Food Production Flashcards
Why is there a need for increased food yield?
Increasing human population
Name the chemicals that contain nitrates that increase crop yield.
Fertilisers
Name the chemicals that can kill plants and animals which reduce crop yield.
Pesticides
What do plants use nitrates to make?
amino acids - protein
How do animals obtain protein and amino acids?
eating plants
How does fertiliser affect algal growth?
Increases it
How does algal bloom affect light levels for aquatic plants?
reduces it
How does reduced light levels affect aquatic plants?
kills them
How does increased dead plants affect the number of bacteria?
increases them
How does an increase in bacteria affect oxygen levels in the water?
decreases it
How does decreased oxygen levels in the water affect fish?
increased death rate (boo hoo)
If pesticides are used what happens to the levels of toxicity as you move along a food chain?
it increases
What name is given to the build up of toxic substances in living organisms as it passes through the food chain?
bioaccumulation
State 2 alternatives to pesticides and fertilisers.
GM crops or biological controls
What name is given to the use of a natural predator to keep numbers of an organism down?
Biological control
