3A Natural Resources

what is the major use of water in these countries

50% of the water is used to flush toilets watering lawns. Plus 25% of water is lost to leakage.

explain how maintaining vegetative cover reduces soil erosion

A vegetative cover puts roots into the ground and stabalizes the soil, so less is lost to wind and rain. And it causes water to be absorbed as opposed to running off.

describe some differences between coal and oil and their extraction from the ground

Coal causes a lot of environmental damage, we need to know the depth of the coal seems and the grade of the coal determines whether extraction is economically viable. Oil is found between layers of imperbiable rock. You don't need huge giant holes. Drill holes, put a pump on it. You can use it immediately or refine it.

after studying maps, discuss the relationship between resources, soil, minerals, rainfall, fossil fules and population centers.

Historically, humans setteled near water and rich soil. Good water supplies is for irrigation to grow food. The nile Delta shows us a strong population around water. In the US, we can see population everywhere because we have developed ways to move and store water.

describe the effects of livestock rotation on pasture and rangeland biodiversity

If we rotate the livestock around different pastures the pastures can regrow when you move the livestock to another pasture. When we move them from one location to another it doesn't allow parasites to establish

explain why overstocking could eventually lead to ecosystem collapse

If you overstock an area the animals will eat all food before it has a chance to grow back. then soil erodes... and plants can't reestablish.

what is the relationship between rangeland's productivity and the number of animals grazed on the land

No animals is ungrazed so everything just grows, as you increase livestock the animals will eat the plants until nothing is left. the more livestock the less time you have to graze.

what two components are important contributor to soil fertility and why

Nutrients for plant growth, microbes make nutrients accessible to plants

why is potable water such a rare resource in many countries

Presences of pollutants, disease, and toxins

why can rangelands easily become overgrazed

Too much material is removed and new growth can not become established. plants die and soil is lost through erosion.

what is a resource

any source or supply which can be used for some purpose.

What environment issues do hydraulic fracturing and the mining of oil shales have in common

contamination of ground water

list to environmental costs of coal products

destroys landscape, pollution

identify some costs and benefits of hydroelectric dams

electricity generation, reduction in CO2, production from fossil fuels, water storage for irrigation, and domestic use

list 2 economic costs to coal production

expensive to set up, expensive to cleaning it up

What is sustainable agriculture

farming practices maximizing benefits to society by meeting current and future food and material demands while maintaining ecosystem health and services.

what costs and benefits might be difficult to quantify in monetary terms

flooded land and relocation families, destroying of river habitats

how does poor soil management lead to soil degradation

heavy machinery compacts the soil, loss of nutrient .

list 2 social benefits to coal production

increased standard of living, better health and education opportunities

which type of countries tend to use the most amount of water

industrialized countries

contrast the effort required for no till and intensive tillage methods and suggest when each of these methods might be advantageous

intensive tilling requires a lot of work, you have to plowing spraying.

What is water the most essential resource

it is essential to all life's processes and is important in industry where it is used as a solvent and a collant.

Explain why some deep but extensive aquifers, such as the Ogallala, are considered non renewable

it will take 1000's of years to recharge

explain how these costs and benefits can be evaluated and compared to produce a cost/benefit ratio

items are giving are given monetary value. The dam will be given a monetary value as to how much energy will be created, and how much fossil fuel you will not be burning.

what factors limit water supply in some countries

lack of rivers and large bodies of water, low rain. low distribution rate is a problem

explain the term loam and how it applies to the soil properties

loam is 20% clay, 40% sand and 40% silt. considered the ideal soil, and they retain water and nutrient but drains freely.

list 2 social costs to coal production

loss of land, health problems

describe the main difference between no-till and tillage farming methods

no till - vegitation after harvest is mowed, rolled or sprayed to begin breakdown. seeds are planted directly into the ground with seed drills. residue from previous harvest helps reduce watr and soil loss and prevents weeds growing. Tilling is mechanical agitation of the ground by plowing and overturning the soil

explain why an oil spill from offshore oil extraction can potential affect huge marine arias.

oil harms marine life , difficult to contain, currents can spread the oil

dESCRIBE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE COPOSITION OF natural gas and oil

oil has 5+ carbons per chain, natural gas has 4 or less carbons per chain

how can carefully managed grazing on a rangeland increase its productivity

old material is removed, new growth can come through, but enough material is allowe for recovery.

explain the need for each of the following in industrialized intensive agriculture, including how they help maximize production mile minimizing land use, pesticides, fertilizers, antibiotics

pesticides to keep all the bugs down, because bugs eat the crops. Fertilizer to keep nutrient levels up so can keep farming the same land. antibiotics for lifestock in order to prevent illness. and to keep the animals "healthy"

describe some of the negative aspects of human use of global water resources

pollution, we use so much rivers might not even drain to the ocean. damning rivers stops water, can stop migration patterns.

what type of grassland has the greatest increase in productivity when graze

praire

List 2 economic benefits to coal production

provides jobs, industry is developed

list 3 reasons why waste should be recycled

reduces the energy required to produce resources, reduces costs, and increases the stock of otherwise limited resources.

Explain why coal and oil are favored as energy resources over many other sources of energy

relatively cheap to extract. Both are energy dense, easy to store and transport. they can be used without refining.

which type of grassland is most productive when grazed

short grass plains

explain how water can be used to generate electricity

the gravitational force of water used to turn a wheel with creates kinetic energy spinning an electrical generator to produce electricity

what factors affect our estimate of peak oil

the kind of oil we're talking about, if you find more oil

discuss the significance of peak oil

the maximum amount of oil we expect to ever get , helps us determine when we will run out

why is incineration one of the least preferred option in the recycling scheme

there might be toxins, the waste from incineration goes to the landfill. lost resource

why are fossil fuels such an important and useful resources?

they are important because they are cheap, easy to transport, energetically concentrated.

why is putting waste in a landfill the least preferred option of a recycling scheme

they cycle ends at the landfill, no more resource, the landfill takes up space, if not properly managed toxins can leak into the environment

explain why loamy soils are more easily worked and produce higher crop yeilds than other soil types

they hold nutrient and hold water but drain freely.

how might soil fertility have contributed to the location of major population centers

to grow enough food to eat.

identify 3 uses of river by humans

transportation, irrigation, hydro electricty

In the last 3000 years, which two technological developments signaled sudden increases in the energy available to humans to do work.

water wheels and steam engines

in what way is incinerating waste a useful part of the recycling scheme

we get energy and use it for electricity

discuss how energy and resources have shaped human social and technological development

with more resources more capability for technology and humans can do more work. when we can do more work we can retrieve more resources.

Explain how terracing and contour plowing reduce soil loss compared to plowing parallel to a slope

with parallel slope planting allows water and soil to run off easily. Whereas terracing converts a slope into a broad strips, slowing or preventing water and soil runoff, reducing erosion. Contour is plowing and planting across, rather than down slows water runoff and reduces soil loss by up to 50%

Explain how modern technology now influences where large populations can become established.

with regards to water, we can store it and transport it with ease. With regards to oil as fuel, we don't need to use it on site, we can store and send it to refineries to make different types of fuel, and then we send it around the world with ships and trains. With regards to resources that we mine, like gold or copper, or iron, we need access to it, and we move equipment to mine it. again we send it to refineries to ship around the world.