APES Sem 1 Final Review

10% rule

Only about 10% of energy from one trophic level is passed to the next

Reserves

identified, extractable, and profitable deposits of mineral/energy resources (like oil, coal, or metals)

Famine

Occurs when there is a severe shortage of food in an area and which can result in mass starvation, many deaths, economic chaos, and social disruption

Anemia

having too little iron—a component of the HEMOGLOBIN that transports oxygen in the blood

Food security

Daily access to enough nutritious food to live healthy lives

Chronic malnutrition

a condition in which they do not get enough protein and other key nutrients

Undernutrition

People who cannot grow or buy enough food to meet their basic energy needs

Plantation agriculture

Form of industrialized agriculture in less developed tropical countries

Salinization

the process where soil or water becomes increasingly concentrated with soluble salts

Restoration

the process of repairing damage humans have caused to various ecosystems

Surface fires

Burns only undergrowth and leaf litter

Biodiversity Hotspots

Areas that contain a high diversity of species and that are under sever threat of extinction from human activities

Aquifer

a natural underground layer of porous rock, sand, or gravel that holds and transmits groundwater

Indicator species

whose presence, absence, or abundance signals the health and condition of an ecosystem

HIPPCO

Main drivers of, biodiversity loss:

• Habitat destruction

• Invasive species

• Population growth

• Pollution

• Climate change

• Overexploitation

Theory of Island Biogeography

• larger islands have more species

• islands closer to a mainland source have more species than equivalent islands farther away

Organic Agriculture

Crops are grown w/o the use of synthetic pesticides, synthetic inorganic fertilizers, or genetically engineered seed varieties.

Farm Subsidies

government payments and tax breaks intended to help farmers

stay in business and increase their yields.

Green Revolution

1) develop and plant monocultures of selectively bred or genetically engineered high-yield varieties of key crops such as rice, wheat, and corn.

2) produce high yields using large inputs of water, synthetic inorganic fertilizers, and pesticides.
3) increase the number of crops grown per year on a plot of land.

Polyculture

grow several crops on the same plot simultaneously

Desertification

the process in which the productive potential of topsoil falls by 10% or more because of a combination of prolonged drought and human activities that expose topsoil to erosion.

Integrated Pest Management IPM

a program in which each crop and its pests are evaluated as parts of an ecosystem

Alley Cropping/Agroforestry

One or more crops, usually legumes or other crops that add nitrogen to the soil, are planted together in alleys between orchard trees or fruit-bearing shrubs, which provide shade.

Conservation-tillage

use of special tillers and planting machines that inject seeds and fertilizers directly through crop residues on the ground into minimally disturbed topsoil

Contour Planting

Reduces topsoil. Involves plowing and planting crops in rows across the slope of land. Each row acts as a small dam to help hold topsoil by slowing runoff

DDT

Second generation pesticide toxic to birds and other organisms

Monoculture

the cultivation of a single crop in a given area.

Slash-and-Burn

burning and clearing small plots in tropical forests, growing a variety of crops for a few years until the soil is depleted of nutrients, and then shifting to other plots to begin the process again.

Traditional Subsistence Agricculture

combines energy from the sun with the labor of humans and draft animals to produce enough crops for a farm family?s survival, with little left over to sell or store as a reserve for hard times.

Topsoil

the Earth's uppermost layer, rich in organic matter, microorganisms, and nutrients

Strip-cropping

alternating strips of row crop and another that completely cover the soil, called a cover crop

Traditional Intensive Agriculture

farmers try to obtain higher crop yields by increasing their inputs of human and draft animal labor, animal manure for fertilizer, and water.

Waterlogging

in which water accumulates underground and gradually

raises the water table.

Agrobiodiversity

the genetic variety of animal and plant species used on farms to produce food

Biopesticides

chemicals from plants to kill pests

Food Desert

an urban area where people have little or no easy access to grocery stores or other sources of nutritious food.

Feedlots

disadvantages include use of large inputs of grain, fishmeal, water, and fossil fuels. The use of antibiotics can increase genetic resistance to microbes in human