ESPM Module 5

how many wildfires are less than 5 acres in size

98-99%

what areas of the world are growing the fastest

Africa and Asia

how is genetic engineering and traditional breeding different

GE mixes genes of different species, GE is in vitro lab not with whole organisms

Of the factors, what does O stand for

Organisms - certain organisms affect chemistry of soil and abundant nutrients

Of the factors, what does P stand for

Parent material - source of micro and macro nutrients

what are the three strands of the green revolution

biochemical, mechanical, social

how are fires defined

by their frequency, seasonality, size, severity, and interactions

how are high severity fires defined

changes structure a lot, uncommon in sierra nevada forests, common in lodgepole pine in yellowstone

definition of soil

combination of unconsolidated mineral and organic matter on the surface of earth

how do microbes affect soil pH

conifers acidify soils, reduces microbial activity because acidity puts stress on them

how are microbes ecosystem engineers

create pore space and mix materials

what are some roles of microbes

ecosystem engineers, decomposition, mineralization, nutrient reservoirs, soil structure, soil pH, soil redox

what is the cultural aspect of agricultural sustainability

eliminates hunger and ensures food and nutrition security in culturally appropriate ways

what is a pro regarding GMOs and the medical field

food can deliver vaccines

where are most croplands located

forests and tropical rainforests

what is the best way that is predicted to sequester carbon, and why

grasslands - they are geologically expansive, grasses also allocate a high proportion of photosynthate below ground to roots which equals greater soil carbon pools

intercropping

growing different genotypes of species in close proximity so they interact

why is agro ecology not used more widely

hard to manage and mechanize, knowledge intensive

describe the amazon watershed soil

high amounts of clay - dry, dry out extremely fast despite high water intake which makes it impossible to support trees

typically what are young soils like

high levels of rock derived cations and little available nitrogen and carbon

what is the forest temp like

high which leads to high water stress - experience extreme midday temps

GPP

how much carbon plants are taking out of the atmosphere

cons of GMOs

human health, environmental impact, monopoly of world food companies, increasing dependance on industrialized countries

how are microbes a nutrient reservoir

if there's excess nutrients, they absorb until life cycle is over then rerelease them

consequences of mechanical innovations in GR

increase in arable land, water supply controlled, increased access to markets

how has food per capita changed since 1960

increased

how did the GR affect yield potential and gaps

increased potential and decreased gaps

consequences of biochemical innovations in GR

increased yields, weed and pests were controlled, increased costs for farmer, environmental degradation

when latitude increases what does biodiversity typically do

increases

where do parts of agroecology come from

indigenous knowledge

agroforestry

integration of trees and shrubs with crop production

4 GR strategies to reduce yield gap

irrigation, pesticides, fertilizers, GMOs

how was the NUE changed since the GR

it has gone down drastically

how was intra-crop diversity changed since the GR

it has gone down, making crops vulnerable to pests and diseases

who benefits more from modern farm bill subsidies? small or large farms

large

what is the greatest challenge to feeding the growing human pop

locations where it is most difficult to grow food coincides with where pop is increasing

how are low severity fires defined

low overstory changes, only small trees killed, 5-15 years, from lightning and natives

typically what are old soils like

low phosphorus and loss of leachable cations - but high nitrogen and organic matter

why do the arctic peatlands have the most carbon stored

low temps and high soil moister

how has food prices changed since 1960

lowered

What does ground rock do?

