RG Environmental Science 5
Consequences of urban runoff
- decreased infiltration (groundwater recharge) - rain washes pollutants into storm drains and into local surface waters
Benefits and drawbacks of aquaculture.
-reliable protein source -can be sustainable -diseases require expensive antibiotics -lots of waste
The total carbon dioxide emissions produced by an individual, group, or location.
A carbon footprint
Indicators of environmental sustainability.
Amount of water used. Life cycle of the product. Raw materials used. Carbon footprint. Carbon dioxide emissions during transit.
Tree plantations and their effect.
Areas where the same tree species are repeatedly planted, grown, and harvested, Lowers Biodiversity and all the same age
Three types of Integrated Pest Management techniques.
Biocontrol (Bringing in a natural predator or parasite to control the pest). Crop rotation Intercropping
Free Range Grazing vs CAFO's
CAFOs bring feed to their animals who are forced to remain stationary. Free range denotes a method of farming husbandry where the animals, for at least part of the day, can roam freely outdoors, rather than being confined in an enclosure for 24 hours each day.
Ecological consequences of CAFOs
Contamination in surface water can cause nitrates and other nutrients to build up.
Soil Conservation-Methods/Techniques used to minimize erosion.
Contour Plowing, Terracing, Perennial Crops
slash and burn
Cutting down vegetation & burning it to clear land for ag. & return nutrients in plants to soil.
Negative costs associated with human actions, that aren't accounted for in the price (unintended side-effects).
Externalities
Three benefits of forests.
Filtering of Air Pollutants, Removal & storage of CO2 from atm. and Habitat for Organisms
Four types of irrigation and facts about each.
Furrow Irrigation, Trench dug along crops & filled with water Easy & inexpensive; water seeps into soil slowly ~66% efficient, 33% lost to runoff & evap, Drip Irrigation Most efficient, but also most costly Over 95% efficient Holes in hose allow water to slowly drip out Avoids waterlogging & conserves waters, Flood Irrigation Flood entire field; easier but more disruptive to plants Can waterlog the soil & drown plants 80% efficient - 20% runoff/evap., Spray Irrigation Ground or surface water pumped into spray nozzles More efficient (less water loss) than flood or furrow More expensive (requires energy for pumps & movement of sprinklers
Factors associated with the Green Revolution.
Greatly increases efficiency of lands, short-term profitability, and food supply. Decreased world hunger and increased earth's carrying capacity for humans. Neg. consequences (soil erosion, biodiversity loss, ground & surface water contamination).
H2O stored in pore space of permeable rock & sediment layers.
Groundwater
Monocropping
Growing one single species (corn, wheat, soy) of crop.
GMO's and pesticide use, Bt Corn
Increases profitability with fewer plants lost to drought, disease, or pests + larger plant size + yield/acre. genetically identical so genetic diversity is decreased and susceptibility to diseases or pest is increased.
Using a variety of pest control methods that minimize environmental disruption and pesticide use.
Integrated Pest Management techniques.
The maximum amount of a renewable resource that can be harvested without reducing or depleting the resource for future use.
Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY)
Tilling
Mixing and breaking up soil to make planting easier, also loosens soil for roots.
Soil, vegetation, & rocks that are removed to get to an ore deposit.
Overburden
Process of restoring land to original state after mining has finished.
Reclamation
Three direct effects of clearcutting.
Soil Erosion, Increased Soil & Stream Temperature, Flooding & Landslides
Salinization is the process of salt building up in a soil over time.
Soil salinization
Leftover waste material separated from the valuable metal or mineral within ore.
Tailings and slag
A time when the farming practices switched in order to produce more food.
The Green Revolution
Measure of how much a person/group consumes, expressed in area of land.
The ecological footprint
The tendency of a shared, limited resource to become depleted because people act from self-interest for short-term gain.
The tragedy of the commons
Saturate the soil, filling all soil pore space with water.
Waterlogging
Unintended species like dolphins, whales, turtles caught in nets.
bycatch
Environmental impacts of mining.
erosion, formation of sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, and contamination of soil, groundwater and surface water by chemicals from mining processes.
Explain the pesticide treadmill.
farmers get caught on the treadmill as they are forced to use more and more — and increasingly toxic — chemicals to control insects and weeds that develop resistance to pesticides.
Most fresh water in the US is used in this process.
hydrology?
Economic consequences of overfishing.
lost income for fishermen, lost tourism dollars for communities.
Solutions to urban runoff.
permeable pavement, rain garden, public transit, building up not out
Benefits of using integrated Pest Management.
protects the natural enemies that help keep pests in check
Examples of sustainable forestry methods/practices.
reforesting; protecting biological diversity, water resources, and special sites; maintaining long-term forest and soil productivity; and recycling wood and fiber products.
Consuming a resource or using a space in a way that does not deplete or degrade it for future generations.
sustainability
Population movement out of dense, urban centers to less dense suburban areas surrounding the city.
urban sprawl
Techniques used to improve soil fertility.
use of fertilizers, organic inputs, crop rotation with legumes and the use of improved germplasm