Unit 5 Vocab APES

Tragedy of the Commons

idea that people tend to overuse public or shared resources since they don’t experience the full consequences of their actions. This often leads to resource depletion and environmental degradation.

• Must be public resources

• Ex. Overgrazing, Overfishing, Water & Air Pollution, Overuse of Groundwater

Externalities

Negative costs associated with a human action that aren’t accounted for unintended side effects

Clean Air Act

Legislation aimed at controlling air pollution on a national level, setting emissions standards and permitting requirements for industries.

Clean Water Act

Legislation aimed at regulating water pollution, establishing the structure for monitoring water quality standards and protecting aquatic ecosystems.

Safe Drinking Water

Act legislation that ensures the quality of residents' drinking water by setting standards for water safety and quality.

Clear Cutting

Cutting down of all the trees in an area at once to harvest them for lumber or to clear the land for some other use such as a griculture.

• This pratice can lead to soil erosion removes soil organic metter & deposits sediments in local streams making it more turbid (cloudy), loss of tree shade increases soil temperature (higher albedo) and river temperature

• Decreased soil H20 holding capacity lead to floods and landlsides.

• The cutting and burning of trees releases carbon dixoide and contributes to climate changes. Reduces Carbon Sequestration

Tree Plantations

areas where the same species are repeatedly planted, grown, and harvested.

• Lowers biodiversity, mature forests are replaced with single species forest.

• Less Specics Diversity & Less Habitat Diversity

• Filtering air pollutants, and CO2 sequestration.

Slash & Burn Agriculture

clears land for agriculture by cutting down trees and burning them releasing greenhouse gases into the atmopshere.

Green Revolution

A set of changes in agriculture production methods in the late 1950s-1960s brought widespread use of high yeild varities, chemical pesticides, fertilizers, GMOs, and industrial irrigation systems for crops.

• Shifted agriculture way from small family operated farms to large industrial scale agribusiness.

• Increased us of mechanizations GMOs, irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides

Mechanization

the use of machines to do agriculture labor

• Machines used for plowing and tiling fields, increased yields and profit.

• Increased reliance on fossil fuelds, emits Greenhouse gases to atmosphere

• Heavy machinery also compacts soil, decreasing H20 holding capacity, makes topsoil erosion

High Yeild Variety (HYV) Crops

Hybrid (cross pollinating), genetically modefied crops that produce a higher yield. Food stability increased in Regions prone to famine.

GMOs

Organisms whose genomes have been altered using biotechnology to produce desired traits such as higher yields, pest resistance, or drought tolerance.

• GMO crops are all genetically identifcal so genetic diversity is decreased and more suscpetible to dsieases.

Synthetic Fertilizers

Man made fertilizers that supply plants with essential nutrients to increase crop growth, yields.

• Excessive nitrate, phosphate are washed off fields into water where it causes Eutrophication

Irrigation

drawing water from the ground or nearby surface water and distributing it on fields to grow plants increases arable land.

Monocropping

growing one single species (corn, wheat, soy) of crop

• Decrease biodiversity (more prone to pests, fewer natural predators_

• Increases soil erosion (crops harvest all at once & soil left bare)

Tiling

mixing and breaking up soil to make planting easier. Also loosens soil for roots

• Increases erosion by loosening topsoil, breaking up leftover root structure 

• Increases particulate matter in air and sediments in nearby water (turbidity)

Slash & Burn Agriculture

 cutting down vegetation and burning it to clear land for agriculture & return nutrients in plants to the soil. 

• Leads to deforestation, loss of habitat, biodiversity loss, CO2 sequestration declines, air pollution filtration declines too. 

• Lowers Albedo as forest cover decreases, making the area warmer

Synthetic (inorganic) Fertilizer

does not return organic matter to soil, no increased H20 holding capacity, no soil decomposers. 

Leaching

water carries excess nutrients from synthetic fertilizer (nitrates & phosphates) into groundwater or into surface water 

• contaminates groundwater for drinking

• Causes Eutrophication of surface waters. Organic fertilizers can lead to possible eutrophication, but at slower rates because of organic makeup

Furrow Irrigation (Least Efficient)

trench dug along crops & filled with water. 

• Least & Inexpensive, water seeps into soil slowly

Flood Irrigation

flood entire field; easier but more disruptive to plants.

• Can waterlog the soil & drown plants 

• 80% efficient - 20% runoff evaporation 

Spray Irrigation

ground or surface water pumped into spray nozzles 

• High initial cost for expensive equipment & high energy costs 

Drip Irrigation (Most efficient)

holes in houses allow water to slowly drip out. 

• Avoids waterlogging conserving water, most efficient, and costly 

Waterlogging

overwatering can saturate the soil, filling all soil pore space with water.

