APES Unit 5 Vocab

aquaculture

the cultivation of seafood

artificial selection

Breeding organisms with specific traits in order to produce offspring with identical traits.

bycatch

The unintentional catch of nontarget species while fishing

CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation)

Raising a large number of animals bred to gain weight quickly, in crowded buildings; usually must use antibiotics to prevent disease from spreading easily through the population; nutrient supplements, confined, little movement

contour plowing

An agricultural technique in which plowing and harvesting are done parallel to the topographic contours of the land

clearcutting

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

crop rotation

The practice of rotating use of different fields from crop to crop each year, to avoid exhausting the soil.

desertification

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

drip irrigation

the practice of using small pipes that slowly drip water just above ground to conserve water to use for crops

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.

EIS (environmental impact statement)

Details a projects impact on energy use, sewage systems, drainage, water facilities, schools and other environmental, economic and social areas. NEPA applies to all federal development project and private projects that require a license.

environmental indicator

an indicator that describes the current state of an environmental system

Environmental mitigation plan

A plan that outlines how a developer will address concerns raised by a project's impact on the environment.

Externality

an economic side effect of a good or service that generates benefits or costs to someone other than the person deciding how much to produce or consume

famine

a severe shortage of food (as through crop failure) resulting in violent hunger and starvation and death

Feedlot

a plot of land on which livestock are fattened for market

synthetic fertilizer

Fertilizer produced commercially, normally with the use of fossil fuels

organic fertilizer

fertilizer composed of organic matter from plants and animals

fishery collapse

the decline of a fish population by 90% or more

food security

Physical, social, and economic access at all times to safe and nutritious food sufficient to meet dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

food insecurity

the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food

free range grazing

raising livestock on rangelands, the most common land use type in the U.S., using less fossil fuel energy than feedlots, but can lead to overgrazing

fungicide

substance that kills fungi or inhibits their growth

furrow irrigation

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

genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

crops that carry new traits that have been inserted through advanced genetic engineering methods

green manure

a fertilizer consisting of growing plants that are plowed back into the soil.

green revolution

Rapid diffusion of new agricultural technology, especially new high-yield seeds and fertilizers.

herbicide

a substance for killing plants, especially weeds

insecticides

a chemical that kills insects

impervious surfaces

surfaces that do not let water pass through it

industrial agriculture

intensive farming practices involving mechanization and mass production

intercropping

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

IPM (integrated pest management)

An integrated pest management program that includes a mix of cultivation, biological, and chemical methods applied in proper sequence and with the proper timing

irrigation

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

limestone

reduces soil acidity by neutralizing acid reactions in the soil

low grade ore

Ore containing a small amount of a desired mineral.

high grade ore

Ore containing a large amount of a desired mineral.

malnourishment

the long-term absence from the diet of one or more essential nutrients

mechanization

In agriculture, the replacement of human labor with technology or machines.

monocropping

The practice of growing the same single crop year after year

MSY (Maximum Sustainable Yield)

the maximum level of extraction of resources that can be maintained indefinitely for a region

multi-use zoning

A zoning classification that allows retail and high-density residential development to coexist in the same area.

multiple use lands

A U.S. classification used to designate lands that may be used for recreation, grazing, timber harvesting, and mineral extraction.

national wilderness area

An area set aside with the intent of preserving a large tract of intact ecosystem or a landscape.

national wildlife refuge

a federal public land managed for the primary purpose of protecting wildlife

NEPA (national environmental policy act)

requires Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) for federal action

no till agriculture

An agricultural method in which farmers do not turn the soil between seasons, used as a means of reducing erosion

ore

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

overburden (also known as tailings)

the rocks and Earth that is removed when mining for a commercially valuable mineral resource.

overfishing

capturing fish faster than they can reproduce

overgrazing

grazing so heavily that the vegetation is damaged and the ground erodes

perennial crops

crops that do not die at the end of the growing season but live for several years, which means they can be harvested annually without replanting

annual crops

crops that grow, produce seeds, and die in a single year and must be replanted each season

permeable pavement

a paved surface that allows water runoff to infiltrate into the ground

pest control

the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest

pesticide

A chemical intended to kill insects and other organisms that damage crops.

prescribed burn

A fire deliberately set under controlled conditions in order to reduce the accumulation of dead biomass on a forest floor

rangeland

land used for grazing livestock

reforestation

planting young trees or seeds on lands where trees have been cut or destroyed

reserves

the known quantity of a resource that can be economically recovered

(pesticide) resistance

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

rodenticide

A chemical or agent used to destroy rats or other rodent pests, or to prevent them from damaging food, crops, etc.

rotational grazing

cattle are confined by portable fencing to one area for a short time and then moved to a new location

runoff

Water that moves across the land surface and into streams and rivers

Salinization

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

saltwater intrusion

movement of saltwater into an aquifer, which may cause contamination

shifting agriculture

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

slag

stony waste matter separated from metals during the smelting or refining of ore.

slash and burn

A farming method involving the cutting of trees, then burning them to provide ash-enriched soil for the planting of crops

spray irrigation

expensive and energy-consuming; 75-95% efficient; water is pumped from a well into an apparatus that contains a series of spray nozzles that spray water across the field

strip cropping

cultivation of crops in strips following the contours of the land to minimize erosion

strip mining

the removal of strips of soil and rock to expose ore

suburb

an outlying district of a city, especially a residential one.

exurb

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

surface mining

Removing soil, subsoil, and other strata and then extracting a mineral deposit found fairly close to the earth's surface.

subsurface mining

The extraction of mineral and energy resources from deep underground deposits.

sustainability

The use of Earth's renewable and nonrenewable natural resources in ways that do not constrain resource use in the future.

terracing

the creation of flat areas on mountain slopes for the purpose of farming

tilling

to work by plowing, sowing, and raising crops

tree plantation

a large area typically planted with a single rapidly growing tree species

undernutrition

The condition in which not enough calories are ingested to maintain health

overnutrition

Too much food energy or excess nutrients to the degree of causing disease or increasing risk of disease; a form of malnutrition

urban sprawl

The process of urban areas expanding outwards, usually in the form of suburbs, and developing over fertile agricultural land.

urban blight

The degradation of the built and social environments of the city that often accompanies and accelerates migration to the suburbs

waterlogging

water saturation of soil that fills all air spaces and causes plant roots to die from lack of oxygen; a result of overirrigation

windbreaks

Row of trees or hedges planted to partially block wind flow and reduce soil erosion on cultivated land.

selective cutting

cutting down only some trees in a forest and leaving a mix of tree sizes and species behind