Land and Water Use

The Tragedy of the Commons

Concept introduced by Garrett Hardin in 1968, highlighting the depletion and pollution of shared resources due to individual exploitation.

Clear-Cutting

Forestry practice involving the simultaneous cutting of all trees in an area, leading to habitat loss, soil erosion, and reduced biodiversity.

Agricultural Revolutions

Historical shifts in farming practices, including the transition from hunting to settled agriculture, mechanization, and the adoption of biotechnology for sustainable food production.

Desertification

Conversion of marginal land into desert-like conditions, often due to overgrazing, deforestation, and poor agricultural practices.

Irrigation Methods

Techniques such as drip, flood, furrow, and spray used to supply controlled water amounts to crops, essential for agriculture for over 5,000 years.

Pest-Control Methods

Strategies like Integrated Pest Management (IPM) combining biological, chemical, and physical methods to control pests sustainably and reduce pesticide resistance.

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)

Intensive animal feeding operations with environmental risks due to large amounts of waste, impacting water quality and aquatic ecosystems.

Overfishing

The unsustainable practice of depleting fish populations beyond their ability to recover, threatening marine ecosystems and food security.

Mining

The extraction of mineral resources from the ground, impacting landscapes, ecosystems, and local communities.

Surface Mining

Involves methods like contour mining, dredging, in situ extraction, mountaintop removal, open pit, and strip mining.

Contour Mining

Removing overburden following the land's contours to access the seam.

Dredging

Mining method below the water table, often used in gold mining, using suction or scoops.

In situ Extraction

Drilling holes into the Earth and injecting solvents to extract resources.

Mountaintop Removal

Removing mountaintops to access coal seams and disposing of overburden in adjacent areas.

Open Pit Mining

Extracting minerals from the Earth's surface through an open pit.

Strip Mining

Exposing coal by removing soil above each coal seam.

Underground Mining

Involves methods like blasting, longwall mining, and room-and-pillar mining.

Blast Mining

Uses explosives to break up the seam for transportation to processing centers.

Longwall Mining

Utilizes a rotating drum with teeth to extract material from coal seams.