lowers N2O and CH4

what is rotary masticator

masticating 90% of trees below 12", occurs in central sierra

what is soil composed of? in order from largest to smalled

minerals, air space, water, dead organic matter, biota

what is not a way forests have changed in response to fire suppression

more meadows

convergent evolution in tropical rainforests

most tree species have the same structure and appearance

what does a fire regime mean

nature of fire burning over a long period of time in a given area

when is the best time for a prescribed fire

night

do rainforest trees have a high temp tolerance

no - they have thick bark

what is not included in a definition of sustainable agriculture

no pesticides

are fuel reduction treatments harmful

no, little to no evidence of ecological harm

is climate change the biggest issue facing forest fires

no, only makes up 25%

are most farms profitable

no; median farm income is 0$ while median total income is 72k

how is the soil in tropical rainforests

nutrient poor

facilitation

one species increases the growth of another through a wide range of processes

what is the usage of crops like worldwide

only 14 crops make up 90%, 3 crops dominate (maize, wheat, rice)

While there is a lot of land, what is the issue

only represents marginal economic gain

are net returns higher for organic or normal

organic but they are dependent on price premiums

where does the rainforest ecosystem get nutrients from

organic matter and other organisms involved

is human or plant gene editing slower

plant, we only understand gene editing on a human level

what drove the GR

political ideology, humanitarian concerns, private foundations and governments, agriculture industry

what is the relationship between population and food production

productive crop areas and centers of human population are mutually exclusive

what is Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Fertilizer (NUE)

proportion of fertilizer applied to a field that is actually used by the crop

how do microbes decompose and mineralize

recycle nutrients and remove excess organic matter

how do microbes affect soil redox

redox is amount of O2 available, they reduce O2 as microbes use O2 for internal processes

what does the modern farm bill do

reforms children nutrition programs and agricultural sphere and farmer protections - there are bipartisan support

how do microbes aid soil structure

release compounds that help soil minerals stick together and maintain structure

Who is Hans Jenny

released book on soils and composed 5 main factors of soil formation

Of the factors, what does R stand for

relief or topography - smaller minerals collect lower in ecosystem which are higher in water and nutrients

what is pore space needed for

root growth, water and air flow, and diverse micro-environments

rim wildfire info

second largest in sierra nevada - ignited aug 17 2013 - 270k burned - cost of suppression 127.2 million

why is soil different from its parent material

series of physical, chemical, biological, and morphological changes change its composition and form

how would we grow enough food to feed population

shifting crops used for livestock feed and biofuels to food production

why is crop rotation beneficial

temporal diversity which supports many ecosystem services, supports soil health

who and when did organic agriculture start

the 1900s by innovative farmers

why do large companies compost not have as much emissions

they aerate their compost which reduces emissions - long term benefit

what is epiphytes exposure to nutrients and water like

they are very cut off from soil nutrients and water - like a desert

things that affect the fires effect on plants

thick bark, continuous branches, less foliage

how are the saharan dessert and tropical forests connected

when the desert dust is blown away, it goes to the amazon and Caribbean where it gives nutrients

what is the racial demographic of owners of farmland

whites own 96% of farms, 97% of the value, and 98% of private land

natural vs industrialized: plant cover

year round for natural, ~4 months for industrialized

is organic agriculture heterogenous

yes

is soil stable?

yes, lasts 10,000-1,000s of years

crop yield potential

yield of crop with ample nutrients and water and pests and disease control

how much of soil is carbon

~58%, from atmosphere

how many people are predicted to be here by 2100

10 billion

How many classifications of soil are there in the US

12

how much rain do rainforests receive

1500-2000 mm

how long does it take for a hedgerow to become profitable

7 years - long time

natural vs industrialized: disturbance

fire for natural, tillage for industrialized

when did organic agriculture become a regulated production system

1970s

what is the racial demographic of workers

75% of labor force is latinx or native americans

around how many wildfires are there a year

79k

how much of plant species are in the tropical rainforests

2/3 of the 250,000 species

what percentage of freshwater is in the Amazon watershed

20%

what % of earths plant species are in tropical rainforests

68%

what do hedgerows and buffer strips do

"perennialize" agricultural landscapes, create habitats for pollinators and pest eaters, reduces sediments

most common def of sustainability

"we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs"

