Unit 5 Study Set

Which of the following is a direct economic consequence that would likely occur if an area of forest was clear-cut so that a housing development can be built?

A decrease in the number of game hunting licenses purchased

Which of the following is an example of an industrial practice that contributes to the tragedy of the commons?

Burning fossil fuels for energy production

Overfishing of stocks of fish species, like salmon and cod, in an effort to meet a growing global demand has become an international concern. A recent estimate indicates that the average annual consumption of fish globally in 2014 was about twice the consumption in 1960. Because of increased concerns about the impact of overfishing, fishery managers are looking for ways to protect wild populations while still satisfying global demand for food for human consumption. Various nations have adopted policies designed to combat overfishing. Which of the following approaches is commonly used to combat the problem of overfishing?

Enforcing minimum-size requirements for the capture of some commercial species

Overfishing of stocks of fish species, like salmon and cod, in an effort to meet a growing global demand has become an international concern. A recent estimate indicates that the average annual consumption of fish globally in 2014 was about twice the consumption in 1960. Because of increased concerns about the impact of overfishing, fishery managers are looking for ways to protect wild populations while still satisfying global demand for food for human consumption. Aquaculture or fish farming can be used to increase the availability of species like salmon and shrimp for consumption. Although fish farming can have a number of negative environmental effects, it does offer a number of advantages. Which of the following is a valid reason for promoting the use of fish farms?

Fish production is constant, and fish farming reduces pressure on wild stocks.

Which of the following is an unintended consequence associated with waterlogging caused by flood irrigation?

Higher water tables

Half a century ago disaster loomed just as ominously (as today). Speaking about global hunger in 1959, one economist said, "At best the world outlook for the decades ahead is grave; at worst it is frightening." Before those visions could come to pass, the green revolution transformed global agriculture, especially wheat and rice. [S]elective breeding created a dwarf variety of wheat that put most of its energy into edible kernels rather than long, inedible stems. The result: more grain per acre. Similar work in the Philippines dramatically improved the productivity of the grain that feeds nearly half the world. From the 1960s through the 1990s, yields of rice and wheat in Asia doubled. To keep doing that between now and 2050, we'll need another green revolution. There are two competing visions of how it will happen. One is high-tech, with a heavy emphasis on continuing breeding better crops, but with modern genetic techniques. "The next green revolution will supercharge the tools of the old one." Scientists, he argues, can now identify and manipulate a huge variety of plant genes, for traits like disease resistance and drought tolerance. That's going to make farming more productive and resilient. The signature technology of this approach—and the one that has brought both success and controversy to Monsanto—is genetically modified, or GM, crops. First released in the 1990s, they've been adopted by 28 countries and planted on 11 percent of the world's arable land, including half the cropland in the U.S. About 90 percent of the corn, cotton, and soybeans grown in the U.S. are genetically modified. Americans have been eating GM products for nearly two decades. But in Europe and much of Africa, debates over the safety and environmental effects of GM crops have largely blocked their use. A recent study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that pesticide use on corn crops has dropped 90 percent since the introduction of Bt corn, which contains genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis that help it ward off corn borers and other pests. Reports from China indicate that harmful aphids have decreased—and ladybugs and other beneficial insects have increased—in provinces where GM cotton has been planted. Which of the following statements best summarizes the author's predictions for how humans will meet the future nutritional needs of a growing population using current agricultural technology?

Humans have maximized the crop yield with improving technology and the implementation of modern genetic techniques to further increase crop productivity and resilience in order to meet the demand.

Overfishing of stocks of fish species, like salmon and cod, in an effort to meet a growing global demand has become an international concern. A recent estimate indicates that the average annual consumption of fish globally in 2014 was about twice the consumption in 1960. Because of increased concerns about the impact of overfishing, fishery managers are looking for ways to protect wild populations while still satisfying global demand for food for human consumption. Which of the following techniques could best reduce the harmful effects of overfishing if it were to be widely adopted by the fishing industry?

Increased use of large-mesh gill nets for harvesting salmon and trout

After intensive logging, most of the trees along a stream have been removed. Which of the following water quality changes would most likely occur downstream after logging?

Increased water temperature

Which of the following best exemplifies how an action within the fishing industry could lead to a tragedy of the commons?

Overfishing of threatened fish species leading to the eventual depletion of the resource

Which of the following would decrease with the manufacture, application, and use of synthetic fertilizers rather than organic fertilizers?

Recycling of organic matter

Which of the following best describes the concept of the tragedy of the commons?

The aim of large logging operations in tropical rain forests is economic gain, rather than sustainability. Therefore, the shared resources in the forest could become depleted.

