Unit 5 Flashcards
What is the Green Revolution?
The shift to different, more industrialized agricultural strategies including fertilizer use, irrigation, pesticides, and mechanization
What is tragedy of the commons?
The concept that resources free to public get overused and exploited because people are only considering there own self interest
How can you solve tragedy of the commons?
Make the resource privately owned, implement taxes/fees, or use legislation
What are consequences of clear-cutting?
soil erosion (from loss of stabilized root structure), increases temp., causes landslides/flooding, and lowers biodiversity
What is the slash & burn method?
Creating room for agriculture by cutting trees and burning them
What is a GMO?
Crops with new genes “spliced” into their genome
What are some pros and cons to GMOs?
Pros: higher yield and profit
Cons: decreases diversity
What are synthetic fertilizers?
Man made ammoniums, nitrate, and phosphate
What are pros and cons of synthetic fertilizers?
Pros: increases yield and profit
Cons: Run-off of nitrates and phosphates cause algal blooms
What is monocropping?
Growing only one species of plant every year in the same area
What are pros and cons of monocropping?
Pros: more efficient for pesticides, fertilizer, and harvesting
Cons: decreases biodiversity and causes erosion (from harvesting all at once)
What is tilling?
Mixing and breaking up the soil before planting
What are pros and cons of tilling?
Pros: makes planting easier
Cons: more erosion, loss of topsoil nutrients, and increased turbidity in nearby waters
What is furrow irrigation?
Cutting furrows between crops and filling with water, least efficient
What is flood irrigation
Flooding a field with water, 2nd least efficient (causes waterlogging)
What is spray irrigation?
Using spray nozzles to spray water onto a field, 2nd most efficient
What is drip irrigation?
Uses special hoses to drip water into plant roots, most efficient
What is waterlogging?
When soil gets over-saturated with water, leaving little room for air, stunting plant growth
What is soil salinization?
Natural salts in groundwater left behind after evaporation builds up and dehydrates soil
What is a pesticide treadmill?
The cycle of pesticides being used, pests becoming resistant, and new pesticides needing to be made
What are pros and cons of CAFOs?
Pros: most efficient
Cons: only fed corn, given antibiotics, large waste accumulation contaminates nearby water sources, and produces much methane
What is a manure lagoon?
Large, open storage pits for manure
What is bottom trawling?
Using a net to catch fish, often catching unintended species as well
What is Integrated Pest Management (IPM)?
Using a variety of pest control methods that are better for the environment
What is included in IPM?
Biocontrol (natural predators), crop rotation (growing diff crops in the same area during diff seasons), and intercropping (growing diff crops in the same area)`
What is contour plowing?
Plowing with the natural curves of the land
What is terracing
Cutting flat, stair-like platforms into sloped land
What are perennial crops?
Crops that live year long and have deep roots
What are windbreaks?
When trees or other plants block the force of wind and prevent erosion
What is no-till agriculture?
Not tilling and letting the leftover crop remains nurture the soil
What is green manure?
The left over plant matter from a cover crop that helps soil fertility by stabilizing the soil with its roots
What is limestone used for?
Limestone is a base that neutralizes acidic soil and improves soil fertility
What is rotational grazing?
Rotating the livestock that graze an area to prevent overgrazing
What is aquaculture?
Fish farming
What are the pros and cons of fish farming?
Pros: requires small amounts of space
Cons: higher waste concentration, disease risks, invasive species, GMOs, and antibiotics that risk water contamination
What is included in sustainable forestry?
Reforestation, selective cutting, recycling wood, IPM, and prescribed burns
