Sustainability Week 3

Question 1

Aquifer

Answer 1

Pore spaces found within permeable layers of rock and sediment underneath the soil that store groundwater

Question 2

Unconfined aquifer

Answer 2

Porous rock covered by soil

Question 3

Confined aquifer

Answer 3

Surrounded by a layer of impermeable rock or clay, which impedes water flow to or from the aquifer

Question 4

Water table

Answer 4

The uppermost level at which groundwater in a given area fully saturates the rock or soil

Question 5

Groundwater recharge

Answer 5

The process by which water from precipitation percolates through the soil into groundwater

Question 6

Spring

Answer 6

Water that naturally percolates up to the surface

Question 7

Artesian well

Answer 7

A well created by drilling a hole into a confined aquifer

Question 8

Water footprint

Answer 8

Total daily per capita use of freshwater for a country of the world

Question 9

Per capita

Answer 9

Per person

Question 10

Furrow irrigation

Answer 10

A form of irrigation where the farmer digs trenches, or furrows, along the crop rows and fills them with water

Question 11

Flood irrigation

Answer 11

A form of irrigation where an entire field is flooded with water

Question 12

Spray irrigation

Answer 12

A form of irrigation where water is pumped into an apparatus that contains a series of spray nozzles

Question 13

Drip irrigation

Answer 13

A form of irrigation where a slowly dripping hose on the ground or buried beneath the soil delivers water directly to the plant roots

Question 14

Cone of depression

Answer 14

An area surrounding a well that does not contain groundwater

Question 15

Fungicide

Answer 15

A pesticide that specifically targets fungi (the plural of fungi)

Question 16

Rodenticide

Answer 16

A pesticide that specifically targets rodents

Question 17

Persistent pesticides

Answer 17

Pesticides that remain in the environment for years of decades

Question 18

Nonpersistent pesticides

Answer 18

Pesticides that break down relatively rapidly, usually in weeks to months, and have fewer long-term effects but because they must be applied more often their overall environmental impact is not always lower than that of persistent pesticides

Question 19

Integrated pest management (IPM)

Answer 19

An agricultural practice that uses a variety of techniques to minimize pesticide inputs

Question 20

Pesticide resistance

Answer 20

A trait possessed by certain individuals that are exposed to a pesticide and survive

Question 21

Concentrated animal farming operation (CAFO)

Answer 21

A large indoor or outdoor structure designed for maximum occupancy of animals and maximum output of meat

Question 22

Manure lagoon

Answer 22

Human-made pond lines with rubber built to handle large quantities of manure produced by livestock

Question 23

Free range grazing

Answer 23

Allowing animals to graze outdoors on grass for most or all of their lifecycle

Question 24

Nomadic grazing

Answer 24

The feeding of herds of animals by moving them to seasonally productive feeding ground, often over long distances

Question 25

Overgrazing

Answer 25

Excessive grazing that can reduce or remove vegetation and erode and compact the soil

Question 26

Desertification

Answer 26

Transformation of arable, productive, low-precipitation land to desert or unproductive land due to climate change or destructive land use such as overgrazing and logging

Question 27

Crop Rotation

Answer 27

A crop-planting strategy in which different types of crop species are planted from season to season or year to year on the same plot of land

Question 28

Intercropping

Answer 28

An agricultural technique that calls for physical spacing of different crops growing at the same time, in close proximity to one another, to promote biological interaction

Question 29

Biocontrol

Answer 29

A shortened term for biological control, it uses biological organisms to control agricultural pests

Question 30

Sustainable agriculture

Answer 30

Fulfills the need for food and fiber while enhancing the quality of soil, minimizing the use of nonrenewable resources, and allowing economic viability for the farmer

Question 31

Soil conservation

Answer 31

The prevention of soil erosion while simultaneously increasing soil depth and increasing the nutrient content and organic matter content of soil

Question 32

Agroforestry

Answer 32

An agricultural technique in which trees and vegetables are intercropped

Question 33

Windbreaks

Answer 33

An agricultural technique that literally plants tall objects that "break" the wind and prevent soil erosion

Question 34

Strip cropping

Answer 34

An agricultural method of planting crops with different spacing and rooting characteristics in alternating sets of rows to prevent soil erosion

Question 35

Contour plowing

Answer 35

Plowing and harvesting parallel to the topography contours of the land

Question 36

Terracing

Answer 36

An agricultural techniques were farms shape sloping land into steplike terraces that are flat

Question 37

Perennial plants

Answer 37

Plants that live for multiple years and do not need to be replanted at the beginning of each growing season

Question 38

No-till agriculture

Answer 38

An agricultural method used in field of annual crops where farmers do not till or plow the soil between seasons

Question 39

Green Manure

Answer 39

Plant material deliberately grown in a field with the intention of plowing it under at the end of the season

Question 40

Limestone

Answer 40

A calcium carbonate sedimentary rock that has been ground up or crushed for easy application as a fertilizer

Question 41

Rotational grazing

Answer 41

The rotation of farm animals in different pastures and field to prevent overgrazing

Question 42

Organic agriculture

Answer 42

The production of crops in a way that sustains or improves the soil, without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers

Question 43

Delaney Clause

Answer 43

A clause in the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act designed to prevent potentially harmful cancer-causing food ingredients

Question 44

Reforestation

Answer 44

The natural or intentional restocking of trees after clear-cutting to repopulate the forest, reduce erosion, and begin the process of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Question 45

Sustainable forestry

Answer 45

A methodology for managing forests so they provide wood while also providing clean water, maximum biodiversity, and maximum carbon sequestration in both trees and soil

Question 46

Prescribed burn

Answer 46

When a fires is deliberately set under controlled conditions, thereby decreasing the accumulation of dead biomass on the forest floor