Unit 4 Part 2: Land and WaterUse Flashcards
human nutriiton
50% of habitable land
33% of the world’s population are malnourished
positive feedback loop of poverty
undernutritrition is mostly caused by poverty
famine
malthus hypothesis
believed that humans are condemned by the tendency of our population to grow geometrically while food productionn increases arithmetically leading to worldwide hunger and war
overlooked demographic transititions and technological advancements
history of agriculture
invented 10,000 yrs ago
small family farming
norman borlaug
father of the green revolution
went to mexico and fixed their disease ridden yleid
green revolution definition
shift from small, family farms to large, industrialized agrobisiness in the 1960s
improved and increased food outputs
farms size increase
green revolution: the good
food supply exceeded world popultion growth
farmers increased efficiency and profitability
enough grain grown for 8 billion people
grain is only half of the food we produce
green revolution: the bad
small farmers oftentimes cant compete with agrobusiness
increased monocropping, tilling, mechanization, fertilizers, irrigation, and pesticides
monoculture
can be planted, treated, and harvested at the same time = more profit and efficiency
reduced biodiversity
use of gmos
tilling cons
loss of soil biodiversity
soil erosion
compaction
waterlogging
no soil horizons
releases stored carbon
mechanization
profitable
co2 emissions bc of fuel
compaction
soil erosion
fertlizers cons
run-off and eutrophication
salination of soil
releases nitric oxcides into atomosphere
soil acidicication
gmos
nutritionally equivalent
keep costs down
i.e. corn, soy
reduce biodiversity
interbreed with wild strains
new allergies
tilling pros
makes planting crops easier
kills insect larvae
kills weeds
aerates soils
mixes in fertilizers
fertilizer pros
more concentrated
easy to apply
easily abssorbede
increases yields
irrigation cons
depletes groundwatere
causes soil salination due to saltwater intrusion and from an excess of minerals
ogallala aquifer
larges aquifer in us
w/in 50 yrs it is expected to be 70% depleted
used to irrigate crops
pesticides cons
persistant pesticides stay in environment for a long time, resulting in bioaccumilation and biomagnification
unintended targets
rn off
hurt biodiversity
can cause cancer
resistance`
goals of sustainable agriculture
increase biodiversity
increase soil health and decreae erosion
reduce greenhouse gas emissions
reduce irrigation use
reduce chemical fertilizer use
reduce pesticide use
polyculture
harvesting more than 1 crop on a farm
uses perennial and cover crops
crop rotation
switch crops evey yr
can still use large machines
sitll monoculture
less fertlizers: nitrogen depleters switch with fixers
less pesticides: larvae cant establish f plants keep changing
intercropping/strip cropping
2+ species are planted at the same time
improves crop yield
encorages infiltartion and synergistic interactions
reduces soil erosion
promotes biodiversity
nitrogen fxung plants reduce fertilizer useq
agroforestry
incorporating trees onto farmland
increases biodivsersity
trees act as buffer to reduce fertlizer runoff
windbreaks amd deep roots to reduce soil erosion
roots help water infiltration
added matte from trees helps increase soil productivity
provisioning services
increase bird pop = pest control
alley cropping
plant trees on eith side of an alley of crops
no till farming
reduce erosion as roots are left
natural horizons
more microbes
retained moistyre
less co2 emissions
buying and selling locally
cut down on carbon emissions
organic fertilizers
naturally produced
humus
feeds soil microbiome
doenst contribure to NOX emissions
composting
creation of hummus
enhances sil structure cec and fertlility
drip irrigation
most effcient at reducing water loss and evaporation
expensive and not practical on large scake
contour farming
planting parallel to topography
reucde water and wind erosion
done concurrently with strip farming
terrace farming
building steps/terraces
reduce water runiff and soil erosion
concurrently with contour farming
intefrated pest management
limit use of pesticides
crop rotation: larvae cant establish
pest-resistant crops: gmos
more predators: agroforestry and covercrops
organic meaning
no synthetic pesticides or fertlizers
no gmos
meat consumption
increased worldwide
developed = 40% of diet
developing: 5% of diet
percent of animals that are livestock
60
what percent of the land in the world using to raise livestock
50
percent of grain diverted to livestock
40
inefficiency of meat
20 times more land to produce the same amount of calories as plants
10 times more water
cafos
animals kept in high density concentrations in fenced areas
fed grains to grow faster
given antibiotics
cafos pros
incerases efficiency and profitablity
use less land per head of livestock
decreases cost for consumer
cafos cons
incresed greenhiuse gases: machines, nox from fertilizers, enterif digestion
