APES Chapter 5 Test
irrigation
-increase crop growth rates or even enable crops to grow where they could not otherwise be grown -more efficient water use -can deplete groundwater, draw down aquifers, and cause saltwater intrusion into freshwater wells. It can also contribute to soil degradation through waterlogging and salinization
What are the benefits of producing free range meat products as opposed to running a CAFO?
-more ethically acceptable to eat -more likely to be sustainable than meat produced in CAFOs. Because these free-range animals are not as likely to spread disease as those that are kept in close quarters, the use of antibiotics and other medications can be reduced or eliminated. The animals graze or feed on the natural productivity of the land, with little or no supplemental feeding, so less fossil fuel goes into the raising of free-range meat. -manure and urine are dispersed over the range area and are naturally processed by detritivores and decomposers in the soil. As a result, there is no need to treat and dispose of massive quantities of manure. -use more land than CAFOs do, and the cost of meat produced using these techniques is usually significantly higher.
causes of urban sprawl
1. automobiles and highways 2. living costs 3. urban blight 4. government policies - highway trust fund - zoning
10 smart growth principles
1. create mixed land uses 2. Create a range of housing opportunities and choices. 3. Create walkable neighborhoods 4. Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions. 5. Take advantage of compact building design. 6. Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place 7. Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical environmental areas 8. Provide a variety of transportation choices 9. Strengthen and direct development toward existing communities. 10. Make development decisions predictable, fair, and cost-effective.
multiple-use lands
A U.S. classification used to designate lands that may be used for recreation, grazing, timber harvesting, and mineral extraction.
food security
A condition in which people have access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs for an active and healthy life.
pesticide treadmill
A cycle of pesticide development, followed by pest resistance, followed by new pesticide development
individual transferable quotas
A fishery management program in which individual fishers are given a total allowable catch of fish in a season that they can either catch or sell.
waterlogging
A form of soil degradation that occurs when soil remains under water for prolonged periods
salinization
A form of soil degradation that occurs when the small amount of salts in irrigation water becomes highly concentrated on the soil surface through evaporation.
CAFOs
A large indoor or outdoor structure designed for maximum output. -minimize land costs, improve feeding efficiency, and increase the fraction of food energy that goes into the production of animal body mass. The animals are given antibiotics and nutrient supplements to reduce the risk of adverse health effects and diseases, which would normally be high in such highly concentrated animal populations. -increase in antibiotic-resistant strains of microorganisms that can affect humans. Waste disposal is another serious problem.
non-persistant pesticide
A pesticide that breaks down rapidly, usually in weeks or months.
herbicide
A pesticide that targets plant species that compete with crops.
zoning
A planning tool used to separate industry and business from residential neighborhoods.
smart growth
A set of principles for community planning that focuses on strategies to encourage the development of sustainable, healthy communities.
Green Revolution
A shift in agricultural practices in the twentieth century that included new management techniques, mechanization, fertilization, irrigation, and improved crop varieties, and that resulted in increased food output. -world grain production doubled. By the 1990s, there were at least 18 organizations around the world promoting and developing Green Revolution techniques, including mechanization, irrigation, use of fertilizer, monocropping, and use of pesticides.
pesticides
A substance, either natural or synthetic, that kills or controls organisms that people consider pests.
pesticide resistance
A trait possessed by certain individuals that are exposed to a pesticide and survive.
multi-use zoning
A zoning classification that allows retail and high-density residential development to coexist in the same area.
sustainable agriculture
Agriculture that fulfills the need for food and fiber while enhancing the quality of the soil, minimizing the use of nonrenewable resources, and allowing economic viability for the farmer. -longer use of land -more labor -long term productivity
no-till agriculture
An agricultural method in which farmers do not turn the soil between seasons as a means of reducing topsoil erosion. -leave crop residues in the field between seasons (FIGURE 33.5).The intact roots hold the soil in place, reducing both wind and water erosion, and the undisturbed soil is able to regenerate natural soil horizons. No-till agriculture also reduces emissions of CO2 because the intact soil undergoes less oxidation. In many cases, however, in order for no-till agriculture to be successful, farmers must apply herbicides to the fields before, and sometimes after, planting so that weeds do not compete with the crops. Therefore, the downside of no-till methods is an increase in the use of herbicides.
