Food Production and Conservation Summary

Flashcards on key vocabulary terms related to food production, fisheries, wildlife conservation, and biodiversity.

Hunger

Lack of sufficient calories for basic energy needs.

Famine

Widespread food shortage causing starvation and mass mortality.

Malnourishment

Nutritional imbalance caused by lack of specific dietary components or inability to absorb/utilize essential nutrients.

Green Revolution

Dramatic increase in yield as new varieties spread around the world.

Pesticide

General term; chemicals that kill pests.

Biocides

Chemicals that kill a wide range of living things.

Herbicides

Chemicals that kill plants.

Insecticides

Chemicals that kill insects.

Fungicides

Chemicals that kill fungi.

Organophosphates

Organic compounds with a biologically reactive phosphate group.

Pest Resurgence

The rebound of resistant populations.

Pesticide Treadmill

Cycle of increasing pesticide use as pests evolve resistance.

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Chemicals that are stable, easily absorbed into fatty tissues, and highly toxic.

Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO)

Large industrial facility where livestock are densely raised in confinement.

Trawling

Drag net 50m x 10 feet.

Purse Seining

Net surrounds and scoops.

Longlining

Central line 50 miles long, with bait on hooks

Bycatch

Unintended species caught during fishing.

Aquaculture

Growing aquatic species in nets, pens, and tanks.

Genetic Engineering

Removing material from one organism and splicing it into the chromosomes of another.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Organisms that have had their genes modified by humans.

Contour Plowing

Plowing along the contours of the land to slow down water and soil loss.

Strip Farming

Plant different crops in alternating strips along contours.

Terracing

Shaping land to make level shelves to hold soil.

Conservation Tillage

Farming method that minimizes soil disturbance.

No Till Planting

Planting crops without plowing soil.

Crop Rotation

Changing crops in a field over time to reduce pests and maintain soil health

Mechanical Cultivation

Physically removing weeds using tools or machinery.

Flooding Fields

Flooding fields before planting.

Burning Crop Residues

Burning crop residues and replanting with cover crop.

Habitat Diversification

Increasing diversity in ecosystem functions, including the presence of predators to manage pests.

Polyculture

Practicing agriculture with multiple different crops; harder for pests to multiply out of control.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Flexible, ecologically based strategy applied at specific times, aimed at specific crops and pests.

Trap Crops

Small crops planted a few weeks ahead of the rest to attract pests away from main crops.

Carrying Capacity (K)

Number of species or biomass that can be supported in a certain area without depleting resources.

Population Crash

Rapid dieback resulting from shortages of food or other resources.

Logistic Growth

Growth that slows as it approaches carrying capacity (K).

r-selected Species

Species most influenced by the rate of reproduction.

K-selected Species

Species more influenced by density, few offspring, high survival, long life, parental care

Life History Strategies

Age and stage-specific patterns that make up an organism’s life (few species strictly r or K).

Type I Survivorship Curve

Few offspring, most surviving; mortality declines sharply with age. Larger mammals.

Type II Survivorship Curve

Equally likely to die at any time; death unrelated to age. Death largely from predators and diseases. Example: sea gulls, mice, rabbits.

Type III Survivorship Curve

Huge number of offspring, few survive to reproduce. Few that survive get to adulthood. Examples: fish, trees, clams, crabs.

Biomes

The total mass of living organic matter in a given area or ecosystem.

Cloud Forests

Wet, cool forests at high elevations.

Tropical Rainforests

Warm, wet biomes with lots of rainfall and very high biodiversity.

Grasslands

Biomes with mostly grasses and not enough rainfall for trees.

Savannahs

Tropical grasslands with scattered trees and seasonal rainfall.

Desertification

Process where fertile land becomes desert-like.

Sheet Erosion

Thin, uniform removal of topsoil by water.

Rill Erosion

Small channels formed by runoff erosion.

Gully Erosion

Large channels formed by severe erosion.

Waterlogging

Soil saturated with water, reducing oxygen availability.

Salinization

Salt buildup in soil that reduces fertility.

Deciduous Forests

Forests where trees lose leaves seasonally.

Coniferous Forests

Forests dominated by cone-bearing evergreen trees.

Tundra

Cold, treeless biome with permafrost.

Alpine Tundra

Tundra found at high mountain elevations.

Marine Snow

Organic matter and nutrients that fall from the upper layers of the ocean, feeding ecosystems below.

Upwelling

Process that pulls nutrients from marine snow back to the surface.

Photic Zone

Ocean layer with enough light for photosynthesis.

Benthic Zone

Ocean or lake floor region.

Pelagic Zone

Open water column of the ocean.

Littoral Zone

Shallow lake area near shore.

Intertidal Zone

Area exposed by low tides.

Epipelagic Zone

Layer where photosynthetic organisms are found.

Mesopelagic Zone

Low-light 'twilight' ocean zone.

Bathypelagic Zone

Deep ocean zone with no sunlight.

Abyssal Zone

The area of the ocean below 4000 m depth.

Hadal Zone

The ocean zone found 6000 m and deeper.

Estuaries

High productivity and biodiversity; areas with lots of nutrients but also great dead zones.

Coral Reefs

Areas with amazing productivity and diversity in marine ecosystems.

Sea Grass Beds

Shallow, warm, sandy areas; very sensitive ecosystems housing species like snails, worms, and turtles.

Mangroves

Special trees along shallow, calm, tropical coastlines.

Salt Marshes

Shallow wetlands that are flooded regularly or occasionally with seawater.

Tide Pools

Areas of ocean water that remain in shattered rocks after the tide goes out.

Barrier Islands

Low, narrow sandy islands parallel to the coast.

Epilimnion

Warmer upper layer of lakes; mixed by wind and warmed by the sun.

Hypolimnion

Colder, deeper layer of lakes; not mixed with the upper layer.

Thermocline

Boundary between the epilimnion and hypolimnion.

Wetlands

Areas where water covers the soil for significant periods, defined by vegetation type.

Swamps

Wetlands that have trees.

Marshes

Wetlands without trees.

Bogs

Wetlands with deep layers of accumulated, undecayed vegetation (peat), fed by precipitation.

Fens

Similar to bogs but fed by groundwater, making them mineral-rich.

Biodiversity

Variety of life at genetic, species, and ecosystem levels.

Genetic Diversity

Measures the variety of different versions of the same genes within individual species.

Species Diversity

Describes the number of different kinds of organisms within individual communities or ecosystems.

Ecological Diversity

Assesses the richness and complexity of the biological community.

Extinction

The elimination of a species.

Biodiversity Hotspots

Regions with high biodiversity and high threat levels.

Endemic Species

Species found only in one specific location.

HIPPO (HIPPCO)

Acronym for main threats to biodiversity: Habitat destruction, Invasive species, Pollution, Population, Climate change, Overharvesting.

Invasive Species

Species that are especially able to colonize new territory.

Endangered Species

Species that are in imminent danger of extinction.

Threatened Species

Species that are likely to become endangered, at least locally, in the near future.

Vulnerable Species

Species that are naturally rarer or locally depleted by human activities to the level that puts them at risk.

Keystone Species

Species with disproportionately large impact on ecosystem function.

Indicator Species

Species that signal environmental conditions; their presence indicates ecosystem health status.