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Subsistence farming

Farming for consumption by the farming family and maybe a few neighbors.

Reserve

In resource management, the known quantity of a resource that can be economically recovered.

Nonpersistent pesticides

Pesticide that breaks down relatively rapidly, usually in weeks or months, and have fewer long-term effects.

Water footprint

Total daily per capita use of fresh water for a country or the world.

Tragedy of the commons

The tendency of a shared, limited resource to become depleted if it is not regulated in some way.

Pesticide resistance

A trait possessed by certain individuals that are exposed to a pesticide and survive.

Furrow irrigation

A form of irrigation where the farmer digs trenches, or furrows, along the crop rows, and fills them with water.

Bycatch

The unintentional catch of nontarget species while fishing.

Strip cropping

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

Persistent pesticides

A pesticide that remains in the environment for years to decades.

Limestone

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

Flood irrigation

A form of irrigation where an entire field is flooded with water.

Exurbs

An area similar to a suburb, but unconnected to any central city or densely populated area.

Groundwater recharge

The process by which water from precipitation percolates through the soil into groundwater.

Crop rotation

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

Crustal abundance

The average concentration of an element in Earth’s crust.

Agroforestry

An agricultural technique in which trees and vegetables are intercropped.

Slash-and-burn agriculture (Shifting agriculture)

An agricultural method in which land is cleared and farmed for only a few years until the soil is depleted of nutrients.

Selective pesticide (Narrow-spectrum pesticide)

A pesticide that targets a narrow range of organisms.

Industrial agriculture (Agribusiness)

Agriculture that applies the techniques of mechanization and standardization to the production of food.

Waterlogging

A form of soil degradation that occurs when soil remains under water for prolonged periods.

Concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO)

A large indoor or outdoor structure designed for maximum occupancy of animals and maximum output of meat.

Strip mining

The removal of overlying vegetation and “strips” of soil and rock to expose underlying ore.

Subsurface mining

Mining techniques used when the desired resource is more than 100 m below the surface of Earth.

Windbreaks

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

Delaney Clause

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

Fishery

A commercially harvestable population of fish within a particular ecological region.

Nomadic grazing

The feeding of herds of animals by moving them to seasonally productive feeding grounds, often over long distances.

Rotational grazing

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

Forest

Land dominated by trees and other woody vegetation, sometimes used for commercial logging.

Cone of depression

An area surrounding a well that does not contain groundwater.

Economies of scale

The observation that average costs of production fall as output increases.

Spray irrigation

A form of irrigation where water is pumped into an apparatus that contains a series of spray nozzles.

Anthropogenic

Derived from human activities.

Salinization

A form of soil degradation that occurs when the small amount of salts in irrigation water becomes concentrated on the soil surface through evaporation.

Energy subsidy

The fossil fuel energy and human energy input per calorie of food produced.

Externality

The cost or benefit of a good or service that is not included in the purchase price.

Free range grazing

Allowing animals to graze outdoors on grass for most or all of their lifecycle.

Sustainability

Living on Earth in a way that allows humans to use its resources without depriving future generations.

Ecological footprint

A measure of the area of land and water an individual or activity requires to produce resources and process waste.

Sustainable development

Development that balances current well-being and economic advancement with resource management for future generations.

Intercropping

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

Prescribed burn

When a fire is deliberately set under controlled conditions to decrease dead biomass on the forest floor.

Monocropping

An agricultural method that utilizes large plantings of a single species or variety.

Sustainable agriculture

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

Fishery collapse

The decline of a fish population by 90 percent or more.

Clear-cutting

A method of harvesting trees that removes all or almost all trees in an area.

Manure lagoon

Human-made pond lined with rubber to handle large quantities of livestock manure.

Broad-spectrum pesticide

A pesticide that kills many different types of pest.

Water table

The uppermost level at which groundwater fully saturates the rock or soil.

Impervious surface

Pavement or surfaces that do not allow water penetration.

Artesian well

A well created by drilling a hole into a confined aquifer.

Endangered Species Act

A 1973 U.S. law designed to protect threatened plant and animal species and their habitats.

Environmental indicators

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

Urban area

An area that contains more than 385 people per square kilometer.

Mountaintop removal

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

Soil conservation

The prevention of soil erosion while increasing soil depth and nutrient content.

Open-pit mining

A mining technique that creates a large visible pit or hole in the ground.

Insecticide

A pesticide that targets species of insects that consume crops.

Urbanization

The process of making an area more urban, increasing population density.

Fungicide

A pesticide that specifically targets fungi.

Urban blight

The lack of support for and deterioration of urban communities.

Green manure

Plant material grown with the intention of plowing it under at the end of the season.

Urban sprawl

Urbanized areas that spread into rural areas.

Reforestation

The restocking of trees after clear-cutting to repopulate the forest.

Rodenticide

A pesticide that specifically targets rodents.

Overgrazing

Excessive grazing that can reduce or remove vegetation and erode the soil.

Maximum sustainable yield (MSY)

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

Contour plowing

Plowing parallel to the topographic contours of the land.

Ore

A concentrated accumulation of minerals from which economically valuable materials can be extracted.

Saltwater intrusion

An infiltration of salt water where groundwater pressure has been reduced.

Green Revolution

A shift in agricultural practices that resulted in increased food output.

Confined aquifer

Surrounded by a layer of impermeable rock or clay that impedes water flow.

Plowing

The process of digging deep into the soil and turning it over.

Sustainable forestry

Managing forests to provide wood while maintaining water quality and biodiversity.

Biocontrol

A shortened term for biological control, using biological organisms to control pests.

No-till agriculture

An agricultural method where farmers do not till the soil between seasons.

Selective cutting

The method of harvesting trees by removing single or a few trees.

Spring

Water that naturally percolates up to the surface.

Placer mining

The process of looking for minerals, metals, and precious stones in river sediments.

Terracing

An agricultural technique where land is shaped into step-like terraces.

Tilling

The preparation of soil through activities including plowing, stirring, digging, and cultivating.

Carbon footprint

A measure of total greenhouse gas emissions from the activities of an individual or entity.

Aquifer

Pore spaces within permeable layers of rock and sediment that store groundwater.

Unconfined aquifer

Porous rock covered by soil.

Mine tailings

Unwanted waste material created during mining.

Integrated pest management (IPM)

An agricultural practice that uses various techniques to minimize pesticide inputs.

Metal

An element that can conduct electricity and heat energy.

Perennial plants

Plants that live for multiple years without needing replanting.

Synthetic fertilizer (Inorganic fertilizer)

Fertilizer produced commercially, typically using fossil fuels.

Urban runoff

Runoff in an urban area that does not evaporate or infiltrate the soil.

Sense of place

The feeling that an area has a distinct and meaningful character.

Ecologically sustainable forestry

An approach to tree removal that does not affect the viability of other tree species.

Rangelands

Dry, open grassland primarily used for grazing cattle.

Pesticide

A substance that kills or controls pests.

Organic fertilizer

Fertilizer composed of organic matter from plants and animals.

Drip irrigation

Irrigation with a slowly dripping hose that delivers water directly to plant roots.

Organic agriculture

Production of crops without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.

Herbicide

A pesticide that targets plant species competing with crops.

Natural predators

Predators that occur naturally in the environment.