Resource Utilization Flashcards
Agroforestry
When trees and crops are planted together, creating a mutualistic symbiotic relationship between them
Aquaculture
The raising of fish and other aquatic species in captivity for harvest
Bottom Trawling
A fishing technique in which the ocean floor is scraped by heavy nets that smash everything in their path
By-Catch
Any other species of fish, mammals, or birds that are caught that are not the target organism
Capture Fisheries
Fish production in which fish are caught in the wild and not raised in captivity for consumption
Clear-Cutting
The removal of all of the trees in the area
Conservation
The management or regulation of a resource so that its use does not exceed the capcity of the resource to regenerate itself
Consumption
The day-to-day use of environmental resources such as food, clothing, and housing
Contour Plowing
A process in which rows of crops are plowed across the hillside; this prevents erosion that can occur when rows are cut up and down on a slope
Deforestation
The removal of trees for agricultural purposes or purposes of exportation
Drift Nets
Nets that drift free in the water and indiscriminately catch everything in their path
Ecosystem Captial (natural capital)
The value of natural resources
Fishery
The industry or occupation devoted to the catching, processing, or selling of fish, shellfish, or other aquatic animals
Greenbelt
Open or forested areas built at the outer edge of the city
Ground Fires
Smoldering fires that take place in bogs or swamps and can burn underground for days or weeks; originating from surface fires, ground fires are difficult to detect and extinguish
Intercropping (strip cropping)
The practice of planting bands of different crops across a hillside
Long Lining
In fishing, the use of long lines with baited hooks, which will be taken by numerous aquatic organims
Malnutrition
Poor nutrition that results from insufficient or poorly balanced diet
Mineral Deposit
An area where a particular mineral is concentrated
Mining
The excavation of teh Earth for the purpose of extracting ore or minerals
Monoculture
When just one type of plant is being planted in a large area
Natural Resources
Biotic and Abiotic natural ecosystems
Nonrenewable Resources
Resources that are often formed by very slow geologic processes, and therefore considered incapable of being regenerated within the realm of human existence
No-Till methods
Refers to when farmers plant seeds without using a plow to turn the soil
Old Growth Forest
A forest that has never been cut; they have not been seriously disturbed for several hundred years
Overgrazed
When grass is consumed by animals at a faster rate than it can regrow
Preservation
The maintainence of a species or ecosystem in order to ensure its perpetuation, with no concern as to their potential monetary value
Production
The use of environmental resources for profit
Renewable Resources
Refers to resources, such as plants and animals, which can be regenerated if harvested at sustainable yields
Second Growth Forests
Areas where cutting has occured and a new, younger forest has arisen
Selective Cutting
The removal of select trees in an area, leaving the majority of the habitat in place and therefore having less of an impact on the ecosystem
Shelter-wood cutting
When mature trees are cut over a period of time (usually 10-20 years), leaving mature trees, which can reseed the forest, in place
Silviculture
The management of forest plantations for the purpose of harvesting timber
Slash and Burn
When an area of vegetation is cut down and burned before being planted with crops
Surface Fires
Fires that typically burn only the forest’s underbrush and do little damage to mature trees; these fires actually serve to protect the forest from more harmful fires by removing underbrush and dead materials that would burn quickly and at high temperatures
Tailings
Piles of gangue, which is the waste material that results from mining
Traditional Subsistence Agriculture
When each family in a community grows crops for themselves and relies on animal and human labor to plant and harvest crops
Terracing
Creating flat platforms in the hillside that provide a level planting surface, which reduces soil runoff from the slope
Tree Farms
Planted and managed tracts of trees of the same age that are harvested for commercial use; also known as plantations
Uneven-aged Management
The broad category under which selective cutting and shelter-wood cutting fall; selective deforestation