shifting agriculture
An agricultural method in which land is cleared and used for a few years until the soil is depleted of nutrients. -In locations with a moderately warm climate and relatively nutrient-poor soils, such as the rainforests of Central and South America, a large percentage of the nutrients is contained within the vegetation.
intercropping
An agricultural method in which two or more crop species are planted in the same field at the same time to promote a synergistic interaction.
monocropping
An agricultural method that utilizes large plantings of a single species or variety
IPM
An agricultural practice that uses a variety of techniques designed to minimize pesticide inputs.
crop rotation
An agricultural technique in which crop species in a field are rotated from season to season
contour plowing
An agricultural technique in which plowing and harvesting are done parallel to the topographic contours of the land.
ecologically sustainable forestry
An approach to removing trees from forests in ways that do not unduly affect the viability of other trees.
National wilderness area
An area set aside with the intent of preserving a large tract of intact ecosystem or a landscape.
suburban
An area surrounding a metropolitan center, with a comparatively low population density.
How is it that fishermen are catching more fish than ever before if fish populations are declining?
Current fishing methods make it easy to catch large numbers of fish. Factory ships can stay at sea for months at a time, processing and freezing their harvest without having to return to port. Most marine fish are now caught either by large nets pulled behind one of these ships or by very long fishing lines bearing hundreds or even thousands of baited hooks. Fishers in pursuit of high-value species such as tuna use spotter planes and sonar to locate schools
organic fertilizer
Fertilizer composed of organic matter from plants and animals.
synthetic fertilizer
Fertilizer produced commercially, normally with the use of fossil fuels. Also known as inorganic fertilizer. -increase crop yields -They are designed for easy application, their nutrient content can be targeted to the needs of a particular crop or soil, and plants can easily absorb them, even in poor soils. -The process of manufacturing synthetic fertilizers uses large quantities of fossil fuel energy. -more likely to be carried by runoff into adjacent waterways and aquifers. In surface waters, this nutrient runoff can cause algae and other organisms to proliferate. After these organisms die, they decompose and reduce oxygen levels in the water -synthetic fertilizers do not add organic matter to the soil, as organic fertilizers do.
Compare and contrast the production of chicken and beef today
If it takes 20 kg (44 pounds) of grain to feed to cattle to produce 1 kg (2.2 pounds) of beef, the energy subsidy is 20. If it takes 2.8 kg (6 pounds) of grain to feed to chickens to produce 1 kg (2.2 pounds) of chicken meat, the energy subsidy is 2.8, which is considerably smaller than the energy subsidy for beef.
What form are most energy subsidies in
Most of that energy input is fossil fuel energy. Therefore, food choices are also energy choices
organic farming
Production of crops without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. -Use ecological principles and work with natural systems rather than dominating those systems. Keep as much organic matter and as many nutrients in the soil and on the farm as possible. Avoid the use of synthetic fertilizers and synthetic pesticides. Maintain the soil by increasing soil mass, biological activity, and beneficial chemical properties. Reduce the adverse environmental effects of agriculture.
genetic engeneering
Scientists today can isolate a specific gene from one organism and transfer it into the genetic material of another, often very different, organism to produce a genetically modified organism, or GMO. By manipulating specific genes, agricultural scientists can rapidly produce organisms with desirable traits that may be impossible to develop with traditional breeding techniques. -increased crop yield and quantity -reduce needs for pesticides -increased profits -safe for human consumption? -hurt biodiversity -no regulation
resource conservation ethic
The belief that people should maximize use of resources, based on the greatest good for everyone. -it has meant that areas are preserved and managed for economic, scientific, recreational, and aesthetic purposes. -multiple usage land
famine
The condition in which food insecurity is so extreme that large numbers of deaths occur in a given area over a relatively short period.