how much sunlight reaches floor in rainforests

0.1-1%

what percentage of burnings were tribal

1-2%

what percentage of wildfires burned 95% of the land

1-2%

Of the factors, what does Cl stand for

Climate - physical factors such as wind and biological factors such as temp speeding up certain processes

what is an example of a critical social movement for agroecology

La Via Campesina - global coalition of ~150 orgs, advocated for small scale farmers' rights to participate directly in decisions affecting their lives - "food sovereignty"

what are the two countries with no GMO regulations

US and Canada

what factors did the GR include

advanced crop genotypes, fertilizers and pesticides and sometimes irrigation, mechanization, subsidies

what would help compost carbon emissions

a compost amendment

what was the IR8

a new strain of rice in Phillipines which had shorter stature and more pest/disease resistant

in the beginning of agriculture, how many people had to be involved for it to work

almost half the population

the total land equivalent ratio

amount of monoculture land that would be required to produce the same amount of yield

what are lianas

an epiphyte with adventitious roots

what area of earth has the most carbon stored in soil

arctic peatlands

how does CAS9 work

attach it to an RNA sequence which matches the DNA we want to edit then it uses a chemical reaction to cut it off and sometimes insert the right DNA

timeline of fire suppression

begins in 1905, smokey bear in 1942

Where is the "Tropics" located

between the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn (23.5 degrees)

natural vs industrialized: root depth and continuity

deep and continuous for natural and shallow and seasonal for industrialized

exploitable yield gap

difference between yield potential and actual yield

what kind of weather defines the tropics

direct solar energy at every point in the year

what kind of plants are in tropical rainforests

dominated by woody plants, virtually no grasses

what is the second treatment in rotary masticator

done without fire, all machines - very effective in reducing fires and carbon sequestration

how has food production changed since 1960

doubled

drawbacks to agroecology

farmers constrained by markets policies and research, not much grants for agroecology research (lack of public support)

what are the three spheres of sustainability

environmental, social, economic

what is groundwater overdraft

excessive groundwater extraction which leads to subsidence which is irreversible, leads to decline in groundwater storage capacity

how does el nino affect weather in tropical rainforests

extreme droughts

consequences of social innovations in GR

farm consolidation, better seeds and other inputs available to farmers

what are the two main solutions to growing more food

farm more land, increase yield via "Green Revolution" and GMO crops

what size soil is higher in nutrients and water, why might this be an issue?

smaller - might be an issue because with too much water, soil becomes anoxic

what holds the greatest biodiversity and biomass in the troposphere

soil

what does pore space in soil depend on

soil texture, degree of compaction, degree of structure

complementarity

species vary in resource use in space or time leading to more effective resource utilization

how has trees in yellowstone adapted to deal with high severity fires

stores seeds in closed cones so when the fire is over, the cone will just dump the seed out onto the ground

what is the main issue in growing forest fires

structure

what does USDA NOP not allow for inputs of organic agriculture

synthetic agro-chemicals, GMOs, sewage or sludge for fertilizer, irradiation - only certified seeds n stuff allowed

diversified farming systems

systems which include functional biodiversity at multiple spatial and/or temporal scales in order to maintain ecosystem services

what is fire suppression

technological policy from gov to reduce fire impacts

when was agriculture thought to have originated

the last Ice Age

why does compost create large amounts of CO2

the manure - releases a lot of GHGs

what two things throughout history led to large yield increases (besides the GR)

the use of turnips, the use of seabird guano

what are perennial crops

those crops that can continue to grow after their harvest season for many years (don't need to be planted every year)

Of the factors, what does T stand for

time - certain processes over short or long scales affect the soil

what is the goal of agroecology

to design a system which resembles the natural environment with planned biodiversity to promote biodiversity and ecosystem functions

what are the methods of CRISPR

uses CAS9 to recognize malfunctioning DNA and cut it off and disable it

what is the size of the soil carbon pool

we don't know - hard to quantify

why is the soil nutrient poor in tropical rainforests

weathering and erosion