land and water use slides

marasmus

low in protein and total calories: thin limbs, “old” appearance, brittle hair

kwashiorkor

protein deficiency; swelling moon face, sparse hair, fluid in abdomen

4 major types of agriculture

• High-Input Industrialized 

• Plantation 

• Traditional Subsistence 

• Traditional Intensive 

High-Input Industrialized

heavy equipment, lots of financial capital, fossil fuels, water, commercial fertilizers, and pesticides to produce crops

plantation

raising a large amount of of a cash crop for local sale or export

traditional subsistence

only make enough for self and family

Traditional intensive

investing a lot of resources and labor into small tracts of land in order to increase yield

tragedy of the commons

Individuals use shared/public resources in their own self interest, leading to degradation of that resource

3 examples of the tragedy of the commons

Overgrazing

Overfishing

Groundwater overuse

3 Solutions to Tragedy of the Commons

• Taxes, fines and/or criminal charges

• paying permit systems

• Private land ownership (gov’t or personal)

describe the green revolution

• time from the 1960s through current day in which food supply has increased dramatically, more food available per person more than ever

who is Norman Borlaug

won the Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions to increasing the world’s food supply to develop disease-resistant, higher-yield wheat

shifting practices of the green revolution

small family farming → large industrialized agriculture, more environmental cost

describe mechanization of the green revolution

Introducing the use of more machinery into agriculture to make processes more efficient

environmental cost of mechanization

• Increased fossil fuel use, increases CO₂ emissions

• Compaction of soil: decreased water holding capacity and leads to topsoil erosion

describe high yield variety crops of the green revolution 2

Producing hybrids or (GMO) crops to increase yields

inserts genes to make plants resistant, more crop yields

what is synthetic fertilizer of the green revolution

• commercially manufactured N P K for more nutrients and yield

Green Revolution - Pesticide Use

sprayed on crops to kill pests and prevent crop loss

describe irrigation of the green revolution

• more land use for food leads to more water usage to irrigate these crops

• Groundwater sources are being depleted.

monocropping

area of land that is used to grow one single species

3 pros of monocropping

• Very efficient, high yields

• Efficient to harvest

• Efficient pesticide and fertilizer application

3 cons of monocropping

• greatly decreases biodiversity (more prone to pest)

• Increases soil erosion (soil is left bare for long time)

• Decreases habitat diversity for native species that act as natural pest control

tilling and its benefits

• Mixing and breaking up soil

  • makes planting easier

  • loosens soil for roots

cons of tilling

accelerated surface runoff and soil erosion

slash and burn agriculture

• Cutting down vegetation and burning it to clear land for ag.

  • Returns nutrients to soil in the short term

4 cons of shifting agriculture

• Leads to deforestation

• Releases greenhouse gasses

• Increases PM in air (asthma)

• Lowers albedo, making area warmer

describe 3 things about synthetic fertilizers

• Don’t return organic matter to soil 

• No increased H₂O holding capacity 

• Reduces soil decomposers

3 environmental costs of synthetic fertilizers

• Causes leaching: water carries excess nutrient into groundwater

  • Contaminates groundwater for drinking

  • Causes eutrophication of surface waters 

describe human use of fresh water

mostly for irrigation → industry, municipal, agriculture

groundwater

water stored in pore spaces of permeable rock

aquifers 2

• useable groundwater deposits for humans (confined and unconfined)

• depletion → saltwater intrusion, replenished by recharge

describe waterlogging 2

• Overirrigation can saturate the soil and fill all pore spaces with water, raising water table

• Prevents O₂ from being absorbed → stunt growth, kill crops

solution to waterlogging

• Solution: drip irrigation or soil aeration

soil salinization

Process of salt building up in soil over time

• Water evaporates and salt is left behind in soil

solution to soil salinization

drip irrigation, soil aeration, flushing with freshwater

describe cafos 4

• Large volume of animals on a smaller portion of land

• Grain Fed

• antibiotics, Growth Hormone Use

• Greenhouse gas production

describe manure lagoons 4

• Open pit storage for animal waste (manure)

• Waste contains ammonia, bacteria, antibiotics

• Denitrification of ammonia in manure produces N₂O

• Can be dried and taken to landfills or used to produce fertilizer pellets

Free Range Grazing and its benefits/cons

• Animals are more widely dispersed

• Less antibiotics, less land for production of corn to feed them, naturally dispersed waste

• more land intensive, meat more expensive

overgrazing 3

• If not managed correctly, animals can remove all vegetation

• Animals compact soil, reduce water holding capacity

• Leads to desertification

solutions to overgrazing

Rotational grazing

• allows areas to recover when animals moved off

• promote more rapid growth.

