3.5 Food production

Question 1

What is the human impact on the environment?

Answer 1

An increasing human population requires an increasing food yield.

Question 2

What is intensive farming?

Answer 2

growing high-yield crops, using fertiliser and pesticides.

Question 3

What is the function of fertilisers?

Answer 3

to improve the fertility of soil by adding nutrients such as nitrates

Question 4

What is the function of pesticides?

Answer 4

to protect crops against damage by plants and animals that are a pest species e.g insects

Question 5

Describe stage 1 of algal bloom

Answer 5

Heavy rain can cause excess fertiliser to leach from fields into waste water.

Question 6

Describe stage 2 of algal bloom

Answer 6

River water becomes rich in nitrates/ phosphates from waste water

Question 7

Describe stage 3 of algal bloom

Answer 7

Algae uses phosphates and nitrates to form an algal bloom

Question 8

Describe stage 4 of algal bloom

Answer 8

Dead algae is decomposed by growing bacteria which uses up the rivers oxygen.

Question 9

Describe stage 5 of algal bloom

Answer 9

Animals and organisms die from lack of oxygen