Studied by 26 peopleTragedy of the commons
The tendency of a shared, limited resource to become depleted if it is not regulated in some way
Maximum sustainable yield
The maximum amount of a renewable resource that can be harvested without compromising the future of that resource
National parks
Designed areas that are managed for science, education, recreation, and beauty
Managed resource protected areas
Opened for the sustained use of biological, mineral, and recreational resources
Mining, logging, and other activities are allowed and encouraged
Habitat/species management areas
Maintains biological communities
National monuments
Protect unique sites of natural or cultural interest
Resource conservation ethic
The belief that people should maximize use of resources, based on the greatest good for everyone
Multiple-use lands
A U.S. classification used to designate lands that may be used for recreation, grazing, timber harvesting, and mineral extraction
Clear-cutting
A method of harvesting trees that involves removing all or almost all of the trees within an area
Increases wind and water erosion, causing the loss of soil and nutrients
Selective cutting
The method of harvesting trees that involves the removal of single trees or a relatively small number of trees from the larger forest
Ecologically sustainable forestry
An approach to removing trees from forests in ways that do not unduly affect the viability of other noncommercial tree species
Difficult with high costs
Tree plantations
A large area typically planted with a single rapidly growing tree species
Prescribed burn
A fire deliberately set under controlled conditions to reduce the accumulation of dead biomass on a forest floor
Help reduce the risk of uncontrolled natural fires and provide some of the other benefits of fire
National wildlife refuge
A federal public land managed for the primary purpose of protecting wildlife
National wilderness areas
An area set aside with the intent of preserving a large tract of intact ecosystem or landscape
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
A 1969 US federal act that mandates an environmental assessment of all projects involving federal money or federal permits
Environmental impact statement (EIS)
A document outlining the scope and purpose of a development project, describing the environmental context, suggesting alternative approaches to the project, and analyzing the environmental impact of each alternative
Environmental mitigation plan
A plan that outlines how a developer will address concerns raised by a project's impact on the environment
Endangered Species Act
A 1973 US act designed to protect species from extinction
Urban sprawl
Urbanized areas that spread into rural areas, removing clear boundaries between the two
Can have disastrous environmental impacts
Urban blight
The degradation of the built and social environments of the city that often accompanies and accelerates migration to the suburbs
Zoning
A planning tool used to separate industry and business from residential neighborhoods
Multi-use zoning
A zoning classification that allows retail and high-density residential development to coexist in the same area
Smart growth
A set of principles for community planning that focuses on strategies to encourage the development of sustainable, healthy communities
Transit-oriented development (TOD)
Development that attempts to focus dense residential and retail development around stops for public transportation, a component of smart growth
Infill
Development that fills in vacant lots within existing communities rather than expanding into new land outside the city
Urban growth boundary
A restriction on development outside a designated area
Undernutrition
The condition in which not enough calories are ingested to maintain health
Malnourishment
Having a diet that lacks the correct balance of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals
Food security
A condition in which people have access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs for an active and healthy life
Food insecurity
A condition in which people do not have adequate access to food
Famine
A condition in which food insecurity is so extreme that large numbers of deaths occur in a given area over a relatively short period of time
Overnutrition
Ingestion of too many calories and a lack of balance of foods and nutrients
Industrial agriculture
Agriculture that applies the techniques of mechanization and standardization to the production of food
Energy subsidy
The fossil fuel energy and human energy input per calorie of food produced
Green Revolution
A shift in agricultural practices in the 20th century that included new management techniques, mechanization, fertilization, irrigation, and improved crop varieties, that resulted in increased food output
Economics of scale
The observations that average costs of production fall as output increases
Irrigation
The artificial application of water to the soil through various systems of tubes, pumps, and sprays
Waterlogging
A form of soil degradation that occurs when soil remains under water for prolonged periods of time
Salinization
A form of soil degradation that occurs when the small amounts of salt in irrigation water become highly concentrated on the soil surface through evaporation
Organic fertilizers
Fertilizer composed of organic matter from plants and animals
Synthetic fertilizers
Fertilizer produced commercially, normally with the use of fossil fuels
Monocropping
An agricultural method that utilizes large plantings of a single species or variety
Polyculture
The practice of cultivating multiple crops together in the same field.