Challenges of Producing More Livestock

• Increasing Livestock Yields

  • Hormone supplements

  • Antibiotics

    • increased bacterial resistance

3 Agricultural Impact of Meat Production

Energy: needs for EVERYTHING

Land: energy needed to grow plants and space the animals take up

Water: for plants and animals, to grow and process feed for animals, drinking

Maximum Sustainable Yields of fish

the maximum catch (in numbers or mass) that can be removed from a population over an indefinite period

3 problems with fisheries of the world

• no claim to open ocean → resource susceptible to overuse and degradation

• Overharvesting

• Many species are at point of severe depletion (Maximum Sustainable Yield)

explain overharvesting in fisheries

• Sophisticated fishing equipment causes ecosystem damage

• Bycatch (organism caught other than target organism)

Magnuson Fisheries Conservation Act

primary law in 1976 that governs marine fisheries management in U.S. federal waters; fosters the long-term biological and economic sustainability of marine fisheries

describe pollution of fisheries

• Ocean Pollution -  dumping ground

  • Oil

  • Heavy metals

  • Deliberate litter dumping

  • Storm water runoff from cities and agricultural areas

urbanization

population shift from rural to urban areas.

describe centralization of humans

• Populations tend to be centralized

  • Started with farming and agricultural centers

• Centralization has occurred with cities through:

  • Industrialization

  • Commerce

Suburb

An area surrounding a metropolitan center, with a comparatively low population density

urban sprawl

A change in population distribution from high density (urban) to low (rural) which leads to potential environmental problems

6 causes of urban sprawl

• Advent of the Interstate Highway System (1950’s)

• Living Costs (cheaper property in the suburbs)

• Quality of Life

• Gentrification

• As residents leave, business follows (decline in tax revenue)

• Urban blight

gentrification

character of a poor urban area is changed by wealthier people moving in, improving housing, and attracting new businesses, displacing current inhabitants in the process

describe Densely Populated areas in Developing Countries

• Typically occupied by squatters

• No city services

4 Environmental Issues with Urbanization

• Increased land use removes vegetation to convert natural landscape to city

• more impervious surfaces (concrete, asphalt, cement) 

• CO₂ emissions

• Urban Heat Islands

3 Environmental Issues with Urbanization

• Increased water resource use 

• Decreased groundwater recharge

• Saltwater Intrusion (in coastal cities)

3 Solutions to Urban Sprawl

• zoning laws set by cities preventing development beyond a certain boundary

• Public Transportation and walkable city design

• Mixed land use

ecological footprint

compare resource demands and waste production required for an individual or society

6 indicators of sustainability

• Biodiversity

• Food production

• Average global temps 

• CO2 production

• Human Population

• Resource depletion

describe food production

• Higher in developed nations

• Industrialized methods are less sustainable, lead to soil degradation

Increased use of impervious surfaces leads to

• Decreased infiltration (recharge)

• Rain washes pollutants into storm drains → salts, chemicals, sediment, gasoline, disease

how does permeable pavement mitigate runoff

• Designed to allow stormwater to infiltrate and recharge groundwater

• Decreases runoff

• Decreases flooding

how do Rain Gardens/More Trees mitigate runoff

• planted in urban areas, especially near flood drains.

• Increases pollinators and habitats

• Aesthetically pleasing

Public Transit and mitigating runoff

• Decreases number of cars on the road

  • Motor Oil

  • Tire pieces

  • Gasoline

  • Antifreeze

• Decreases need for parking lots

how does smart growth mitigate runoff

• Growth is up, not out

• Putting living space, work, recreation, dining all together

how do green roofs mitigate runoff

• Decreases runoff

• Increases pollinators

• Increases CO2 sequestration

4 physical controls of IPM

• Mowing (can control weeds)

• Prescribed burns/heat

• Crop rotation/intercropping (used as prevention)

• Screens or traps

crop rotation

Rotating crops prevents pests from establishing in the soil

intercropping

• Growing two or more crops in proximity

  • “Push plants emit chemicals that repel pests.