undernutrition
The condition in which not enough calories are ingested to maintain health -energy deficit -more susceptible to disease -improper brain development
urban blight
The degradation of the built and social environments of the city that often accompanies and accelerates migration to the suburbs
nomadic grazing
The feeding of herds of animals by moving them to seasonally productive feeding grounds, often over long distances. -low human population densities and subsistence farming
selective cutting
The method of harvesting trees that involves the removal of single trees or a relatively small number of trees from among many in a forest. -optimal growth for shade tolerant species, -roads fragment habitat
economies of scale
The observation that average costs of production fall as output increases.
desertification
The transformation of arable, productive land to desert or unproductive land due to climate change or destructive land use. -In semiarid environments, dry, nutrient-poor soils can be easily degraded by agriculture to the point at which they are no longer viable for any production at all. Irrigation can cause salinization, and topsoil is eroded away because the shallow roots of annual crops fail to hold the soil in place. -most rapidly in Africa, where the Sahara is expanding at a rate of up to 50 km (31 miles) per year. Unsustainable farming practices in northern China are also leading to rapid desertification.
urban sprawl
Urbanized areas that spread into rural areas, removing clear boundaries between the two. The landscape in these areas is characterized by clusters of housing, retail shops, and office parks, which are separated by miles of road. at the edge of a city
Describe what could be different if all of that corn was grown for people food instead of animal feed.
When these foods are fed to livestock, the low efficiency of energy transfer causes much of the energy they contain to be lost from the system, as we saw in Chapter 3. Ultimately, perhaps only 10 to 15 percent of the calories in grain or soybeans fed to cattle are converted into calories in beef. If people ate producers, such as grains and soybeans, rather than primary consumers, such as cattle, it is possible that more food would be available for people.
food insecurity
a condition in which people do not have adequate access to food
anemia
a deficiency of iron
national wildlife refuge
a federal public land managed for the primary purpose of protecting wildlife FWS
clear cutting
a method of harvesting trees that involves removing all or almost all of the trees within an area -easiest, most economical, ideal for fast growing species, -reduction in biodiversity, increases wind and water erosion, raises water temp, reduced soil quality, habitat destruction, and forest fragmentation
3. Between 1950 and 2000, global meat production increased from 52 billion kilograms to 240 billion kilograms. During this period, the global human population increased from 2.6 billion to 6.0 billion. Calculate the per capita meat production in 1950 and in 2000. Use the values from part (a) to calculate the change in global per capita meat production during this 50-year period as a percentage of the 1950 value. Discuss why it is more efficient to produce grain for human consumption than to produce meat for human consumption. In your answer, consider both land use and energy use. Describe TWO environmental consequences of the increase in the production of meat for human consumption. Identify and explain one potential advantage and one potential disadvantage for human health of a diet that contains very little meat.
