Chapter 11 - Agriculture Flashcards
(46 cards)
_____________ is a dominant influence on the global landscape.
Agriculture
How far back do the origins of agriculture date back?
9,000–11,000 years to a few regions where societies domesticated both plant and animal species
What are the three types of Agricultural Land?
- Arable Land
- Permanent Cropland
- Permanent Pastures
What type of land makes up the majority of agricultural land?
Permanent Pastures (32,768,636 km2)
What type of crops are planted on arable land?
Crops that require annual replanting (peas, corn, watermelon, common wheat)
What types of crops occupy permanent cropland?
Where crops (such as coffee, tea, potatoes, fruit) do not require annual replanting
Approximately _____ of the land area of the world is used for agricultural purposes
1/3
What has become a key development strategy in most agricultural practices?
Intensification of production, or getting more output from a given area of agricultural land
People are considered undernourished if their caloric intake is less then _____% of the recommended level for their size and activity level
90
Agriculture is basically an ___________ as solar radiation is converted through one of more transformations into human food supplies
ecological process
How is the second law of thermodynamics important in agricultural food chains?
The longer the food chain, the greater the energy loss
What has led to the profound changes in global land base?
Domestication of plants and animals
What is one key was to reduce agricultures contributions to global warming?
To reduce the numbers of livestock by eating less meat, no-tillage cultivation
Since cultivation began, up to ____% of the carbon originally present in the surface soil layer has been lost
30
Why has N2O increased in emissions lately?
Increased use of fertilizers
Agriculture accounts for ____% of Canada’s GHG emissions
8-10
True or false: The negative effects of climate change are likely to be particularly pronounced in less developed countries
True
Dramatic changes in food production systems have occurred through various technological advances influenced in turn by:
- Changes in demographics
- Social structure
- Economic conditions
What does the green revolution mean?
Refers to technological advances designed to increase the productivity of agricultural lands
The development and commercialization of higher yielding seeds through _______________ led to significant grain yields throughout the world
hybridization
Define Hybridization:
The crossbreeding of two varieties or species of plants and animals
What does the development of GMOs involve?
Combining genes from different and often totally unrelated species
What is there a large reliance on in the Green Revolution?
On large auxiliary energy flows in modern industrialized agricultural systems is one of the main differences between natural and agro-ecosystems
Define Subsistence Farming:
The production of food and other necessities to satisfy the needs of the farm household