  • “Pull” plants emit chemicals that attract pests. 

4 biological controls of ipm

• Natural predators/parasitoids

• Resistant plant varieties

• Pheromones

• Sterilization (altering males)

chemical controls of ipm 2

• Insect Growth Regulators

• Traditional Chemical Pesticide Use (narrow and broad spectrum)

5 goals of sustainable agriculture

• Soil conservation through erosion prevention

• Maintain Soil fertility

• Preventing overgrazing

• food production

• maximum sustainable yields

soil conservation

• Preventing soil erosion

  • Various types of agriculture methods can minimize soil erosion

list the 6 methods to prevent soil erosion

• contour plowing

• windbreaks

• perennial crops

• no till agriculture

• terracing

• strip cropping

contour plowing

• Follows the natural contours and slopes of the land

• Reduces sediment and runoff, increasing water filtration, improving water quality

windbreaks

• Linear planting of trees and/or shrubs, to minimize the effects of wind on soil and crop yield

• increase yields, increase bee pollination, and irrigation and pesticide effectiveness

perennial crops

Crops/plants that grow back over multiple growing seasons

no-till agriculture

After harvest, remnants are left behind

More organic matter - less erosion – more fertility, less fertilizer, higher yields

strip cropping and terracing

Uses alternate strips of various crops, such as corn, soybeans, cotton, sugar, etc

Low cost, encourages infiltration – increases soil moisture

Terracing reduces the amount and velocity of water moving across the soil surface

methods of improving soil fertility

• Crop Rotation and Green Manure

  • Using leftover (green)residue from cover crops

  • increased soil nutrient availability, Leftover roots provide soil stability. 

• Limestone: added to soil to raise pH and combat the effects of soil acidity

preventing overgrazing

• Rotational Grazing

  • Moving herds from pasture to pasture

  • Can promote regrowth at a faster rate, allows grazed areas to recover, prevents desertification

aquaculture

raising seafood/shellfish for food in all types of water environments

commercially produce food and replenish wild fishery stocks and habitat recovery

describe 4 characteristics of aquaculture

• High population density

• Use “seedstock,” which may or may not be native

• Fish are typically given antibiotics

• Risk of escape of bred fish into wild populations

  • Breeding

  • Disease

describe indoor aquaculture 3

• commercially produced feed

• More efficient than beef production

• Waste typically deposited directly into the environment, infect wild population

sustainable forest management

Managing forests for currents needs while maintaining ecosystem services of forests for:

• Food

• Wood and Timber Products

• Medical and dietary supplements

• Recreation

clearcutting

Forestry technique where all trees are removed from a strand/area at one time

issues w clearcutting

• Erosion from exposed soil

• Increased turbidity in water from sediment runoff 

• Increased water temps from lack of shade

4 issues w clearcutting

• Habitat removal

• Organisms must move or die

• Released CO2 and decreased CO2 absorption by forests

4 sustainable forest management practices

• Logging (removing trees for a forest)

• Selective Cutting and Strip Cutting

  • Only taking certain trees (usually older and largest)

  • Preserves topsoil

• Using human and pack animal labor

  • Reduces machinery disruption

• Replanting same species being logged

more sustainable wood practices

• Using reclaimed wood

• Recycling wood

• Mulching wood

• Selectively removing diseased trees

• Managing pests

Types of forest fires

• Crown - canopies

• Surface - surface of ground

• Ground - decayed roots below grown

how do fires start

• Biomass Buildup

  • Nutrients trapped in dead biomass

  • Fuel for forest fires

  • Dead trees susceptible to pests and disease

3 fire suppression

• Previously used strategy, Putting out small forest fires as soon as they start

• Leads to biomass build up that dries out

  • Makes future fires worse

• Monitor Instead

prescribed burns

• Small, controlled fires

• Promotes nutrient cycling and prevents larger, destructive  fires