Unit 5 Flashcards
Tragedy of the commons
Individuals will use shared/public resources in their own self interest, degrading them
Externalities
negative costs associated with a human actions, that aren’t accounted for in the price
Effects of Clearcutting
Soil Erosion, Increased soil & _____ temp, Flooding and ________
stream
Landslides
Tree Plantations
Areas where the same species are repeatedly planted, grown, and harvested.
Lowers Biodiversity
All the Same Age
Forest Benefits
1. Filtering of ____________
2. Removal and ____________ from atmosphere
3. Habitat for ___________
Air Pollutants
storage of CO2
organisms
Deforestation Consequences
Reduces air _________ and carbon storing services
Cutting trees down releases CO2 from ___________ of leftover organic _________
filtering
decomposition
material
Slash and Burn Method of ______ land for agriculture by cutting trees and _________ them releases Co2, _____ and water vapor into the __________ (all ____________)
clearing
burning
N2O
atmosphere
Greenhouse gasses
The Green Revolution
Shift in __________ away from small, family operated farms to large, ___________ scale agribusiness
Increased use of _______, GMOS, irrigation, __________, and __________
agriculture
industrial
mechanization
fertilizers
pesticides
Monocropping
Growing one single species of crop
Tilling
Mixing and breaking up soil to make planting easier
Leaching
water carries excess nutrients into groundwater or into surface waters (as runoff)
Furrow Irrigation
Trench dug along crops and filled with water
Drip Irrigation
Most efficient but costly. Holes in hose allows waters to slowly drip out.
Flood Irrigation
Flood entire field easier but more disruptive to plants
Spray Irrigation
Ground or surface water pumped into spray nozzles
Waterlogging
Over Watering can saturate the soil, filling all soil pore space with water
Soil Salinization
Salinization is the process of salt building up in a soil over time
Pesticides
can cause pests to become resista overuse
CAFOs (feedlots)
Densely crowded method where animals are fed grain (corn) to raise them to as quickly as possible
Manure Lagoons
Large, open storage pits for animal waste
Free Range Grazing
Animals (usually cows) graze on grass and grow at a natural rate without growth hormones.
Overgrazing
Too many animals grazing an area of land remove all vegetation which bad to topsoil erosion
Desertification
If plants are killed by ________ and soil is compacted so much that it cant hold enough ______ anymore
overgrazing
water
Fisheries
populations of fish used for commercial fishing
Fishery Collapse
When overfishing causes 90% population decline in a fishery
Bottom Trawling
Very harmful fishing method that involves dragging a large net along ocean floor
Bycatch
unintended species like dolphins, whales, turtles caught in nets
Ore
Commercially _____ deposits of concentrated _______ that can be harvested and used as ___ materials
valuable
minerals
raw
Metals
Elements that conduct _________, heat, and have structural properties for ________ (found within ores)
electricity
building
Reserve
The known amount of a _____ left that can be mined. Usually measured in years left of _______.
resource
extraction
Overburden
Soil, vegetation, and rocks that are removed to get to an ore deposit below
Tailings and slag
Leftover waste material separated from the valuable metal or mineral within ore
Surface Mining
Removal of overburden to access ore near surface
Urbanization
Removing of vegetation to convert natural landscape to city (urban)
Ecological Footprint
Measure of how much a person/group consumes, expressed in area of land
Carbon Footprint
Measured in tonnes of CO2 produced per year
Sustainability
Consuming a resource or using a space in a way that does not deplete or degrade it for future generations
Maximum sustainable yield
The maximum amount of a renewable resource that can be harvested without reducing or depleting the resource for future use
Env. Indicators of Sustainability
Factors that help us determine the health of the environment and guide us towards sustainable use of earth’s resources
IPM Basics
Using a variety of pest control methods that minimize env. disruption and pesticide use
Biocontrol
Bringing in a natural predator or parasite to control the pest
Intercropping
Push plants emit volatile _______ that naturally ______ pests away from crop
Pull plants emit chemicals that attract ______ to lay eggs in them instead of ______
chemicals
repel
moths
crop
Contour Plowing
Plowing parallel to natural ______ of land instead of down slopes prevents water ________ and soil erosion
slopes
runoff
Terracing
Cutting Flat platforms of soil into a steep slope
Perennial Crops
Crops that live year round and are harvested numerous times
Windbreaks
Using trees or other plants to block the force of wind from eroding topsoil
No Till
Leaving leftover crop remains in soil instead of tilling under
Strip Cropping (Intercropping)
Alternating rows of _______ crops with rows of less dense crops to prevent ______ from eroding soil less dense ____ of crops
dense
runoff
rows
Green Manure
Leftover plant matter from a ______ crop - crop planted in the _______ between harvest and ________ of main crop
cover
offseason
replanting
Rotational Grazing
Regular ______ of livestock to different pastures to prevent ______
rotation
overgrazing
Aquaculture
Raising rich or other aquatic species in cages/enclosures underwater