Pesticides
A substance, either natural or synthetic, that kills or controls organisms that people consider pests
Persistent pesticides
A pesticide that remains in the environment for a long time
Nonpersistent pesticides
A pesticide that breaks down rapidly, usually in weeks or months
Pesticide resistance
A trait possessed by certain individuals that are exposed to a pesticide and survive
Pesticide treadmill
A cycle of pesticide development, followed by pest resistance, followed by a new pesticide development
The benefits of genetic engineering
Increased crop yield and quantity
Potential changes in pesticide use
Increased profits
The risks of genetic engineering
Safety for human consumption
Effects on biodiversity
Regulation of genetically modified organisms
Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO)
A large indoor or outdoor structure designed for maximum output
Used for beef, cattle, dairy cows, hogs, and poultry
Minimizes land costs, improves feeding efficiency, and increases the fraction of food energy that goes into the production of animal body mass
Aquaculture
Constructing an aquatic ecosystem by stocking the organisms, feeding them, and protecting them from diseases and predators
Fishery
A commercially harvestable population of fish within a particular ecological region
Fishery collapse
The decline of a fish population by 90% or more
Bycatch
The unintentional catch of a nontarget species while fishing
Shifting agriculture
An agricultural method in which land is cleared and used for a few years until the soil is depleted of nutrients
Soil compaction
A process where repeated trampling by humans, machinery, or animals, causes a compaction of soil and a reduction in pore space
Desertification
The transformation of arable, productive land to desert or unproductive land due to climate change or destructive land use
Nomadic grazing
The feeding of herds of animals by moving them to seasonally productive feeding grounds, often over long distances
Sustainable agriculture
Agriculture that fulfills the need for food and fiber while enhancing the quality of the soil, minimizing the use of nonrenewable resources, and allowing economic viability for the farmer
Intercropping
An agricultural method in which two or more crop species are planted in the same field at the same time to promote a synergistic interaction
Crop rotation
An agricultural technique in which crop species in a field are rotated from season to season
Agroforestry
An agricultural technique in which trees and vegetables are intercropped
Contour plowing
An agricultural technique in which plowing and harvesting are done parallel to the topographic contours of the land
Perennial plants
Plants that live for multiple years
Annual plants
Plants that live for only one season
No-till agriculture
An agricultural method in which farmers do not turn the soil between seasons as a means of reducing topsoil erosion
Intergrated pest management (IPM)
An agricultural practice that uses a variety of techniques designed to minimize pesticide inputs
Crop rotation, intercropping, agroforestry, and the use of pest-resistant crop varieties can prevent pest infestations
Organic agriculture
The production of crops in a way that sustains or improves the soil, without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers
Individual transferable quotas (ITQs)
A fishery management program in which individual fishers are given a total allowable catch of fish in a season that they can either catch or sell
Sustainable development
Development that balances current human well-being and economic advancement with resource management for the benefit of future generations
Ecological footprint
A measure of how much an individual consumes, expressed in area of land
Process of mining and mineral use
Areas are explored
Resources are extracted
Minerals are refined and processed
Further processing forms specific materials
Materials are used to make products, such as cars or appliances
Strip mining
Removal of strips of soil and rock to expose ore
Open pit mining
Uses a large visible pit/hole, with resources closer to the surface
Mountaintop removal
Uses explosives
Tailings
Left-over materials from the processing of mined ore
Placer mining
Looking for minerals and metals in river sediments
Subsurface mining
Resource more than 100m below surface
Environmental impacts of mining
Air: Dust particles, methane/CO2 (fossil fuel emissions)
Water: Contamination as it percolates through tailings
Soil: Removal (sometimes replacement) and loss of vegetation increasing erosion
Biodiversity: Habitat destruction/degradation, road fragmentation
Human health: Respiratory diseases, mercury poisoning
Mining Law of 1872 (General Mining Act)
Allows individuals and companies to recover ores and fuels from federal land, with few revisions for environmental protection
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (1977)
Land must be minimally disturbed during coal mining, and then reclaimed
Superfund Act (Reclamation Act) (1980)
Miners must clean up their mining sites and reclaim the area
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