Unit 5A - Agriculture Flashcards
Agriculture
The deliberate effort to modify a portion of Earth’s surface through the cultivation of crops and the raising of livestock for sustenance or economic gain.
Aquifer
An area of underground permeable rock that stores groundwater.
Arable
Land hat is suitable for growing crops.
Bycatch
The unintentional catch of nontarget species while fishing.
CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations)
Area where livestock are raised in very high densities.
Contour plowing
An agricultural technique in which plowing and harvesting are done parallel to the topographic contours of the land to minimize soil erosion.
Cover crops
Plants, such as rye, alfalfa, or clover, that can be planted immediately after harvest of the main food crops to minimize soil erosion.
Drip irrigation
An efficient method of supplying water to crops using tubes that drip water onto the soil at the base of each plant.
Fallow
Inactive and unproductive land.
Fertilizer
A substance added to soil or land to increase its fertility.
Flood irrigation
An efficient method of distributing water to crops using canals to allow water to flow over the whole field.
Furrow irrigation
Moderately efficient method of supplying water to crops by digging trenches to allow the water to flow through.
GMO crops
Crops which have had the genes of another organism inserted into them to enhance certain positive trait
Green revolution
Period of agricultural advancement that increased production through improved seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, and mechanization.
Groundwater
Water that fills the cracks and spaces in underground soil and rock layers.
Intercropping
An agricultural method in which two or more crop species are planted in the same field at the same time.
IPM (Integrated Pest Management)
An agricultural practice that uses a variety of techniques to control pests and minimize the use of chemical pesticides.
Monoculture
Agricultural practice of growing a single crop species over a large area of land.
No-till agriculture
An agricultural method in which farmers do not turn the soil between seasons, used as a means of reducing erosion.
Overgrazing
Destruction of vegetation caused by too many grazing animals consuming the plants in a particular area at a rate faster than they can recover