Sustainable farming, aquaculture

1. How does monoculture affect crop biodiversity?

• Monoculture diminishes crop diversity by promoting genetic uniformity, increasing susceptibility to pests and diseases, degrading soil health, reducing biodiversity, and risking food security.

1. How do GMO crops affect biodiversity?

• GMO crops can impact biodiversity through displacement of wild relatives, harm to non-target organisms, increased herbicide use, gene flow, and expansion of monoculture.

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of GMOs as food sources?

• Pro- cheaper, more abundant food supplies, plant become more tolerant to harsher weathers, improved nutrition may result when vitamins + minerals added

Con- toxic to unintended species, allergic reactions, increased of pesticides and herbicides, sustainable practices will be endgame, runoff to other farms.

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of organic farming?

• Pro- more sustainable long term, improves soil health, reduces soil erosion

Con- lower crop yields, higher cost, compared to conventional farms, no till farming, no weed control

Compare CAFO's and grazing methods of raising livestock

• CAFO's minimize land cost, improve feeding efficiency, increases the production of food and it more used for commercial farming in big massas compared to grazing methods of raising livestock which is expensive and takes longer to produce the product.

IPM

• Crops and pest are evaluated as a part of an ecosystem. The goal is to reduce crop damage with the least amount of damage to the ecosystem.

What are some advantages and disadvantages of integrated pest management

Pro- less genetic resistance of pest, can reduce pest control cost, can reduce fertilizer use, can reduce water use

Con- more involved planning, time consuming, requires more outside research

. What is soil salinization? How does it affect crops? How can it be prevented and remediated?

• Repeated irrigation and evaporation leaves salt deposits behind that are toxic to plants as they build up.

• Flood field and start over, salts leach out

• Install better drainage, use efficient irrigation

LD 50

• Lethal dose 50% is the dose that results in the death of 50% of the tested population

Furrow Irrigation (Pro and Cons)

dig trench and fill with water

Pro: Cheap, easy, gravity driven

Con: Water lost to evaporation and runoff

Flood Irrigation

flood the field and let water soak in

Pro: cheap, easy, gravity driven

Con: disrupts plant growth, water lost to evaporation and runoff

Spray Irrigation

water pumped to spray water across the field

Pro: more efficient

Con: expensive, requires energy, water lost due to evaporation and runoff

Drip Irrigation

Hoses with small holes in soil near roots or buried in soil

Pro- reduce weed growth.

Con: hose must be moved to plow, doesn't work for annual crops.

Advantages and disadvantages of synthetic fertilizers.

Pro: increases crop yields, easy application

Con: pollutes water

Primary Productivity

In aquatic biomes it decreases as depth increases and amount of light decreases

Fresh Water Aquatic Zones

littoral zone, Limnetic zone, profundal zone, benthic zone

Littoral zone-

near shore- shallow + goes to a depth which plants can root

Limnetic Zone-

a lot of sunlight, food is produced here for many consumers

Profundal Zone-

to dark for photosynthesis colder water

Benthic Zone

decomposers are found here

Ocean Aquatic Zones

Intertidal Zone, Coastal Zone, Open Ocean

Euphotic Zone, Aphotic Zone

Intertidal Zone

high + low tides, organisms must be able to survive changing conditions

Coastal Zone

• nutrient rich, high biodiversity, all reefs

Open ocean-

most of the ocean, where whales and large schooling fish love

Euphotic/Photic Zone

photosynthesis occurs, lots of phytoplankton

Aphotic Zone-

gets colder and darker as the depth increases, many benthic feeders along bottom

Oligotrophic Lakes-

low productivity due to low amounts of nutrients in water like nitrogen and phosphorus

Mesotrophic Lakes-

moderate level of productivity and moderate nutrient levels

Eutrophic Lakes-

high level of productivity and high nutrient levels

Upwelling

Area of the ocean where cool nutrient rich waters from down deep rise up to the surface. (this increases productivity)

Pros of Aquaculture

• Produces food for growing populations

• Highly effective

• High yield in a small volume of water

• Can reduce the overharvesting of wild fisheries

• Low fuel use

• High profit

• Less habitat destruction from nets and dredges

Can create jobs

Con of Aquaculture

• Needs large inputs of feed, water and sometimes land

• Large waste output

• Can destroy delicate habitat like estuaries

• Uses smaller fish to feed some species

• Use grain to feed some species

• Dense pop. Are vulnerable to disease

• Uses of antibiotics can cause antibiotic resistance

• If fish escape they might become an invasive species

• High cost to start aquaculture program.

Pro of catching Fish in the Wild

• Provides jobs

Con of catching Fish in the Wild

• Bycatch

• Overfishing

• Habitat destruction

Pollution

Techniques of fishing

Drift Netting, Lonlinging, bottom trawling, pots and traps

Drift Netting

• nets hang vertically from floats, unattached to sea floor, snags on fish tails and fins. Catches wide variety of fish. Net is weighted down with series of rings when line is pulled, the net draws together at the bottom to trap fish. Often used to catch large schools of single fish.

Long Lining-

long line of baited hooks attacked at intervals. Can be placed at different heights in the water column. Often targets sword fish, tuna and halibut

Bottom Trawling-

net attached to back of the boat and pulled though the water. Bottom along seafloor. Targets groundfish, cod, halibut, flounder, etc.

Pots and Traps

Devices used to trap fish crabs, lobster

Bycatch

-Unwanted fish or marine creatures caught during commercial farming

Which methods of fishing catch more bycatch than others?

• Bottom Trawling and Longlining

What is meant by eating down the food chain/ at a lower tropic level?

• As one species becomes more rare, fishes turn to smaller once discorded fish species

• Changes age structure and genetics of populations