Mastering Questions Test 3

Until about 10,000 years ago, our species depended on ________.

hunting and gathering

________ refers to the agricultural practices in which the members of a farming family do not make use of large-scale irrigation, chemical fertilizer, machinery, or technology.

 traditional agriculture

The __________ introduced new technologies that increased crop yields dramatically and helped save millions of lives from starvation.

green revolution

Lands that are used for grazing livestock

rangeland

Alternating bands of different types of vegetation planted across a slope

intercropping

The fundamental geological material for soils in a particular area

parent material

A cross-section of soil, from surface to bedrock

profile

The layer below the O horizon in an idealized profile

A horizon

Term for any distinct layer of soil

horizon

Scientific term for a system consisting of disintegrated rock, organic matter, water, gases, nutrients, and microorganisms

soil

Factors involved in soil formation include _____

weathering of parent material and the addition of organic material

The breakdown of large rocks into smaller pieces is ________.

affected by rainfall, freezing, and thawing

Decomposers are most likely found in the ________.

A and O horizons

Which soil horizon is most depleted through erosion?

A, the topsoil

Compaction of soil in a garden harms plants by ________.

decreasing aeration, decreasing infiltration, and increasing runoff

Erosion can result in a positive feedback loop because ________.

plants are less likely to grow in eroded soil

________ is the buildup of salts in soils, often as a result of overirrigation.

Salinization

Which of the following is the greatest cause for land degradation?

over-grazing

Staple grain crops are pollinated by ________, while most fruits and vegetables are pollinated by ________.

wind; insects

________ is the federal agency responsible for preventing soil erosion and protecting waterways in agricultural areas of the United States.

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

What type of legislation has encouraged farmers to adopt soil conservation practices in order to receive government subsidies?

farm bills

Contour farming and terracing are strategies used mainly to reduce ________.

water erosion

During the past half century, global food production has ________ world population growth.

 increased at a faster rate than

Green Revolution techniques ________.

have increased crop yields

Which of the following would be considered a monoculture?

a 100-acre field, all of which is planted with the same variety of corn

Raising which of the following requires the least land and water per kilogram of protein produced?

eggs and chicken

Worldwide per capita meat consumption has ________ since 1950.

doubled

Which of the following are farms that concentrate on raising large numbers of animals of all the same type in one area?

feedlots

Seed banks are important for ________.

protecting crop genetic diversity

Which of the following statements is true about the diversity of our crops today?

The diversity of our crops has decreased with the Green Revolution.

Managing crop competitors and pests has been challenging to agronomists for centuries. One approach, integrated pest management, ________.

combines synthetic chemical pesticides with biocontrol techniques

Which recently introduced genetic editing tool allows for extremely precise changes in the genomes of crops and livestock?

CRISPR

________ accounts for half of the world's GM crops.

soybeans

In Japan, the presence of ducks and the aquatic fern Azolla in rice cultivation has shown that ________.

restoring portions of the biodiversity of a natural ecosystem can increase crop yields and profits

the average consumer can reduce his or her ecological footprint the most by ________.

eating less meat and dairy products

Major pollinators of many flowering nongrain crop plants

bees

Can protect crops from insect pest-related losses when applied periodically

Bt

A successful case of biological control, introduced from Argentina to Australia in the 1920s to control invasive prickly pear cactus

hi

Introduced for control of agricultural pests in Hawaii

hi

The first genetically modified animal approved for sale as food in the United States

salmon

Of all the kinds of livestock, the animals that require the most land and water to produce 1 kg of protein

cows

A nuanced multi-technique approach that aims to maximize control over pests while minimizing chemical pollution and environmental impacts

IPM