antibiotic resistance
waste disposal contamination
zoonotic
ethics
free range
allows animals to graze on grass
rangelands
free range pros
ethically better
more holisitc/natural
no antiobiotis or hormones
natural fertlizer
more nutrients
free range cons
ghg emissions
water use
run off = disease
stream bank erosion = turbidity
eutrophication
more expensive
uses more land
tragedy of the comons
nomadic regeneratice grazing
herds move seasonally productiev feedigng grounds over long distances
sustainabke
hard to maintian as demand for meat increases
tropical rainforest
near equator
stable, high temps
lots of precipitaion
highest biodiversity
large trees, epiphyrws
poor soil
temperate rainforest
yr round rainfall
large old growth trees
higher latittudes
cooler temos
temperate deciduoud forest
mid latitude forest
dominated by deciduous trees which lose leaves
miderate rainfakk
all 4 seasons
taiga/boreal/coniferous foret
lzrgest biome
cokd, dry
short summers
conniffers = dont lose leaves
supporting services of forests
support biodiversiy
photosynthesis/NPP
soil formation
biochemical cyline
polination
forest regulation services
regulate climate change by co2 sequesteration
purfiy air and water
roots protect rom soi erosionn
forst cultural services
recreation
hiking
beauty
spirtuallity
education
forest provisioning services
timber
freshwater
food
cons of cuttign dow n tree
negatice externalities
loss of biodiversiy
soil eroion = runoff and turbidity
nutrient depletion
climate change
why cut down trees
timber timber: building and charcoal
urbanization
agriculture: farming and ranching
mining
biomass fuel
high grade logging
first method of logging
only cut down good trees
good trees couldmt grow back bc saplings cant compete
logging in us
united states forest service mainain forest lands and viodiversity
most itmber operations are private
national forests in echange for a royalty
efforts are subsidized
clear cutting definition
removing all trees in an area
removes shrubs
land applied with herbicides
replanted
can be sustainable
clear cutting pros
similar to a healthy disturbance
can act a s abuffer aginst a wildfire
most efficient
cheapest
allows trees who need full sun to regrow
selective cutting definition
removal of single trees in small numbers from a forest
aka thinning
done mostly in national and multiple species forests
selective cutting pros
maintains biodiversity
forests are more sistant and resilient to disturbances
more co2 sequesteraion
minimizes soil erosion adn run off
clear cutting cons
more soil erosion, especialyl on slopes
less transpiration
habitat fragmentation
aesthetically displeasing
takes forests a long time to regrow
monovultures
reduced biodivrsity
selective cutting cons
expensive and time consuming
saplings that need direct sunligh t wont grow
logging in tropical raingorest
unsustaianable
deforestation
agriculture land for soy and cattle, and palm oil
loss of biodiversity
release of co2
forest laws and regualations
silviculture: regrowing trees
green-up ruke: planted seedlings must reach certain requirments in order to be harvested
sustainable forestry
slective cutting on slopes to prevent erosion
reduce,reuse, recycle: different building materials
prescribed burns: revitalizes forests
fish
major protein source for 3 billion people
very popular in africa and asia
kargest traded food commodity in the world
long line fishing
a fishing line drifts behind the boat with differtn hooks to catch fish
drift nets
giant curtains of fine net pulled behind boat
snare fish by their gills
purseseine
giant net with 2 drawstigns
catch whole schools of fish
trawing
cone shaped net frags behind the boat
enivronmentlaly destructuve
sonar fishing
subs, boats, or planes location fish
dan impact the navigation systems of marine mammals like whales
impacts of commerical fishing
loss of fish sticks
bycatch
destruction of sea floor
pollutuin
loss of biovisersity
loss of fish stocks
new fishing techs are unregulated
tragedy of the commons
decline of fish pop of 90% since 1950
ie atlantic code
bycatch
accidental, unwanted catch
endangers other species
ocean loss of biodiversity
food web collapesed
altered ecosystems
chanages in redator pray interactions, symbiotic relationshops and competitive interactions
solutions to commeerical fishing
laws and regulations
TEDS
educaiton
aquaculture
fishing regulations and laws
establish more protected areas
endagered pesecis act
cites
individual transferable quotas
improve monitoring and enforecement: fish and wildlife
TEDs
turtule exculsion devices
regulatied by NOAA (national oceanic and atmospheric administration)
aquaculture
man made tanks
farming of marine life
aquaculture pros
efficient and cost effective
dan meet supply and demand
allows wild popuations to grwo back
aquaculture cons
destruction of coastal areas
wastewater contamination
increased chance of disease
may escape and intervreed
ethics
intefrated multi trophic aquaculture
cultivate all triphic levels
ise waste nutrients to feed lower levels