Soil Aeration

poking holes or cores in soil to allow air in & water to drain through the soil

Soil Salinization

the process of slat building up in a soil over time.

• As water evaporates, and salt is left behind in soil. Over time the soil can reach toxic levels, dehydrating plant roots & preventhing growth . 

• The solution: use drip irrigation, soil aeration, flushing with fresh water, switching to a freshwater source

Groundwater

 H20 stored in pore space of permeable rock & sediment layers 

Aquifiers

 usable groundwater deposits for humans replenished by groundwater recharge

• Unconfined aquifers recharge quickly

• Confined aquifers recharge are longer term water deposits that recharge more slowly

Pesticides

chemicals that are toxic to pests (rodenticides, fungicides. insecticides, herbicides)

• Genetic biodiversity gives some pests resistant traits to pesticide. 

• Pesticide artificially selects for pests with resistance by killing all non-resistant individuals leaving only resistant pests.

GMOs (Genetic Modification)

gene for pest resistant trait is added to the plant through genetic modification

• GM crops are all genetically identical (clones) there is no genetic diversity in the population

  • If there is a disease or pest that does affect the GM crops, they are all vulnerable and there is no chance of genetic mutation providing an adaptive trait.

CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations)

feedlots are a densely crowded method where animals are fed grain to raise them as quickly as possible.

• Maximizes land use and profit (most meat production per/ unit of area), minimize cost of meat for consumers

• Given Antibiotics & Growth Hormones to prevent disease outbreak & speed meat production

• Produce large volumes of waste which can contaminate groundwater and create lots of GH gasse

Manure Lagoons

• open storage pits for animal waste (manure) waste contains N, hormones, antibiotics, and e coli bacteria. 

• Heavy rain can flood lagoons causing runoff to enter nearby surface/ground water 

• Can be emptied and buried in landfills or turned into fertilizer pellets. 

Free Range Grazing

animals (usually cows) graze on grass & grow at a natural rate without growth hormones

• No need for antibiotics, don't require production of corn, waste is dispersed over land naturally fertilizer

• Requires more total land use/pound of meat produced (more expensive for consumer)

Desertification

occur if plants are killed by overgrazing & soil is compacted so much that it can’t hold enough water anymore.

Overgrazing

too many animals grazing an area of land can remove all the vegetation (grass) which leads to topsoil erosion.

Rotational Grazing

moving animals periodically which prevents overgrazing.

• Can increase growth of grass by distributing fertilizer & clipping grass back to size where growth is most rapid. 

Fisheries

populations of fish used for commercial fishing. 

Fishery Collapse

• when overfishing causes 90% population decline in a fishery. 

  • The population may never recover from fishery collapse because of decreased biodiversity/ inability to find mates. Vulnerable to ecosystem changes. 

Bottom Trawling

 especially harmful method that involves dragging a large net across the ocean floor

Bycatch

• unintended species like dolphins, whales, turtles caught in nets, stores up ocean sediment increasing (turbidity)

• Decreases biodiversity by killing non target species & removing coral reef habitat.

Surface Mining

removal of soil vegetation & rocks to access ore near the surface.

• Mountain top removal is damaging to landscape, habitats, and streams nearby. 

• Removal of vegetation & soil, topsoil erosion, habitat loss, and increased stream turbidity, increased particular matter in the air 

Subsurface Mining

 more expensive due to high insurance & health care costs for workers

• Poor ventilation leads to toxic gas exposure, mine shaft collapse, injury from falling rock, lung cancer, fires, and explosions.

• Vertical Shaft drilled down into ground: elevators to carry down workers & transport out resources used primarily for coal.

Acid Mine Drainage

rainwater leaks into abandoned mine tunnels & mixes with pyrite, forming sulfuric acid. 

• Rainwater carries sulfuracic acid into nearby streams lowers ph of water making toxic metals soluble in water killing aquatic life 

Urbanization

 removal of vegetation to convert natural landscape to city (urban)

• CO2 emissions increase from cement production, construction machinery, deforestation, and landfills 

• In coastal cities saltwater intrusion occurs because of excessive groundwater withdrawal near cost lowering water table pressure, allowing saltwater to seep into groundwater

Imprevious surfaces

•  concrete,asphalt, cement which don't allow water to infiltrate into the ground.

Urban Sprawl

 population movement out of dense, urban centers to less dense suburban areas surrounding the city. 

• Cheaper properties in the suburbs than in cities (larger homes for same price)

• Carts make it easy to still get from suburbs to work, entertainment, and cultural attractions 

• Domino effect (neighbors leave, so you leave)

• Fewer residents in cities leads to decline in tax revenue for the city. 

