ch 10

topsoil erosion-- caused by:

--WATER: flows move loose topsoil after rain --wind: loosens and blows soil --clearing forests and grasslands for agriculture --plowing soil to plant new crops each yr --leaving soil exposed during part of the yr

feedlot cons

--animals confined and crowded --overuse of grain, fishmeal, water, and fossil fuels --greenhouse gas emissions (CO2, CH4) --lots of poop= can pollute water --antibiotic use= increase microbe resistance for humans

how do humans upset natural pest control

--clear forests and grasslands --plant monoculture crops --use synthetic chemicals to kill pests

synthetic pesticide alternatives

--fool the pest w/ crop rotation --provide homes for pest enemies (polyculture crops) --implant genetic resistance --use insect scents

pesticide cons

--genetic resistance --put farmers on financial treadmill (constant purchases) --kill natural predators and parasites that control pests --often used inefficiently= pollution --harm wildlife --threaten human health

feedlot pros

--increased meat production --higher profits --less land use --less overgrazing --less soil erosion --protect biodiversity

3 harmful effects of topsoil erosion

--loss of soil fertility --water pollution --carbon released from soil into the air as CO2

gmo pros

--may require less water, pesticides, and fertilizer --can grow faster --more resistant to disease, drought, frost, and insects --can tolerate potent herbicides

factors influencing food industry (negative)

--poverty --war --bad weather --climate change --harmful industrialized food production

pesticide pros

--save lives from insect-transmitted diseases --increases food supply --increases profits for farmers --work fast --help control soil erosion --build soil fertility --new pesticides are more safe and effective

3 principles of sustainability

--solar energy --biodiversity --chemical cycling

gmo cons

--unknown genetic and ecological effects --may put toxins in food --can promote pesticide and herbicide-resistant organisms --can promote plant diseases --lessens biodiversity --could disrupt seed market

Pest control becomes increasingly more expensive and requires more effort because ____. a. humans have upset the natural population checks b. invasive species spread very fast c. ecological services become more costly d. pesticides have absolutely no benefits e. resistance to pesticides decreases over time

a. humans have upset the natural population checks

Almost one-half to two-thirds of _____ could be prevented each year at an average cost of $5-$10 per individual. a. nutrition-related childhood deaths b. crop failures c. poisoning from pesticides d. soil erosion e. biodiversity losses

a. nutrition-related childhood deaths

Croplands contribute most to water and air pollution through ____. a. soil erosion b. the use of tractors c. planting genetically modified foods d. desertification e. soil salinization

a. soil erosion

Industrialized agriculture accounts for _____ of all water pollution. a. 90% b. 60% c. 30% d. 20% e. 10%

b. 60%

Herbicide-resistant genetically engineered crops have contributed to _____. a. predictable genetic and ecological effects b. increased herbicide use and to herbicide-resistant superweeds c. a decrease in toxins found in vegetables d. stability in the seed market e. an increase in diversity of foods that can be grown

b. increased herbicide use and to herbicide-resistant superweeds

What gave rise to the process called the green revolution, in which global grain production increased because of using high-input industrialized agriculture? a. Increased efficiencies in subsistence agriculture b. Polyculture farming practices c. Use of monocultures in key grain crops, irrigation, fertilizers, and multiple cropping d. Organic agriculture e. Concentrated animal feeding operations

c. Use of monocultures in key grain crops, irrigation, fertilizers, and multiple cropping

The choice of chicken over beef is considered a more sustainable form of consumption because ____. a. chickens are small and require less space b. chicken tastes better than beef or tuna. c. chickens are more grain-efficient than beef. d. chickens eat less e. cows take up more space than chickens.

c. chickens are more grain-efficient than beef.

Conservation tillage has been successful at reducing soil erosion; however, this has been a tradeoff because of the _____. a. use of genetically modified seeds b. amount of required irrigation c. increased use of herbicides d. increased salinization of soils e. issues associated with pest control

c. increased use of herbicides

Approximately 250,000 young children, most of them in less-developed countries, go blind every year from a lack of ____. a. iron b. iodine c. vitamin A d. nutrition e. clean water

c. vitamin A

The boomerang effect is best described by which of the following scenarios? a. Illegal use of pesticides b. Fact that the pesticides remain in the food for many decades c. Black market trade in pesticides d. Residues of synthetic pesticides that have been banned or not registered in one country are exported and then imported back into the exported economy e. The law that requires the FDA to reduce levels of pesticide residues by a factor of 100

d. Residues of synthetic pesticides that have been banned or not registered in one country are exported and then imported back into the exported economy

About 87% of the world's commercial ocean fisheries are _____. a. comprised of the second major food-producing system b. essentially fish farms c. composed of wild species d. harvested at full capacity or overfished e. composed of species that feed on algae

d. harvested at full capacity or overfished

Most agricultural experts would agree that the root cause of people faced with food insecurity is _____. a. war b. climate change c. weather related issues such as prolonged drought, flooding, heat waves d. poverty e. government corruption

d. poverty

The WHO (World Health Organization) and UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) have estimated that approximately ____ workers are poisoned each year by pesticides in the United States. a. none, because of the safeguards in place b. only a few, and largely preventable c. close to hundred, due to misuse d. 25,000 e. 300,000

e. 300,000

The practice of _____ has been part of aquaculture for centuries and is where operations raise fish or shrimp along with algae, seaweeds, and shellfish in coastal lagoons, ponds, and tanks. a. estuary management b. fishery management c. recirculating aquaculture d. open-ocean aquaculture e. polyaquaculture

e. polyaquaculture

Repeated applications of irrigation water in a climate like Colorado, will lead to ____, a process that lowers crop yields and may eventually ruin the land. a. climate change b. pollution c. topsoil erosion d. desertification e. soil salinization

e. soil salinization

A type of animal feeding operation that prepares an animal for slaughter by increasing the weight of the animal

feedlot, confined animal feeding operation (CAFO)

an organism whose genetic makeup has been altered by genetic engineering (for desirable traits)

genetically modified organism (GMO)

nature/predators help control...

pests

movement of soil components, especially surface litter and topsoil, from one place to another by actions of wind and water

soil erosion

any chemical designed to kill or inhibit the growth of an organism that people consider undesirable

synthetic pesticide

fertile top layer of soil

topsoil