APES Unit 5: Land & Water Use

Aquaculture

The cultivation of seafood and/or aquatic plants under controlled conditions (aquatic farming)

CAFO

Concentrated animal feeding operation- animals are confined and not allowed to free graze

Clearcutting

The process of cutting down all the trees in an area at once

selective cutting

the removal of select trees in an area; this leaves the majority of the habitat in place and has less of an impact on the ecosystem

Desertification

the process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture

GMO

an organism that has acquired one or more genes artificially

Green Revolution

Agricultural revolution that increased production through improved seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation

impervious surfaces

artificial structures—such as pavements (roads, sidewalks, parking lots, etc.) that are covered by water-resistant materials

Intercropping

Growing two or more different crops at the same time on a plot

IPM

Pest management using a variety of techniques, agricultural, biological and use of minimal amount of pesticides when necessary

irrigation

The process of supplying water to areas of land to make them suitable for growing crops.

ore

a rock that contains a large enough concentration of a mineral making it profitable to mine

MSY (maximum sustainable yield)

the maximum amount of a renewable resource that can be harvested without compromising the future availability of that resource

Reforestation

The restoration (replanting) of a forest that had been reduced by fire or cutting

rotational grazing

confining animals to a small area for a short time before shifting them to a new location

Runoff

Part of the water cycle where an excess of water runs down and does not sink into the soil and eventually makes it to the rivers, lakes, and oceans.

Soil salinization

Accumulation of salts in soil that can eventually make the soil unable to support plant growth.

slash and burn agriculture

a farming technique in which trees are cut down and burned to clear and fertilize the land

Terracing

creating flat platforms (almost like steps) in the hillside that provide a level planting surface, which reduces soil runoff from the slope.

tilling

The turning-over or "mixing up" of soil before planting.

urban sprawl

the unplanned and uncontrolled spreading of cities into surrounding regions

Waterlogging

saturation of soil with irrigation water or excessive precipitation so that there is less porous space available/oxygen cannot move around/plants essentially drown

Windbreaks

Rows of large trees or bushes planted between fields to help block the wind and prevent soil erosion.

Aquifer

A body of rock or sediment that stores groundwater and allows the flow of groundwater

recharge

new water that enters an aquifer from the surface

Monocropping

Growing the same crop on the same field year after year

overgrazing

Destruction of vegetation caused by too many grazing animals consuming the plants in a particular area so they cannot recover

Agroforestry

when trees and crops are planted together, creating a mutualistic symbiotic relationship between them, stabilizing soil, etc.

Urban Runoff

Water that comes from city streets and drainage channels, it is often very polluted.

drip irrigation

a method of supplying irrigation water through tubes that literally drip water onto the soil at the base of each plant.

flood irrigation

water is distributed over the soil surface by gravity; the most common form of irrigation and most inefficient; loses 40% of water

spray irrigation

water is pumped from a well into an apparatus that contains a series of spray nozzles that spray water across the field

furrow irrigation

farmer digs trenches along the crop rows and fills them with water, which seeps into the ground and provides moisture to plant roots; easy and inexpensive; 65% efficient

Tragedy of the Commons

the tendency of a shared, limited resource to become depleted because people act from self-interest for short-term gain

selective harvesting

a method of harvesting where certain trees are selected for cutting. Only these trees are taken.

Limestone

Raises soil pH and nutrient uptake of plants

Methane (CH4)

Greenhouse gas mostly produced by livestock

Bottom Trawling

a fishing technique in which the ocean floor is literally scraped by heavy nets that smash everything in their path.

longline fishing

a commercial fishing technique that uses a long line with baited hooks attached at intervals.

Driftnet fishing

Fishing using nets that are allowed to drift on or near the surface of the water

strip mining

the removal of strips of soil and rock to expose ore

mountaintop removal

a mining technique in which the entire top of a mountain is removed with explosives

tailings

Rock and other waste materials removed as impurities when waste mineral material is separated from the metal in an ore.

slag

the residue or mass of metal left after smelting; worthless matter

acid rock drainage

Natural leaching of acid from rock surfaces worsened by mining

Controlled Burns

managed fires that are set periodically to control the amount of vegetation underneath the dominant forest tree species

nonorganic fertilizer

Cheap and easily accessible fertilizers that lack micronutrients for soil quality

organic fertilizer

fertilizer composed of organic matter from plants and animals

desertification

Degradation of land, especially in semiarid areas, primarily because of human actions like excessive crop planting, animal grazing, and tree cutting.

Green manure

Freshly cut or still-growing green vegetation that is plowed into the soil to increase the organic matter and humus available to support crop growth.

Rotational grazing

Confining animals to a small area for a short time (often only a day or two) before shifting them to a new location

Orgallala aquifer

Significant agricultural water source found in the Great Plains in the United States

Pesticide Treadmill

A cycle of pesticide development, followed by pest resistance, followed by new pesticide development

Free range

animals, especially poultry, that range freely for food, rather than being confined in an enclosure

Saltwater intrusion

an infiltration of salt water in an area where groundwater pressure has been reduced from extensive drilling of wells

Green roof

roof covered in vegetation - helps to absorb water and prevent runoff

Ecological footprint

the impact of a person or community on the environment, expressed as the amount of land required to sustain their use of natural resources.