases erosion
- crops harvested at the same time (soil exposed)
- no OM from crop residue to bind soil
- clearing of habitat (loss of roots/OM)
farming could cause soil _________ due to lack of _______, using toxic chems from pesticides and ______ of livestock
degradation, nutrients, overgrazing
what is the issue with erosion and water?
sedimentation in H2O, increase turbidity = reduces photo. + O2
what is the term which describes how arable land becomes infertile?
desertification
name the 3 main pollutants of farming
- Greenhouse gases
- pesticides
- nutrients
2 issues with pesticides
- kill non-target species (so disrupt interspecies relationships i.e. reduction in pollination)
- can bioaccumulate/biomagnify
if nitrates go into waterways it can be toxic to humans. It can lead to …. (2)
blue baby syndrome and cancer
organic nutrients encourage bacterial growth. What is the issue of this in H2O?
use up O2 (respiration), leads to deoxygenation
leaching of inorganic ions can lead to….
eutrophication
name the 2 types of farming that releases methane
- cattle farming
2. rice in padi fields
name 2 things in farming that releases CO2
- ploughing of soils
2. energy subsidies
name 2 things in farming that increases NOx
- denitrification of nitrate from fertilisers
2. livestock manure
name the 3 changes to the hydrological cycle
- unsustainable irrigation
- changes to evapotranspiration
- runoff/drainage
what are the 2 impacts of unsustainable irrigation?
- reduce flow rate downstream = increase conc. of pollutants
- if from aquifer, lower H2O table = saltwater incursion
what are the impact of changes to evapotranspiration? = an example
could increase/decrease rate depending on previous ecosystem i.e. reduced if was previously forest
what 2 things increase runoff?
- soil compaction (machinery)
2. less vegetation, less interception
what are the 4 aspects consumers use to chose their food?
- social factors
- cultural factors
- religious factors
- ethical factors
give 3 positive social impacts of agriculture
- provides direct/indirect jobs
- food security
- food supports pop./health
why is there an uneven distribution of food?
global trade controlled by multinational corporations, land controlled by them
give 2 reasons why cash crops are bad?
- fewer crops for domestic market = famine/refugees
2. replaces subsistence farming = less labour, fewer jobs
define cash crop
a crop produced for its commercial value rather than for use by the grower
give a cultural reason why a consumer may not buy a certain food
may not eat certain animals as it’s deemed culturally wrong i.e. horsemeat, sharks
give a religious factor why a consumer may not buy a certain food
may avoid certain foods as it violates their religious laws i.e. jews don’t eat pork
give 5 ethical factors why a consumer may not buy a certain food
- food miles
- based on how it is processed/treated/transported
- seasonal food
- choosing free-range livestock
- choosing fair trade food
what are food miles?
the distance food is transported from producer to consumer and the amount of greenhouse gases produced
why might a consumer choose fair trade food?
farmers get a fair wage and afford basic human rights like food
why might a consumer choose free range livestock?
may view the conditions of intensive farming to be cruel
why might a consumer choose seasonal food?
reduces environmental impact as not grown in artificial season + not transported far
describe how MEDCs protect their farmers from farmers in LEDCs in 6 steps
- subsidy = reduces cost of production
- farmers in MEDCs get large subsidies
- produce food artificially cheaply
- food prices lower than should be
- farmers in LEDCs can’t produce it as cheaply
- kept in poverty by the subsidies
what was the Marshall Plan?
set up to deal with food shortages and aid economic recovery in Europe after WW2
how do grants increase productivity? (2)
- allow farmers to purchase machinery
2. remove hedgerows to increase field size
how are guaranteed market prices set up?
- if surplus of harvest, government by some harvest off farmers
- food stored (cheese/grain) or destroyed (fruit/veg)
- = artificial market shortage
what happens if there is a bad harvest in MEDCs?
stored food sold from previous surplus = prevent price rises
what are the 2 goals of guaranteed prices?
- increase food production
2. market stability
explain a farming quota and give an example
farmers given limits on how much they can produce i.e. milk quota in 1980s to curb milk production
name the 3 ways to reduce food surplus
- set asides
- farm diversification
- agri-environmental schemes
describe set asides
farmers paid for not using their land for farming (land has to be available if there were any food shortages in the future)
explain farm diversification and give 3 examples
focus on new products + non-food production activities
i.e. farm shop, petting zoo, alpacas
explain agri-environmental schemes
schemes that increase farmers income if they farm in a way that benefits the environment
give 3 things farmers could do for the agri environmental schemes
- beetle banks
- nesting sites
- hedgerows
name 2 agri environmental schemes
Countryside Stewardship Scheme
Environmentally Sensitive Areas
