Population And Environment Flashcards
Distribution across the world ?
- heavily concentrated around Europe
- Africa’s population is scattered with few in desert regions
- Asia population lying almost solidly in China and India with many of that population around the coast
- water deficit places usually higher up
- equatorial water deficit due to hot climate
- population sparse in NA
How much of the usable Land on earth is used to grow food ?
Half
How many people did the FAO say were undernourished between 2014-2016?
780 million
What is obesity ?
Over consumption
How is obesity defined in BMI?
Above 30
Estimated population be 2050 UN?
9.6 Billion
How much do the poorest in the developing world spend on food ?
60-80% of income
Causes of obesity ?
Low income= cheap carbs = coronary heart disease
-Sub Saharan Africa has had the second biggest increase in kcal per person per day
How many calories do industrialised countries consume ?
1000 more calories a day than required
What is the double burden of nutrition ?
Food deficit = undernourished = starvation
High calories = malnourished
What does average calorie intake help see ?
Which countries have better access to food which suggests better food security
Food security is?
When people have enough affordable and nutritious food to it
What countries produce what food ?
Asian = cereal crops
South Africa = most oil crops
NA = most course grain
Every 1 degree rise in global temp = ??
10% decline in agricultural production
Environmental variables affecting agriculture ?
- soil types need to be ideal e.g clay absorbs 3 x it’s size in water = ideal for rice paddies
- soil erosion from wind
- el minis creates drought = wind eroding farmers topsoil
Waterlogging
2 types of waterlogging ? And what is it
Soil pores filled up by water rather than oxygen = work in anaerobic conditions = roots decompose and die
Surface-fed
- when precipitation exceed evapotranspiration and percolation so water stays on soil surface
Groundwater-fed
- caused when rate of rising ground water is not matched by rate of evapotranspiration = natural rise in ground water e.g Tewkesbury
What are zonal soils ?
Soils that take hundreds of years to form, made of weathered rock, organic material and water
What is soil type dependent on ?
- biota
- parent material
- rainfall
- temp
Topography
- e.g more acidic soils in slopes as more carbonic acid in rain runs through the same soil
Strategies to ensure food security ?
- improving agricultural activity in family farmers
- green revolution (higher-yielding variety of seeds)
- progress in education and research
- CAP offering subsidies to encourage farming
- GM crops leading to NA nearly eradication severe food security
- FAO estimates 150 million preempted falling into extreme poverty due to expansion of social protection
Green revolution ?
- 1960’s countries cross bred to increase crop yields
- Mexico wheat and maize strains bred to withstand heavy rain etc… wheat yields tripled
- animals cross-bred to withstand aridity
- miracle rice IR8 = 6 food increase yield
- agrochemicals significant
- fertilisers doubles in yields in tropical areas
Method of improvement in food waste and conservation ?
- improvement of crop storage and handling to reduce wastage
- soil conservation methods
E.g contour ploughing
Problems with green revolution ?
Costs associated with new seeds was v high e.g poor farmers taking out loans to buy new seeds and feet but were unable to pay back the loans and went into debt + sale of land
Gene revolution ?
- GM involved in taking DNA from one species and combining with other desirable crop traits
- Botanic gardens cultivate crop relatives in order to create more biodiverse crop types and therefore more resistant to climate threats
What is soil ?
Mixture of minerals dom and water and broke down rock from acidic rain
What symbiotic trio relationship is soil dependent on ?
Climate - temperature effects detrial cycle, biota effects soils and biota effect climate
How does the Derrick cycle help soil ?
Organic content loved u and down by biota
- water is illuviated from soil as evaporation happens which can be brought up which brings rich minerals that may be toxic to the soil
Level of soil degradation globally ?
33% which is a potential threat to food security =poverty
5 essential functions of soil ?
Cycling nutrients
Regulating water
Sustaining plant and animal life
Physical stability
Filtering and buffering potential pollutant
Causes of erosion in soil ?
- soil breakdown is rare under natural conditions
- agriculture is common to breakdown soil, compaction of heavy machinery = inpenetrable for water and roots
- deforestation means rain washes topsoil away making local water sources muddy killing fish
- wind blowing it away
What are ways farmers out nutrients back into soil ?
Fertilisers, crop rotation, leguminous crop harnessing nitrogen soil
Ways to prevent soil erosion ?
- afforestation, wind breaks = effective but long term creates root interference
- contour farming,
Reduces overland flow, helps save topsoil, soil compact still a problem as heavy machinery used
Climate change effect on crops ?
Positives
- warmer temps and increased CO2 increased productivity = linger growing seasons and faster maturation rates
Negatives
- drought crop damage
- planning problems as less reliable forecast
- increased weeds and torrential rain/storms
- effects food prices and agricultural livelihoods
Soil profiles tropical red latosol ?
Horizon types
0= top layer A= called ‘top soil’ has organic matter B = subsoil not much organic C = has lots of large rocks mixed with soil D = bedrock lying beneath the soil
Differences between tropical red latosol and podsol?
Tr is about 30 meters compared to 1 meter
TR created fast due to hot climate
PS acidic dark washed humus from above
Subsoil
TR - iron oxides giving red colour
ps - sandy as finer materials washed downwards
Infant mortality rate ?
Number of children who die before their first birthday per 1000 births per year
Carrying capacity ?
Maximum population that can be supported by a given environment over a sustained period of time
Fertility rate ?
Average number of children a woman is expected to give Birth to