unit 4 vocab Flashcards
A horizon
Topsoil composed of mineral-containing weathered parent material and organic matter.
Age-structure diagram
Useful in determining the future growth or decline of a population.
Anemia
A condition resulting from a diet that is deficient in iron. Increases the risk of death in women due to excessive bleeding during childbirth.
B horizon
Subsoil, which contains a lower concentration of organic material than the first two layers and a higher concentration of mineral particles.
Baby boom
A temporary marked increase in the birth rate, especially the one following World War II.
Biological control
The control of a pest by the introduction of a natural enemy or predator.
Bycatch
Species that are inadvertently caught and killed. (sea turtles, dolphins, and sea birds)
C horizon
Composed of weathered parent material sitting on top of bedrock.
Chlorinated hydrocarbon
Broad spectrum pesticide. (kills many different species)
Contour plowing
The practice of plowing across the slope of a hill rather than up and down the slope.
Crop rotation
The system of growing a sequence of different crops on the same ground so as to maintain or increase its fertility.
Crude death rate
The number of deaths per 1,000 people in a population.
DDT
Type of Chlorinated hydrocarbon, (broad spectrum pesticide)
Desertification
Occurs when marginal lands on the outskirts of deserts are overgrazed by livestock or farmed. The removal of native vegetation causes the soil to dry out.
Demographic transition
A feature of the population growth pattern for countries as they change from primarily agricultural economies to industrialized nations.
Doubling time
The time in years required for the population to double.
Emigration
The migration of people out of a population.
Factory farm
A farm on which large numbers of livestock are raised indoors in conditions intended to maximize production at minimal cost.
Genetically modified organism (GMO)
Organism altered by the techniques of genetic engineering so that its DNA contains one or more genes not normally found there.
Goiter
A condition resulting from a diet that is deficient in iodine. A swollen neck results from an enlarged thyroid gland.
Immigration
The migration of people into a population.
Industrialized culture
Production of large quantities of crops and livestock for domestic and foreign sale.
Infant mortality rate
Number of babies out of every 1,000 born each year who die before their first birthday.
Integrated pest management
Combination of pest management strategies that reduces the number of pests to economically tolerable levels.
Kwashiorkor
A condition occurring mainly in young children who eat a diet that is severely deficient in protein. Symptoms include a bloated, distended belly and puffy skin.
Inorganic fertilizer
Also known as mineral or commercial fertilizer, is fertilizer mined from mineral deposits or manufactured from synthetic compounds.
Malnutrition
A lack of sufficient protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, or minerals.
Marasmus
A condition occurring mainly in young children who eat a diet that is low in calories and protein. Symptoms include stunted growth and a thin, emaciated body.
Marasmus
A condition occurring mainly in young children who eat a diet that is low in calories and protein. Symptoms include stunted growth and a thin, emaciated body.
Monoculture
Cultivation of a single crop, usually on large area of land.
Green Revolution
Term for the introduction of scientifically bred or selected varieties of grain that, with adequate inputs of fertilizer and water, can greatly increase crop yields.
Green Revolution
Term for the introduction of scientifically bred or selected varieties of grain that, with adequate inputs of fertilizer and water, can greatly increase crop yields.
No-till agriculture
Farming without plowing the land, which avoids exposing the soil to direct sun, wind and water.
O horizon
Composed of partially decomposed organic material and/or leaf litter.
Organophosphate
Broad spectrum pesticide.
Pesticide
Any chemical designed to kill or inhibit the growth of an organism that people consider undesirable.
Pesticide treadmill
A situation in which it becomes necessary for a farmer to continue to using pesticides regularly because they have become an indispensable part of an agricultural cycle.
Plantation agriculture
Growing specialized crops such as bananas, coffee, and cacao in tropical developing countries, primarily for sale to developed countries.
Plantation agriculture
Growing specialized crops such as bananas, coffee, and cacao in tropical developing countries, primarily for sale to developed countries.
Population momentum
Occurs when a population consists of a large number of young people who are at childbearing ages.
Purse seine fishing
A large wall of netting deployed around an entire area or school of fish.
Rachel Carson
Author of “Silent Spring” who raised awareness about consequences of DDT use and environmental issues at the beginning of the modern environmental movement in the united states.
Replacement-level fertility
The average number of children a couple must bear to replace themselves in the population. (Average is slightly higher than two children per couple because some children die before reaching reproductive age)
Rule of 70
A useful tool for estimating the doubling time of a population that grows exponentially.
Slash-and-burn-agriculture
The practice of cutting down and burning tropical forests to clear the land for planting crops and raising livestock.
Soil erosion
After plowing or harvesting, soil that is exposed to the elements is susceptible to being blown away by winds or washed away by water.
Soil horizon
Horizontal zones, or layers, that make up a particular mature soil.
Soil salinization
Gradual accumulation of salts in upper soil layers that can stunt crop growth, lower crop yields, and can eventually kill plants and ruin the land.
Soil triangle
Used to determine textural classes of soil from the percentages of sand, silt, and clay in the soil.
Subsistence agriculture
Self-sufficiency farming in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed themselves and their families.
Terracing
Involves converting a hilly slope to flat terraces that follow the contours of the slope.
Total fertility rate
The average number of children born to a woman during her lifetime.
Traditional agriculture
A type of farming that uses techniques developed over decades or centuries to ensure good, sustainable yield over time in a specific area or region.
Tawler fishing
Large metal chain baskets holding nets are dragged across the ocean floor scouring the bottom for shrimp, scallops, and flounder. They scrape up just about everything on the ocean floor.
Waterlogging
Occurs when irrigation water accumulates and raises the water table to a level where it interferes with the growth of crops by submerging their roots.
