APES 5.5-5.8

Furrow irrigation

A method where trenches are dug along crops and filled with water, allowing slow seepage into the soil.

Drip irrigation

The most efficient irrigation method, over 95% effective, delivering water directly to plant roots through holes in a hose.

Flood irrigation

An irrigation method that floods the entire field, which can waterlog soil and is 80% efficient.

Spray irrigation

An irrigation technique that uses pumps to spray water from nozzles, more efficient than flood and furrow methods.

Waterlogging

A condition where overwatering saturates soil, inhibiting root oxygen intake and potentially killing plants.

Soil salinization

The process of salt buildup in soil due to irrigation, which can reach toxic levels from evaporating water.

Global water use

Water consumption divided into industrial, municipal, and agricultural categories.

Aquifers

Underground layers of water-bearing rock that can be a source of usable groundwater.

Pesticides

Chemicals used to kill pests, which can lead to resistance due to genetic diversity among pest populations.

GMOs

Genetically modified organisms that have had specific genes, such as pest resistance, inserted into their DNA.

CAFOs

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations where animals are densely packed to maximize profit and efficiency.

Manure lagoons

Large pits used to contain animal waste, which can contaminate surrounding water if flooded.

Free range grazing

A method where animals graze naturally on grass, which avoids antibiotics and promotes natural waste dispersal.

Overgrazing

A condition where too many animals remove all vegetation, leading to soil erosion and degradation.

Inefficiency of Meat

The concept that producing meat is less efficient in energy, land, and water than producing plant foods.

Fishery collapse

The drastic decline of fish populations, marked by a 90% decrease, often leading to biodiversity loss.

Economic impact of fishery collapse

The financial repercussions resulting from overfishing, which leads to reduced profits and tourism.

Bottom trawling

A destructive fishing method that drags a net across the ocean floor, harming marine ecosystems and biodiversity.

Fishing down the food web

The process of depleting larger fish populations and subsequently targeting smaller fish, which disrupts the ecosystem.

Trophic cascade

An ecological phenomenon where the removal of top predators affects the entire food web and ecosystem dynamics.

Bycatch

Unintended marine creatures caught while fishing for a target species, often leading to waste and ecological harm.

Denitrification

The process by which nitrates are converted to nitrogen gas, releasing N2O and reducing soil nutrient availability.