a) 1950- 5.2x 10^10kg meat/ 2.6x10^9 people= 20 kg of meat per capita 2000- 2.4x10^11 kg meat/ 6.0x 10^9 people= 40 kg of meat per capita B) 40kg-20kg/20 kg x100= 100% increase in global per capita meat production since 1950. c) A larger amount of rangeland is required for free-range livestock than for grain production. Additionally, less energy is required for the storage of grain than for the processing and storage of meat. d) One environmental consequence of the increased prpoduction of meat for human consumption is that overgraxing may occur with more animals grazing on smaller areas of land which can lead to desertification, increased erosion, and nurtrient loss Another environmental consequence of increased production of meat for human consumption is that livestock require more water than grain production, which can lead to water depletion and water shortage. e) One advantage is that consuming less fat reduces the risk of many disease such as heart disease, clogged arteries, or cancer. One disadvantage is that because meat is a concentrated source of protein, it can be difficult to get enough protein without meat
5. The table presents data on the tree cover loss in various regions on Earth from 2001 to 2015. Reason for Tree Cover Loss (%) Region Urbanization Natural Disturbances/Wildfires Forestry Agriculture Deforestation Australia/Oceania 1 53 29 10 7 Africa 2 2 5 87 5 Europe 0 2 97 1 0 Latin America 1 1 13 30 54 North America 3 39 55 1 2 Southeast Asia 2 2 12 10 75 (a) Based on the data in the table, identify the cause of the greatest loss of tree cover in Southeast Asia. (b) Based on the data in the table, describe the relative impact that urbanization had on tree cover loss for each region from 2001 to 2015. (c) Based on the data in the table, identify the land use practice that led to the greatest loss of tree cover in Africa and explain the primary human benefit that resulted from the use of this practice. (d) European farmers assert that if clear-cutting were prohibited to open land up for agricultural use, then the European economy would experience significant losses. Make a claim using evidence in the table to support or refute this assertion. (e) Regions with a significant and sustained decrease in tree cover have also been found to experience longer periods of drought. In terms of the water cycle, explain why drought length is increasing in these areas.
a) Deforestation b)Urbanization had a relatively small impact on the loss of tree cover as it caused no loss in Europe, 1% loss in Australia/Oceania and Latin America, 2% loss in Southeast Asia and Africa, and 3% in North America. c) Agriculture led to the greatest loss of tree cover in Africa, the benefit of agriculture to humans is the ability to produce food in order to feed the population. d) 97% of tree cover loss in Europe is because of forestry, so by eliminating practices like clear cutting, this percentage would be greatly reduced as practices like logging would no longer occur, which would hurt the European economy since it a very common land use practice in Europe. e)Forests can retain excess rainwater, prevent extreme run-offs and reduce the damage from flooding. They can also help mitigate the effects of droughts. ... By releasing water in the dry season, forests can also help provide clean water and mitigate the effects of droughts. So, with less trees, there is nothing release water in the dry season, so the droughts are prolonged until it rains again.
2. The term "urban sprawl" describes the expansion of cities into rural areas. This phenomenon has occurred around the world and has had economic, health, and environmental consequences. Describe TWO causes of urban sprawl. Discuss TWO human health effects associated with urban sprawl. The graph below shows the relationship between population density and petroleum use in selected cities. Describe the relationship between population density and petroleum use shown in the graph. Smart growth focuses on ways to encourage sustainable urban development. Describe TWO steps a municipality could take to encourage smart growth in order to limit urban sprawl. Highway systems and urban sprawl often threaten wildlife populations. Describe TWO methods to reduce harmful effects on wildlife populations from highways and urban sprawl. Urban sprawl often results in the loss of productive agricultural land near cities. Describe one practical way to increase food production within urban areas.
a) One cause of urban sprawl is transportation, because when roads are improved and expanded it allows people to be able to move outside the city, because they are able to commute to work. Another cause of urban sprawl is that it is more expensive to live in the city as there may be higher taxes or higher land costs. b) Obesity and less fit individuals, due to less exercise because people have less time since it takes them more time to commute to and from work. Also, there is a higher chance of accidents with more people driving cars, which can lead to more personal injuries. c) Petroleum use increases as population density decreases. d) One step a municipality could take to encourage smart growth is to subsidize mass transit in order to encourage less automobile use. Another step a municipality could take is to modify zoning areas in order to preserve and protect farms/agricultural lands by designating those areas as agriculture land reserves. e) One way to reduce harmful effects on wildlife pop is to plan highways around existing migratory routes and prime habitats. Also, cities can set aside land for refuges and increase green space and buffer zones. f) One way to increase food production within urban areas is to create community gardens in public or open spaces that all citizens have access to.
