Envi Sci: Unit 5 Agriculture (REAL)

Question 1

Green Revolution

Answer 1

A period of significant agricultural advancements in the mid-20th century that aimed to increase food production through the use of modern farming techniques

Question 2

GMOS

Answer 2

Removes DNA from one organism and splices it into the chromosomes of another.

Question 3

GMO Pros:

Answer 3

• Speeds up production and amount able to be produced
• Can build resilience to frost, drought, low nutrient soil
• Add vitamins

Question 4

GMO Cons:

Answer 4

• Lack of Genetic Diversity→ vulnerability
• Favors the rich, tech is expensive
  
  • Hurts developing countries

Question 5

Fertilization - Organic Pros & Cons

Answer 5

The process of adding nutrients to soil to help plants grow.

Organic Pros
-ecologically friendly
-cost effective
-eases acidity of soil

Organic Cons
-Low nutrient content, slow decomposition

Question 6

Fertilization - Chemical Pros & Cons

Answer 6

The process of adding nutrients to soil to help plants grow.

Chemical Pros
-better performance/growth rate
-raises soil fertility

Chemical Cons
-More expensive
-acidification
-water pollution, eutrophication
-reduces microbes in soil

Question 7

Irrigation Process: Drip

Answer 7

Water is released from a small hose, less than 10% water lost, but has a high cost and labor

Expensive, best for small scale. Least amount of water is lost, but is labor intensive to setup and maintain.
- Good for a small garden, not large scale commercial crop use

Question 8

Irrigation Process: Spray

Answer 8

Water is released from a sprinkler after being pumped up from a source. Uses machines or computerization and requires fossil fuels and is more efficient than flood and furrow

Expensive, requires maintenance of sensors and computer systems and equipment but improves efficiency and is unlikely to cause waterlogging
- Farming corporation with lots of money.
- Needs to have capital to spend

Question 9

Irrigation Process: Furrow

Answer 9

Water is pumped or flows through rows of crops - this method is low tech, prevalent and easy to do, but results in high loss of water due to evaporation and runoff

Cheap, easy to install, and maintain. Most evaporative loss which may result in salinization.
- Used for row crops especially when labor and/or money is limited.

Question 10

Irrigation Process: Flood

Answer 10

Most appropriate for water tolerant crops, such as rice, alfalfa - this method floods fields, causing waterlogging - loses 20% of water to evaporation and runoff.

Easy to do, but only appropriate for some crops. May lead to waterlogging if drainage is poor
- Farmer grows water-tolerant crops. His soil is well draining and he does not grow additional crops.

Question 11

Pesticides

Answer 11

Chemicals that kill biological pests

Question 12

Pesticides Pros

Answer 12

• Kill diseased pests
• Increase food supplies
• Effective, fast acting

Question 13

Pesticides Cons

Answer 13

-Accumulate in food chain
-Pests develop resistance
-Pesticide Runoff

Question 14

IPM

Answer 14

Integrated Pest Management, an environmentally-friendly approach to managing pests. IPM can be used in homes, gardens, farms, forests, and other settings.

Question 15

IPM Pros

Answer 15

• Reduces chemicals being used
• May reduce # of pesticide resistant insects
• Only uses chemicals if necessary
• Long term benefits (lower cost for chemicals, better for environment & human health)

Question 16

IPM Cons

Answer 16

• Individual use must be educated about the options
• Takes more time to initiate than simply “spraying for pests”
• Must be closely monitored for best results
• Natural enemies of pests may become pests themselves

Question 17

IPM Chemical

Answer 17

Conventional: pesticides that kill on contact
Biorational: repellents, oils, microbials, etc.

Question 18

IPM Biological

Answer 18

Predators, parasites

Question 19

IPM Physical - Mechanical

Answer 19

Flea/lice combs, screens, proper clothing

Question 20

IPM Cultural

Answer 20

Good sanitation, habitat change

Question 21

Tilling

Answer 21

Preparing the soil for the cultivation of seeds by digging, ploughing & overturning the soil

-disrupts soil structure
-speeds up surface runoff and erosion

Question 22

Slash and Burn Farming

Answer 22

A farming method that involves cutting down and burning trees and plants to clear land for growing crops

-loss of habitat
-air pollution through releasing of carbon dioxide

Question 23

Fertilizers (environment damage)

Answer 23

Natural or artificial substance containing the chemical elements that improve growth and productiveness of plants

-water pollution through runoff
-soil degradation
-air pollution

Question 24

Waterlogging

Answer 24

Happens when an area is flooded with water, usually due to poor drainage or heavy rainfall. This can damage crops, infrastructure, and transportation.

Question 25

Salinization

Answer 25

The increase of salt concentration in soil and is, in most cases, caused by dissolved salts in the water supply. This supply of water can be caused by flooding of the land by seawater, seepage of seawater or brackish groundwater through the soil from below. Interfering with nitrogen uptake, reducing growth and stopping plant reproduction

Question 26

Desertification

Answer 26

Human activities that contribute to desertification include the expansion and intensive use of agricultural lands, poor irrigation practices, deforestation, and overgrazing

Question 27

Explain why meat production is less efficient than plant agriculture

Answer 27

-1.5 billion cattle, raised specifically for meat production worldwide, emit at least 231 billion pounds of methane into the methane into the atmosphere each year via belching or farting Meat production often requires extensive grasslands, which is often created by cutting down trees, releasing carbon dioxide stored in forests Water consumption: water that animals drink and the water for crops Land: grazing cattle can impact erosion rates Habitat: clear cutting forests to make room for cattle destroys habitats Antibiotics make spread to humans through infected meat and it may be released into the atmosphere

Question 28

CAFOS

Answer 28

Animals are concentrated in an enclosed area and fed grain or fish meal

Question 29

CAFOS Pros

Answer 29

Pros: less land for more meat, higher profits, less habitat loss, overgrazing and erosion

Question 30

CAFOS Cons

Answer 30

Cons: large inputs of grain, water and fossil fuels, concentrated animal waste, overuse of antibiotics and hormones

Question 31

Free Range Grazing Pros & Cons

Answer 31

Pros: More environmentally friendly Ethical eating Cons: uses lots of land, produces less meat, overgrazing can occur and lead to erosion and desertification, threats from predators, expensive

Question 32

Chemical Pesticides Pros & Cons

Answer 32

Pros: higher yield of crops, larger profits for farmers, and cheaper food for consumers Cons: bioaccumulation of chemicals in organisms, genetic resistance to chemicals in pesticides, and biomagnification in the food chain

Question 33

Contour Plowing

Answer 33

Follows the contours of hills and slopes, rather than orienting crop rows up and down a slope

Question 34

Windbreaks

Answer 34

"wind fences" are used to reduce wind speeds over erodible areas such as open fields, industrial stockpiles, and dusty industrial operations

Question 35

Perennial Crops

Answer 35

Any plant that persists for several years, usually with new herbaceous growth from a part that survives from growing season to growing season

Question 36

No-Till agriculture

Answer 36

Create a channel that is just spacious enough for seeds to be planted, minimizing soil disturbance

Question 37

Strip Cropping

Answer 37

The planting and growing of alternating strips of erosion- resistant crops with strips of erosion-prone annual crops

Question 38

Crop rotation

Answer 38

Planting a different crop on a particular piece of land each growing season

Question 39

Green Manure

Answer 39

Growing plants and then incorporating them back into the soil, which enhances soil fertility and structure

Question 40

Limestone

Answer 40

Changing the soil pH when it is mixed in with the top 5 inches of soil, which means it's easier to adjust your soil's pH before planting grass seed or laying sod than it is to add it to an established lawn

Question 41

Aquaculture

Answer 41

Breeding, raising, and harvesting fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants

Question 42

Aquaculture Pros

Answer 42

Pros: smaller carbon footprint, and require less land & fresh water

Question 43

Aquaculture Cons

Answer 43

Cons: displacement of native species, competition for space and food, & pathogens spread