5.6 - 5.10 AP Environmental Science Unit 5

pesticides

chemicals that are toxic to pests (can cause pests to become resistant to pesticides with overuse)

GMOs for pesticides

gene for pest resistance is added to plants through gene modification

genetic diversity with GMOs

no genetic diversity as they are all clones of each other

livestock

animals raised for profit

CAFOs

densely crowded methods of feeding livestock with antibiotics and growth hormones

manure lagoons

large, open storage pits for animal waste

free-range grazing

animals graze at a natural rate and grow with no hormones

overgrazing

too many animals grazing land and can compact soil, decreasing H20

desertification

if plants are killed by overgrazing and much compacted soil

inefficiency of meat

need large amounts of energy, land, and water

fishery collapse

overfishing causes 90% population decline in a fishery

bottom trawling

dragging a large net along ocean floor to catch fish (includes bycatch which are unintended species that are caught)

impacts of overfishing

depletion of smaller fish population can limit overall fishery recovery and disrupt the food chain

ore

valuable deposits of minerals that can be harvested and used as raw materials

metals

elements that conduct electricity, heat, and have structural properties for building (found in ores)

reserve

known amount of a resource left that can be mined

overburden

soil, vegetation, and rocks that are removed to get to an ore deposit below

tailings and slag

leftover waste material separated from the valuable metal or mineral within ore

surface mining

removal of overburden to access ore (topsoil erosion; different types: open pit, strip, moutaintop removal, placer)

subsurface mining

shaft drilled down into ground (often used for coal, more expensive, poor ventilation leading to toxic gas exposure)

environmental impacts of mining

contaminates groundwater as rainwater carries sulfuric acid into nearby streams, methane release, PM release, and acid mine drainage (rainwater leaks into abandoned mine tunnels)

mine reclamation

process of restoring land to original state after mining has finished (filling of empty mine shafts, restoring original contours, returning topsoil, and replanting of native plants)

urbanization

process of an area increasing the density of people per unit area (require more resources and produce more waste, more energy efficient)

trends in population

more 75% of ppl in developed countries live in urban areas, highest growth currently in suburban population

urban sprawl

urbanized areas that spread into rural areas (causes: cheaper property in suburbs than in cities, domino effect)

urban blight

as people move away from city to suburbs, the city deteriorates causing more people to leave

slow growth and careful planning

urban areas that have grown slowly or are carefully planned can be pleasant places to live

urban runoff

urbanization replaces soil, vegetation, wetlands, with impervious surfaces (prevents groundwater recharge causing precipitation to runoff into local bodies of water)

solutions for impacts of urbanizations

permeable pavement, rain garden, public transit, building up not out