Some scientists estimate that by 2025 over 60 percent of the global human population will live in urban areas. Urban residents experience a variety of problems related to the physical environment. Describe how the temperature of urban areas like Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Chicago differs from that of surrounding rural areas. Identify and describe TWO differences between urban and surrounding rural areas that contribute to the temperature difference between them. Urban areas typically have levels of air pollution that are significantly higher than those found in surrounding rural areas. Identify a characteristic of the urban microclimate that leads to higher levels of air pollution and describe how that characteristic contributes to the increase. Identify and describe TWO actions that local governments in urban areas could take to reduce outdoor air pollution. Identify and describe TWO ways in which the local hydrologic cycle of urban areas differs from that of nearby rural areas.
a) Temperatures in urban areas tend to be higher than those in rural areas because of the urban heat island effect. b) More asphalt and concrete in urban areas causes the urban albedo to decrease, so the increase in energy emission causes the temperature to rise. Also less trees reduces the natural cooling effects of shading and evaporation of water from soil and leaves. c)increased combustion due to large numbers of automobiles in urban areas create higher levels of air pollution because there is a greater emission of pollutants, that cannot be properly filtered since they are in such great quantities. d)Local governments could build mass transit which could reduce the number and use of motor vehicles. Also, the government could set laws and regulations for factories in order to reduce fossil fuel use and emissions. e) Manmade urban surfaces absorb little water when compared with rural areas with more vegetation, which can lead to greater runoff and increased flooding. Also, the urban heat island effect causes daytime convection/rainfall to be more vigorous over urban areas.
4. As the world's population increases and availability of new arable land decreases, providing sufficient food for the world's human population is becoming increasingly difficult. The table below shows the area of land needed to feed the world's population from 1900 projected to the year 2060. Year 1900 1940 1980 2020 2060 Land Area Needed (billion hectares) 0.40 0.60 1.25 2.50 4.75 On the graph below, plot the data from the table above and draw a smooth curve. Assume that the maximum arable land area on Earth is 4.00 billion hectares. Using the smooth curve that you created above, determine the year in which the human population is likely to run out of arable land for agriculture. Soil quality is a critical factor in agriculture. Identify TWO physical and/or chemical properties of soils and describe the role of each property in determining soil quality. Describe TWO viable strategies for reducing the amount of land needed for agriculture. One problem that can result from agriculture is soil salinization. Describe how salinization occurs. Describe one method to prevent or remediate soil salinization.
a) plot data (smooth curve) b) whenever graph hits 4 billion hectacreas c) One property that determines soil quality is particle size of the soil which dictates the soil's ability to hold moisture and nutrients. Additionally, the permeability of the soil affects its quality because water cannot be used by plants if it cannot infiiltrate the soil, and standing water can suffocate and drown plants. d) One strategy to reduce the amount of land needed for agriculture is to increase crop yeild by using methods such as intercropping, which allows multiple crops to be grown on the same plot of land and benefit off each other. Another strategy to reduce the amount of land needed for agriculture is to utilize urban and residentail space for growing food, so that people in cities would rely less on farms to produce their food. e) i)Salinization can occur when irrigation water evaporates or is used, leaving salts behind in the soils. ii) One method is to irrigate or flush with sufficient fresh water to leach the salts down through the soil, or wait for the rain to flush the salts out
exurban
an area similar to a suburb, but unconnected to any central city or densely populated area
what is the largest component of the human diet?
grains
BLM lands
grazing, mining, timber harvesting, and recreation
malnourished
having a diet that lacks the correct balance of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals
why are people drawn to the suburbs
inexpensive compared to city As people leave the city, city revenue from sources such as property, sales, and service taxes begins to shrink. However, the cost of maintaining urban services, including public transportation, police and fire protection, and social services, does not decrease. -crime rates increasing, infrastructure deteriotes higher taxes in cities job opp
Overnutrition
ingestion of too many calories and a lack of balance of foods and nutrients -at risk for a variety of diseases -childhood obesity -obesity
forests
land dominated by trees and other woody vegetation and sometimes used for commercial logging
instrumental value
land is important because of its worth as an instrument that can be used to accomplish a goal -money ex) agriculture, mining, logging, land fills, city development
intrinsic value
land is important independent of its benefit -beauty, moral, ethical, religious ex)preserving national areas
National Parks
managed for scientific, educational, aesthetic, and recreational use. NPS set aside specifically to protect ecosystems.
