Unit 5 Flashcards
Tragedy of the commons
Optimizing for oneself will cause bad consequences for all (depleting resources like tp COVID)
What are the two ways cattle are fed
Feedlots (unhealthy, cheaper bc of less land) and free range(healthier, more expensive bc of more land)
What is the main cause of deforestation
Agriculture
What is clear cutting
Harvesting every tree in one area
Disadvantages of clear cutting
Less photosynthesis, less biodiversity, habitat fragmentation, easier erosion
Advantages of clear cutting
Easily replant, less CO2, one road because there’s only one area
mining
obtaining materials
Refining
removing impurites
spoil vs overburden
overburdenn is when the stuff is on top of the ore and spoils is when the stuff is moved or cleared
what are tailings
residue of ore
what is the most expensive mining practice
subsurface
Consequences of subsurface mining
bare earth, desertification, fossil fuels, water toxiticity from runoff
What is the main role of forests and what do they provide?
An ecosystem service: Food, medicine, fuel, purification, and biodiversity
methods of sustainable forestry
selective cutting
reforestation
reusing wood
IPM pest removal
Prescribed Fries
advantages of sustainable forestry
biodiversity, ecosystem safety, IPM helps soils and water purification, and burns allow new growth
Green revolution
mechanized farming to maximize profits
Disadvantages of the Green revoltuion
Eurtrophication from fertilizer, salinization, a big impact on the natural world
What does synthetic fertilizer do
runoff, does not improve soil and causes algae blooms
What is water logging
no air pockets, high clay content, (let dry or add sand)
salinization
heat+water = salt buildup, fix with large amount of water
what is the problem with using just one pesticide?
they create resistant plants that survive the pesticide
What is the best method for removing pests?
bunch of methods combined to get rid of pests while reducing the amount used
ways to preserve soil
contour plowing
windbreaks
strip cropping
terracing
no till
perennial plants
crop rotation
what is aquaculture
artificially harvesting fish for the market, protecting from fishermen, but there are disadvantages
Disadvantages of urbanization
Impacts on the water cycle(urban flooding)
Air pollution
Urban sprawls
How to remediate urbanization
Adding vegetation
More mass transit for urban sprawl
Permeable roads
Urban planning
Remediate brownfields
What is an ecological footprint
How much land required to sustain you
5 variables of ecological footprints
Carbon to energy
Built land to houses
Forests to paper
Crop land to food
Fisheries to seafood
