APES Unit 5 Vocabulary

acid mine drainage

Pollution caused when sulfuric acid and dangerous dissolved materials such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium wash from coal and metal mines into nearby lakes and streams.

algal bloom

The rapid growth of a population of algae

Eutrophication

A process by which nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, become highly concentrated in a body of water, leading to algal blooms. Causes low dissolved oxygen for other animals.

Aquifer

A body of rock or sediment that stores groundwater and allows the flow of groundwater.

CAFO

concentrated animal feeding operation which is a large feedlot used to produce a large amount of animal products quickly and cheaply.

Desertification

Degradation of land, especially in semiarid areas, primarily because of human actions like excessive crop planting, animal grazing, and tree cutting.

drip irrigation

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

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.

furrow irrigation

easy and inexpensive; 67% efficient; farmer digs trenches along the crop rows and fills them with water, which seeps into the ground and provides moisture to plant roots

Green Revolution

Agricultural revolution that increased production through pesticides, fertilizers, high-yield crop varieties, GMOs, and large-scale irrigation; helped to support rising Asian populations.

Integrated Pest Management

a variety of pest control methods that aim to keep the size of a pest population below the size which causes economic damage.

NPK Fertilizers

Fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium

Salinization

Accumulation of salts in soil that can eventually make the soil unable to support plant growth. Occurs when soils in dry climates are irrigated extensively (irrigated water has more salt than rainwater)

tilling

The turning-over of soil before planting.

Urbanization

Movement of people from rural areas to cities

water table

The upper level of the saturated zone of groundwater

Waterlogging

water saturation of soil that fills all air spaces and causes plant roots to die from lack of oxygen; a result of overirrigation. Happens most often in less permeable soils (clay)

Tragedy of the Commons

situation in which people acting individually and in their own interest use up commonly available but limited resources, creating disaster for the entire community

clear-cutting

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

slash and burn agriculture

a farming technique in which trees are cut down and burned to clear and fertilize the land

selective cutting

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

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

Organisms whose genetic material has been modified for increased agricultural output

Pesticide treadmill

process through which a farmer uses more pesticides, with increasing costs, as the effectiveness of pesticides decreases

Pesticide resistance

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

Manure lagoon

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

Bycatch

The unintentional catch of nontarget species while fishing

strip mining

involves the removal of the Earth's surface all the way down to the level of the mineral deposits (type of surface mining)

mountain top removal

removing the entire top of a mountain with explosives and large machinery to expose coal and minerals

impervious surfaces

surfaces that don't absorb water ex. roads, sidewalks, houses / buildings

green roof

roof covered in vegetation - helps combat heat-island effect

no-till agriculture

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

contour plowing

plowing fields along the curves of a slope to prevent soil loss

mitigate

to make less severe

Terrace Farming

a farming system that is in the form of steps going up a mountain

wind breaks

Rows of trees or tall shrubs which slow down the movement of wind across a field

Perennial plants

Plants that grow year after year

Annual plants

Live only one season and must be replanted each year, which causes disruption to soil (Example: wheat and corn)

crop rotation

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

green manure

Freshly cut or still-growing green vegetation that is plowed into the soil to increase the organic matter and humus available to support crop growth.

rotational grazing

Confining animals to a small area for a short time (often only a day or two) before shifting them to a new location

flood irrigation

water is poured through canals and waterways so that it flows through fields; 80% efficient

spray irrigation

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

maximum sustainable yield (MSY)

the maximum amount of a renewable resource that can be harvested without compromising the future availability of that resource

Overfishing

capturing fish faster than they can reproduce

bottom trawling

a fishing technique in which the ocean floor is literally scraped by heavy nets that smash everything in their path.

long-line fishing

fishing by dragging long lines with baited hooks

sonar fishing

a fishing technique where sonar waves are used to detect fish in the water and then different methods of collecting fish are performed.

purse seine

a fishing method capable of harvesting large quantities of surface fish by surrounding the school with a net. (can create a lot of bycatch)

Aquaculture

Raising marine and freshwater fish in cages under controlled conditions

Reforestation

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

overburden

Layer of soil and rock overlying a mineral deposit. Surface mining removes this layer.

slag and tailings

Waste products that are mined with the ore

urban sprawl

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

heat island effect

Warmer temps are experienced in urban landscapes due to solar energy retention on darker surfaces. (streets, sidewalks, parking lots and buildings as opposed to farmland)