pesticide negatives
may kill organisms that benefit farmers, such as predatory insects that eat crop pests, pollinator insects that pollinate crop plants, and plants that fix nitrogen and improve soil fertility. Furthermore, chemical pesticides, like fertilizers, can run off into surrounding surface waters and pollute groundwater, a problem we will look at in detail in Chapter 14.The toxicity of pesticides to farmworkers has been well documented. The risk to humans who ingest food
What is the most common use for public and private land in the United States?
most land is used for grassland/grazing land, timber production, and crop land
Describe a positive feedback loop related to hunger and poverty
people don't have enough money to purchase food, so they cannot eat sufficient calories, so they do not have enough energy/strength to earn money, so they have no money to buy food
Taylor Grazing Act
prevents overgrazing/soil degredation; providers improvements, development
NPS lands
recreation and conservation
extrenality
the cost or benefit of a good or service that is not included in the purchase price of the good or service ex)baker wakes you up- negative
aquaculture
the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, shellfish, and seaweeds. Aquaculture involves constructing an aquatic ecosystem by stocking the organisms, feeding them, and protecting them from diseases and predators. It usually requires keeping the organisms in enclosures (FIGURE 33.11), and it may require providing them with food and antibiotics. -wastewater containing feces, uneaten food, and antibiotics is pumped back into the river or ocean at the other end. The wastewater may also contain bacteria, viruses, and pests that thrive in the high-density habitat of aquaculture facilities and this can infect wild fish and shellfish populations outside the facility -fish that escape from aquaculture facilities may harm wild fish populations by competing with them, interbreeding with them, or spreading diseases and parasites
energy subsidy
the fossil fuel energy and human energy input per calorie of food produced if we use 5 calories of human and fossil fuel energy to produce food, and we receive 1 calorie of energy when we eat that food, then the food has an energy subsidy of 5. We can think of this in another way if we use mass of inputs and outputs as a substitute measure for energy.
maximum sustainable yield
the maximum amount of a renewable resource that can be harvested without compromising the future availability of that resource -pop is one half of carrying capacity
tragedy of the commons
the tendency of a shared, limited resource to become depleted because people act from self-interest for short-term gain
Tragedy of the Commons
the tendency of a shared, limited resource to become depleted because people act from self-interest for short-term gain -The northwestern Atlantic fisheries, for example, comprise several continental shelf ecosystems that stretch from the northeastern United States to southeastern Canada. Historically, these fisheries were among the most productive in the world. However, overfishing by international fleets of factory ships led to a catastrophic depletion of fish stocks
USFS lands
timber harvesting, grazing, and recreation
Do today's farmers produce enough calories of food to feed all 7.8 billion of us? Why are some people still hungry every day?
yes, The primary reason for undernutrition and malnutrition is poverty: the lack of resources that allows a person to have access to food. According to many food experts, starvation on a global scale is the result of unequal distribution of food rather than absolute scarcity of food. In other words, the food exists but not everyone has access to it. This may mean that people cannot afford to buy the food they need, which is a problem that cannot be solved just by producing more grain.
benefits of industrial agriculture
-abundance of food supply leads to increase in human pop -positive feedback loop- more ppl more production -dependent on energy
persistant pesticides
Pesticides that remain in the environment for a long time
rangelands
dry, open grasslands that are primarily used for cattle grazing BLM
FWS lands
wildlife conservation, hunting, and recreation
reasons for food insecurity
-no access to adequate food -famine -political -economic
fishery
A commercially harvestable population of fish within a particular ecological region.
agroforestry
An agricultural technique in which trees and vegetables are intercropped.
