AP ES Unit 5 Modules 31-34

Ecological footprint

A measure of the area of land and water an individual, population, or activity requires to produce all the resources it consumes and to process the waste it generates.

Carbon footprint

A measure of the total carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emissions from the activities, both direct and indirect, of a person, country, or other entity.

Sustainability

Being able to use a resource or engage in an activity now without jeopardizing the ability of the future generations to engage in similar activities later.

Sustainable development

development that balances current human well-being and economic advancement with resource management for the benefit of future generations.

Maximum sustainable yield (MSY)

The largest quantity of a renewable resource that can be harvested indefinitely.

Environmental indicators

Describe the current state of an environmental system or the Earth.

Anthropogenic

Derived from human activities.

Crop rotation

A crop-planting strategy in which different types of crop species are planted from season to season or year to year on the same plot of land.

Intercropping

An agricultural technique that calls for physical spacing of different crops growing at the same time, in close proximity to one another, to promote biological interaction.

Biocontrol

A shortened term for biological control, it uses biological organisms to control agricultural pests.

Natural predators

Predators that occur naturally in the environment.

Sustainable agriculture

Fulfills the need for food and fiber while enhancing the quality of the soil, minimizing the use of nonrenewable resources, and allowing economic viability for the farmer.

Soil conservation

The prevention of soil erosion while simultaneously increasing soil depth and increasing the nutrient content and organic matter content of the soil.

Agroforestry

An agricultural technique in which trees and vegetables are intercropped.

Windbreaks

An agricultural technique that literally plants tall objects that "break" the wind and prevent soil erosion.

Strip cropping

An agricultural method of planting crops with different spacing and rooting characteristics in alternating sets of rows to prevent soil erosion.

Contour plowing

Plowing and harvesting parallel to the topographic contours of the land.

Terracing

An agricultural technique where farms shape sloping land into step-like terraces that are flat.

Perennial plants

Plants that live for multiple years and do not need to be replanted at the beginning of each growing season.

No-till agriculture

An agricultural method used in fields of annual crops where farmers do not till or plow the soil between seasons.

Green manure

Plant material deliberately grown in a field with the intention of plowing it under at the end of the season.

Limestone

A calcium carbonate sedimentary rock that has been ground up or crushed for easy application as a fertilizer.

Rotational grazing

The rotation of farm animals to different pastures and fields to prevent overgrazing.

Organic agriculture

The production of crops in a way that sustains or improves the soil, without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.

Delaney Clause

A clause in the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act designed to prevent potentially harmful cancer-causing food ingredients.

Reforestation

The natural or intentional restocking of trees after clear-cutting to repopulate the forest, reduce erosion, and begin the process of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Sustainable forestry

A methodology for managing forests so they provide wood while also providing clean water, maximum biodiversity, and maximum carbon sequestration in both trees and soil.

Prescribed burn

When a fire is deliberately set under controlled conditions, thereby decreasing the accumulation of dead biomass on the forest floor.