Bio Ch 5 AGRICULTURE Flashcards
In addition to light, what are the five most major chemical needs of plants and why do plants need
each?
Needs
1. Nitrate/ Ammonia (N) - Protein & Nucleic acid
2. Phosphate (P) - ATP & Nucleic acids
3. Potassium (K)
4. Magnesium (mg)
5. Micronutrients - substances required in relatively small living microorganisms)
Briefly explain what mycorrhizae are
PLANT MUTUALISM
Explain how mycorrhizae interact with plants.
Fungi mutualists with plant underground structures (usually roots)
what is Rhizobium
a bacterium found in soil that helps in fixing nitrogen in leguminous plants
How does Rhizobium interact with plants?
to form nodules on the plant root, within which the bacteria can convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia that can be used by the plant.
Define tillage
erosion (soil blowing or washing away)
provide at least three environmental concerns associated with the intensive tillage that occurs during conventional farming.
- Pesticide and her bare pollution
- Irrigation
- Most things require burning in the oil
What was the Green Revolution and how did it transform agriculture?
GR - Hybrid seed varieties
Transform ag by increasing food production
Why is Green-Revolution agriculture generally considered unsustainable over the long term?
George Washington Carver’s work was focused on which ecological principles?
Nitrogen depletion and how to rehabilitate cotton fields
What did George Washington Carver and the students in his lab do that was important, and why was it important?
GWC and his students were working on crop rotation which is growing a variety of different crops in the same field.
Why is the use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers potentially very problematic for long-term sustainability and environmental quality?
overuse of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture leads to higher emissions of nitrous oxide, a gas that is 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide
