Food Systems 2

Question 1

What is Acid Precipitation?

Answer 1

Sulfur dioxide reacts with water in the atmosphere to form sulfuric acid, contributing to acid rain.

Question 2

How are Igneous Rocks formed?

Answer 2

They are formed from the cooling and solidification of magma or lava.

Question 3

What are Sedimentary Rocks?

Answer 3

Rocks created from the compaction and cementation of sediments.

Question 4

How are Metamorphic Rocks formed?

Answer 4

They are formed when existing rocks are subjected to heat, pressure, or chemical processes without melting.

Question 5

What is Compaction and Cementation?

Answer 5

The process where sediments are compressed and glued together to form sedimentary rocks.

Question 6

What is Melting in geology?

Answer 6

The process where rocks are heated to the point of becoming magma.

Question 7

What occurs during Cooling and Crystallization?

Answer 7

Magma or lava cools to form igneous rocks.

Question 8

What is Heat and Pressure in the context of Metamorphism?

Answer 8

The transformation of rocks into metamorphic rocks through intense heat and pressure.

Question 9

What is Uplift in geology?

Answer 9

The process where rocks are pushed to the Earth’s surface by tectonic forces, exposing them to weathering.

Question 10

What is the Pesticide Treadmill?

Answer 10

A cycle where pests become resistant to pesticides, leading to the development and application of stronger chemicals.

Question 11

What are Energy-Intensive Crops?

Answer 11

Crops like corn and rice that require large amounts of energy for production and processing.

Question 12

What is the Carbon Footprint of Agriculture?

Answer 12

The total greenhouse gas emissions associated with food production.

Question 13

What is Industrial Agriculture?

Answer 13

Large-scale farming that relies heavily on synthetic inputs and mechanization.

Question 14

What is Water Logging?

Answer 14

The saturation of soil with water, often reducing oxygen availability for plants.

Question 15

What is Groundwater Recharge?

Answer 15

The process by which water infiltrates the ground to replenish aquifers.

Question 16

What is Rainwater Harvesting?

Answer 16

Collecting and storing rainwater for agricultural and domestic use.

Question 17

What is Surface Irrigation?

Answer 17

Water is distributed over the surface of the soil by gravity.

Question 18

What is Flood Irrigation?

Answer 18

Fields are deliberately flooded with water to irrigate crops.

Question 19

What is Sprinkler Irrigation?

Answer 19

Water is sprayed over crops using pressurized systems, mimicking rainfall.

Question 20

What is Drip Irrigation?

Answer 20

A highly efficient system that delivers water directly to plant roots.

Question 21

What is Center Pivot Irrigation?

Answer 21

A method where sprinklers rotate around a central pivot, irrigating crops in a circular pattern.

Question 22

What is Subsurface Irrigation?

Answer 22

Water is delivered directly to the root zone through buried pipes or drip lines.

Question 23

What is Terrace Farming?

Answer 23

A method of farming on sloped land by constructing flat terraces to prevent soil erosion and runoff.

Question 24

What is Slash-and-Burn Agriculture?

Answer 24

A traditional farming method where vegetation is cut and burned to clear land for crops, often leading to nutrient depletion.

Question 25

What is Conservation Tillage?

Answer 25

Farming methods that minimize soil disturbance to preserve soil health and prevent erosion.

Question 26

What is No-Till Farming?

Answer 26

A sustainable farming practice where crops are planted directly into the residue of previous crops without tilling the soil.

Question 27

What is Cover Cropping?

Answer 27

Growing crops such as clover or rye to protect and enrich the soil during off-seasons.

Question 28

What is Alley Cropping?

Answer 28

Planting crops between rows of trees or shrubs to improve biodiversity and soil health.

Question 29

What is Agroecology?

Answer 29

The application of ecological principles to agricultural systems for sustainable food production.

Question 30

What is the O Horizon?

Answer 30

The top layer of soil, composed of organic material such as decomposed leaves and plants.

Question 31

What is the A Horizon (Topsoil)?

Answer 31

A fertile layer rich in organic material and minerals essential for plant growth.

Question 32

What is the E Horizon (Eluviation Layer)?

Answer 32

The layer where minerals and organic matter are leached from upper horizons, often lighter in color.

Question 33

What is the B Horizon (Subsoil)?

Answer 33

The layer of soil where leached minerals accumulate, rich in clay, iron, and aluminum oxides.

Question 34

What is the C Horizon (Parent Material)?

Answer 34

The layer composed of weathered rock and partially disintegrated material from which soil develops.

Question 35

What is the R Horizon (Bedrock)?

Answer 35

The unweathered rock layer beneath the soil profile.

Question 36

What is the Tragedy of the Commons?

Answer 36

A situation where individuals overuse a shared resource, leading to its depletion.

Question 37

What is Integrated Pest Management (IPM)?

Answer 37

A pest control strategy combining biological, cultural, physical, and chemical tools.

Question 38

What is Cultural Eutrophication?

Answer 38

Nutrient enrichment of water bodies caused by human activities, leading to algal blooms and oxygen depletion.

Question 39

What is the Green Revolution?

Answer 39

A period marked by increased agricultural production due to high-yield crop varieties and advanced farming techniques.

Question 40

What is the Conservation of Matter?

Answer 40

A principle stating that matter cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.

Question 41

Which organisms carry out denitrification, and where does it occur?

Answer 41

Facultative anaerobes in anaerobic environments, such as waterlogged soils or soils with high clay content, perform denitrification

Question 42

What is denitrification?

Answer 42

Denitrification is the process by which nitrates (NO₃⁻) are reduced to gaseous nitrogen (N₂) and lost to the atmosphere, occurring in anaerobic conditions.

Question 43

How does ammonification affect nutrient availability?

Answer 43

Decomposition rates during ammonification determine the level of ammonia and nutrients available to primary producers in an ecosystem.

Question 44

What is ammonification?

Answer 44

Ammonification is the conversion of nitrogenous wastes and organic matter in dead plants and animals into inorganic ammonia (NH₃) by decomposing microorganisms like bacteria and fungi.

Question 45

Why is assimilation important for heterotrophic organisms?

Answer 45

Heterotrophs cannot absorb nitrogen directly, so they rely on acquiring nitrogen-based compounds from the plants or organisms they consume.

Question 46

What is assimilation in the nitrogen cycle?

Answer 46

Assimilation is the process by which plants absorb nitrates (NO₃⁻) through their roots. These nitrogen-based compounds are then passed through the food web as heterotrophs consume plants or other organisms.

Question 47

Which microorganisms are involved in nitrification?

Answer 47

Nitrosomas oxidize ammonia to nitrite (NO₂⁻), and Nitrobacter oxidize nitrite to nitrate (NO₃⁻).

Question 48

What is nitrification?

Answer 48

Nitrification is the process where ammonia (NH₃) is oxidized to nitrite ions (NO₂⁻) and then to nitrate ions (NO₃⁻), the form of nitrogen most usable by plants.

Question 49

How do Cyanobacteria contribute to nitrogen fixation?

Answer 49

Members of the Cyanobacteria phylum fix nitrogen in aquatic environments through photosynthesis-associated processes.

Question 50

What are some examples of legumes involved in nitrogen fixation?

Answer 50

Clover, alfalfa, soybeans, and chickpeas.