• Expanded highway system makes traveling easier 

• Increase in fuel tax revenue, used to build more highways

Urban Growth Boundaries

 zoning laws set by cities preventing development beyond a certain boundary 

Public transport & walkable cities design to attract residents to stay 

Mixed Land Use, residential, business, and entertainment buildings allocated in the same area of a city allows for walkability and a sense of plac

Ecological Footprint

measure of how much a person/group consumes, expressed in an area of land

• Land Required for Food Production, Raw Materials, Housing, Electricity Production, Waste

Carbon Footprint

Measure in tonnes of CO2 produced per year 

• All CO2 released from an individual or groups consumption & activities: Material Goods, Food Production,  Energy Use 

Sustainability

, using a resource or space in a way that does not deplete or degrade it for future generations. 

• Ex. Compost (Renewable) over synthetic fertilizer (fossil fuel dependent)

Maximum Sustainability Yield

, maximum amount of a renewable resource that can be harvested without reducing or depleting the resource for future use. 

• Roughly ½ carrying capacity. Maximizes yield and regeneration of population 

Environmental Indicators of Sustainability

factors that help us determine the health of the environment and guide us toward sustainable use of earth’s resources. 

• Genetic Species, and Ecosystems 

• Higher biodiversity = healthier ecosystems 

• Declining biodiversity are signs of pollution, habitat destruction, climate change 

Permeable Pavement

 especially designed to allow stormwater to infiltrate & recharge groundwater 

• Decreases runoff, decreasing pollutants carried into storm drain & local surface water 

• Decreases chances of flooding during heavy rainfall. 

• More expensive than traditional concrete.

Rain Gardens

 gardens planted in urban areas surrounding a storm drain

• Decreases runoff by allowing it to soak into garden soil surrounding the storm drain

• Decreases flooding, and increases local habitat for pollinators, and slightly increase carbon sequestration

Public Transit

more cars on the road = more pollutants on streets to runoff into storm drains. 

• More cars == more lanes & parking lots (impervious surfaces more stormwater runoff 

• Public transit decrease urban runoff, pollutants on road, CO2 emissions and traffic

Building Up, Not out, building vertically decreases impervious surfaces (decreasing runoff)

Integrated Pest Managment

 pest control strategy that uses a combination of biological, cultural, physical, and chemical methods to control pest populations while minimizing environmental and human health impacts. 

• IPM focuses on prevention and monitoring first, using chemical pesticides only as a last resort.

Biocontrol

introducing a natural predator, parasite, or competitor to control the pest population

Rotating Crops

planting a different crop each season, can prevent pests from becoming established.

Intercropping

agricultural practice where two or more different crops are grown together in the same field at the same time.

• Push plant emit chemical that naturally repel pest away from crop 

• Pull plant emit chemicals that attract moths to lay eggs in them instead of crop

Soil Conservation

agricultural techniques that minimize erosion to prevent loss of nutrients in topsoil, soil moisture, and decomposers in topsoil

Contour Plowing

plowing parallel to natural slopes of the land preventing water runoff & erosion

• Forms mini terraces that catch water running off conserving soil & water 

Terracing

cutting flat platforms of soil into a steep slope

• Flatness of terraces catches water & prevents it from becoming runoff and eroding soil

Perennial Crops

crops that live year round and are harvested numerous times

• Longer More established roots, prevention of bare soils 

Windbreaks

using trees or other plants to block the force of the wind from eroding topsoil

No till

leaving leftover crop remains in soil instead of tilling under

• Add organic matter to soil, prevents erosion from loosened soil 

Crop Rotation (Stir Cropping)

crop rotation can allow soil to recover from nitrogen demanding crops like corn. Replanting some crops continuously depletes soil of the same nutrients

• Pease & Beans have nitrogen fixing bacteria in their root nodules that can return nitrogen to the soil

Rotational Grazing

regular rotation of livestock to different pastures to prevent overgrazing

Aquaculture

the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants in controlled environments like ponds, tanks, or ocean cages.

• Benefits

  • requires small amounts of water, space, and fuel. 

  • Reduces risk of fisher collapse. 

  • Doesn't take up any land space 

• Disadvantages

  • High density produces high concentration of waste 

  • May introduce non native species or GMO to local ecosystem if captive fish escape 

  • Fish are fed antibiotics which can contaminate water via waste. 

Sustainable Forestry

how to utilize the forest (lumber) without depleting or degrading the resource

Selective Cutting (Stripped Cutting)

only cutting some of the trees (biggest, oldest, diseased)

Fire Suppression

practice of putting out a natural fire as soon as it starts.

• Leads to more biomass build up, and makes future fires worse. Must be closely monitored 

Prescribed Burn

small controlled fires to burn off built up biomass

• Prevent worse fires in the future.