Half a century ago disaster loomed just as ominously (as today). Speaking about global hunger in 1959, one economist said, "At best the world outlook for the decades ahead is grave; at worst it is frightening." Before those visions could come to pass, the green revolution transformed global agriculture, especially wheat and rice. [S]elective breeding created a dwarf variety of wheat that put most of its energy into edible kernels rather than long, inedible stems. The result: more grain per acre. Similar work in the Philippines dramatically improved the productivity of the grain that feeds nearly half the world. From the 1960s through the 1990s, yields of rice and wheat in Asia doubled. To keep doing that between now and 2050, we'll need another green revolution. There are two competing visions of how it will happen. One is high-tech, with a heavy emphasis on continuing breeding better crops, but with modern genetic techniques. "The next green revolution will supercharge the tools of the old one." Scientists, he argues, can now identify and manipulate a huge variety of plant genes, for traits like disease resistance and drought tolerance. That's going to make farming more productive and resilient. The signature technology of this approach—and the one that has brought both success and controversy to Monsanto—is genetically modified, or GM, crops. First released in the 1990s, they've been adopted by 28 countries and planted on 11 percent of the world's arable land, including half the cropland in the U.S. About 90 percent of the corn, cotton, and soybeans grown in the U.S. are genetically modified. Americans have been eating GM products for nearly two decades. But in Europe and much of Africa, debates over the safety and environmental effects of GM crops have largely blocked their use. A recent study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that pesticide use on corn crops has dropped 90 percent since the introduction of Bt corn, which contains genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis that help it ward off corn borers and other pests. Reports from China indicate that harmful aphids have decreased—and ladybugs and other beneficial insects have increased—in provinces where GM cotton has been planted. Which of the following is an assumption made by the author regarding the use of genetically modified crops?

The amount of arable land will remain relatively constant, and the growing human population will have enough food if more crops can be harvested from the same amount of land.

Half a century ago disaster loomed just as ominously (as today). Speaking about global hunger in 1959, one economist said, "At best the world outlook for the decades ahead is grave; at worst it is frightening." Before those visions could come to pass, the green revolution transformed global agriculture, especially wheat and rice. [S]elective breeding created a dwarf variety of wheat that put most of its energy into edible kernels rather than long, inedible stems. The result: more grain per acre. Similar work in the Philippines dramatically improved the productivity of the grain that feeds nearly half the world. From the 1960s through the 1990s, yields of rice and wheat in Asia doubled. To keep doing that between now and 2050, we'll need another green revolution. There are two competing visions of how it will happen. One is high-tech, with a heavy emphasis on continuing breeding better crops, but with modern genetic techniques. "The next green revolution will supercharge the tools of the old one." Scientists, he argues, can now identify and manipulate a huge variety of plant genes, for traits like disease resistance and drought tolerance. That's going to make farming more productive and resilient. The signature technology of this approach—and the one that has brought both success and controversy to Monsanto—is genetically modified, or GM, crops. First released in the 1990s, they've been adopted by 28 countries and planted on 11 percent of the world's arable land, including half the cropland in the U.S. About 90 percent of the corn, cotton, and soybeans grown in the U.S. are genetically modified. Americans have been eating GM products for nearly two decades. But in Europe and much of Africa, debates over the safety and environmental effects of GM crops have largely blocked their use. A recent study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that pesticide use on corn crops has dropped 90 percent since the introduction of Bt corn, which contains genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis that help it ward off corn borers and other pests. Reports from China indicate that harmful aphids have decreased—and ladybugs and other beneficial insects have increased—in provinces where GM cotton has been planted. The green revolution has improved global agricultural output. Which of the following best describes the author's perspective on the beginning of the green revolution in the 1970s and 1980s?

The green revolution was successful because of selective breeding, which improved nutritional value and crop yield to increase food production.

Which of the following describes an unintended consequence that results from large-scale agricultural use of water from an aquifer?

The rate of water use likely exceeds the rate of recharge, leading to lowering the water table.

Which of the following best describes environmental damage caused by slash-and-burn farming in tropical rain forests?

The soil loses fertility after a short period of time and will be ineffective for farming use.

Which of the following environmental effects would most likely result from the clear-cutting of boreal forests by industrial logging operations?

There will be an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, which will contribute to climate change.

Which of the following best describes the advantages and disadvantages of drip irrigation?

This method most efficiently delivers water directly to plant roots compared with other methods, and wastes less water, but it may be too costly for farmers in developing countries to use.

Which of the following agricultural practices results in soil degradation and most contributes to erosion?

Tilling