Year 11 Agricultural Science Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards compiled from Year 11 Agricultural Science lecture study notes.

Weather

Daily atmospheric conditions such as temperature, pressure, wind and moisture.

Climate

Average atmospheric conditions based on records over at least $30$ years.

Effective Rainfall

The water remaining after evaporation.

Growing Season

The months when effective rainfall provides enough water for plant growth.

Humidity

The amount of water vapour in the air at a given temperature.

Relative Humidity

The amount of water vapour present compared with the maximum possible at that temperature.

Evaporation

Water loss from the ground to the atmosphere.

Solar Radiation

Light and heat energy received from the Sun.

Microclimate

The climate of a small area that differs from its surroundings.

Intensive Systems

Agricultural systems such as broiler sheds, intensive piggeries and greenhouses needing environmental control.

Climate-Ready Crops

Crops adapted to higher temperatures, less water, higher $CO_2$ or changed flowering times.

Southern Oscillation Index (SOI)

A measure of air-pressure difference fluctuations between Tahiti and Darwin.

La Niña

Cooling in the central/eastern tropical Pacific with warmer western Pacific conditions and increased Australian rainfall.

El Niño

A Pacific weather shift associated with warmer water off South America and generally drier Australian conditions.

Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)

An ocean-atmosphere pattern based on sea-surface temperature differences in the Indian Ocean.

Soil Texture

The relative proportions of sand, silt and clay.

Soil Structure

The arrangement of soil particles into aggregates and pore spaces.

Porosity

The fraction of soil volume occupied by pores.

Soil Saturation

The state where all soil pores are filled with water.

Field Capacity

Water remaining after gravitational drainage, roughly $24$ to $48\,hours$ after saturation.

Permanent Wilting Point

Water held so tightly by soil that plants cannot extract it.

Infiltration

The downward entry of water into soil.

Humus

The main product of organic matter breakdown that helps hold water/minerals and bind particles.

Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC)

The number of cation equivalents that can exchange between soil and soil solution.

Macronutrients

Nutrients needed in large amounts, such as $N$, $P$ and $K$.

Micronutrients

Nutrients needed in small amounts, such as $B$, $Co$ and $Zn$.

Australian Soil Classification

A soil classification system comprising $14$ soil orders.

Agricultural Land Classification

A hierarchical system for assessing land suitability for sustainable agricultural use.

Renewable Resource

A resource that can be naturally replaced.

Edible Biota

Naturally occurring organisms that can be used for human consumption.

Biofuels

Fuels produced from fermentation of plants or plant products.

Provisioning Ecosystem Services

Products obtained from ecosystems such as food, fibre, fuel, water and pharmaceuticals.

Regulating Ecosystem Services

Services provided by ecosystems such as carbon storage, climate control and flood/disease regulation.

Supporting Ecosystem Services

Services necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services, such as soil formation and nutrient/water cycling.

Carbon Sequestration

Removing $CO_2$ from the atmosphere and storing it in solid or liquid forms.

Carbon Sinks

Places such as plants, trees and soil that store carbon.

Agricultural Effluent

Wastewater containing nutrients and organic matter.

Sustainable Farming

Maintaining soil, water, plant and animal quality while staying productive and profitable over time.

Land Degradation

A decline in land quality, including erosion, salinity, acidity, biodiversity loss and pollution.

Cool Burning

Low-intensity Aboriginal/TSI fire management that encourages new growth, attracts animals and returns minerals.

Pollutant

A substance that harms life or alters the environment.

Pathogens

Disease-causing organisms.

Salinity

The amount of salt in water or soil.

Dryland Salinity

Salinity caused by clearing deep-rooted vegetation, which raises groundwater and brings salt to the surface.

Irrigation Salinity

Salinity caused by excess irrigation below the root zone, raising the water table and bringing salt upward.

Siltation

Sediment accumulation/transport into waterways.

Crop Rotation

Growing different crops on the same land from year to year.

Paddock Rotation

Rotating paddocks of similar size to allow grazing/rest periods.

Cell Grazing

A grazing system that divides pasture into smaller cells and rotates livestock between them.

Water Harvesting

Collecting and storing water for later use.

Loamy Soil

A balanced soil mixture of sand, silt and clay, generally suited to plant growth.

Photosynthesis

The process plants use light energy to convert $CO_2$ and water into carbohydrates.

Rotational Grazing

Moving livestock between paddocks/areas to allow grazed areas time to recover.

Heritability

The proportion of variation in a trait within a population attributable to genetic differences.

Rumen

The main fermentation chamber of ruminants where microbes break down feed.

Artificial Insemination (AI)

Introducing semen into the female reproductive tract without natural mating.