energy
flows from sun arriving as radiation and leaving as heat
matter
recycles through abiotic and biotic factors
source
releases more than it stores
sink/reserviour
stores mroe than it realease
the water cycle
driven by heat
considered a fast cycle
water reserviours
ocen is largest
icecaps and groundwater
evaporation
heat energy turns liquod water to a gas
transpiration
water drawn from roots and out of leaves of plants
water cycle steps
1) condensation: clouds
2) preciptaion
effects of precipitation
surface runoff to water shed
infilitration (and percolation)
watersheds
an area of land that drains all precipitated water to a singular point
determined by topography
human impact on water cycle
impermeable concrete
urban island hat
damns
depleteion of groundwater
climate change
impermeable concrete on watercycle and watersheds
increases run off = flooding
reduces infiltratoin and groundeater recharge
dams on watercycle and watershed
changes watersheds
blocks sediment and nutrients from flowing downstream
loss of biodiversity
fish migration harmed
depletion of groundwater
loss of a freshwateer resouce
economic losses
use drip irrigation
set limits
create healthier soil
climate change on wateer cycle
warmer weather means more evaporation
more condensation
heavier rain
more flooding
water in the biosphere
living thigs are 70% water
transpiration
edges of the watershed
divides
watershed characteristics
area: larger ones are more prone to pollutants
slope: steeper watersheds have more erosion
soil tyoe: sandy soils are more permeable
vegetation: decreases erosion
mountaintop removal and logging on watersheds
changes divides and increases sediment poltution due to vegetation loss
mountaintop removal and logging on watersheds solutuoins
reclamation efforts by adding topsoiol and vegetatiob
subsurface mining
selective cutting
solutions to impermeable concrete on watercycle and water sheds
install more greenspace
build with permeable concrete
solutions to dams on watercycle and watershed
removal of dam
install fish ladders
overuse of aquifers of watershed
used for irrigation and personal consumerism
depletes groundwater and its recharge
droughts and biodiversity
overuse of aquifers of watershed solutions
drip irrigation
recycle and reuse water
sets limits to water yse
increase price for water use to deter usage
pollution on watersheds
fertlizers
eutrophications
other pollutants
pollution on watersheds solutions
decrease fertliizer use )no till, crop rotation, strip cropping)
buffer strips: deeprooted vegetation
characteristics of urban areas
have high population densitites
built up not out
jobs are not argriculturaly related
mass transit systems
benegits of urbanization
compact designs and reduce habitat loss
mass transit = less co2
reducided per capita use of resouces
technologcally and socially interconnected
short travel from need to need
urban sprawl
urbanzied area that spread into rural areas
encroaches on natural land: habitat loss and fragmentation
suburbs: build out not up
reasons people move to suburbs
urban blight
quality of life
qutomobiles and highways
gov policies
urban blught
declining infastructure in inner cities
lower income residents usually cant be aford the house or the car to commute = more affluent in suburbs
suburbs have beeter opportunities and more money
positive feedback loop
quality of lige
american drea,
cheaper to live in suburbs
netter schools and air
no noise pollution
more natural
automobiles and highways
increase use of cars
lower gas prices
gov policies
taxes: cities have higher taxes
zoning
ferderally subsidized mortgages in suburbs (redlining)
gerrymandering
urbaniztion cons
habitat loss and fragmentation
c02
hurt water cycle
urbam island heat
co2 from urbanization
respitaroy issue like asthma
landfills releae methane
less green space = less photosynthesis
effect on watercycle from urbanization
impermeable concrete
pump from quifers= salwater intrusion
interbasin transfers
causes of urban island heat
waste heat from industry and vechcules trapped in
low albedo
;ess trees to provide transpiration
soilutions to habitat loss and fragentation dude to urbanization
wildlife corridors
reduce urban spwarl
smart growth
smart growth
1) create mixed lands
2) range of housing opportuinities and choice
3) walkable neighborhoods
4) encoruage comunity and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions
5) compact building designs
6) foster distincitve, attractive communtieis with a strong snese of place
7) preserve open smace, farmland, ane beuary
8) more transporation chocies
9) strengthen and direct development toward exsistinc communities
10) make development decisions fair and cheap
solutions to c02 from urbanizaiton
plant vegetation
mass transit
renewable energies
soultions to effects on water cycle by urbanization
desalination facilities
greenspaceies
permeable concrete
solutions to urban island heat
factories on city outskirts
light colored materieas
more greenspaces
use less energy
