APES unit 5

how does monoculture affect biodiversity crops?

quickly reduces key nutrients in the soil, eliminates biological control, increase use of synthetic material

How does GMO crops affect biodiversity?

outcrossing which causes GMO food to pass into would plants and other crops, reductions in other plants leading to loss of biodiversity

GMO advantages

improve nutrition with vitamins and minerals added, crops can address certain health problems, GMO can reduce herbicide and pesticide use

GMO disadvantages

New bacteria and viruses created, could be toxic to species, resistant to antibiotics, increase pesticide and herbicide use

organic farming advantages

environment friendly, promotes sustainable development

organic farming disadvantages

labor intensive, sensitive to economic decline, cant benefit from synthetic material

CAFO livestock method

animals are raised in a confined area without vegetation up to 45 days, improve efficiency of animal production

Grazing livestock method

feeding animals on different types of pastures

IPM

Intergrated Pest Managment, environmentally friendly approach to pest management

Advantages: reduce reliance on chemical pesticide, long term sustainable method

Disadvantages: time and energy consuming, more resources are needed

Soilsalinization

increase of salt concentration in soil, can be caused by natural processes, affects plant growth and water, prevent by optimizing irrigation

Furrow Irrigation

dig trench for water, cheap, easy, water loss due to evaporation and runoff

Flood irrigation

flood the field and let the water soak in, cheap, easy, disrupts plant growth`

Spray Irrigation

water pumped to spray water across the fields, more efficient, expensive

spray irrigation

hoses with small holes in soil near roots or buried in soil, reduced weed growth, hosses have to move, doesnt tolerate annual crops

advantages of synthetic fertilizers

customized to suit specific crops, cost effective, fast reaction with the soil

disadvantages of synthetic fertilizers

kills microorganisms, leach into groundwater, burn plants

primary productivity

rate at which energy is converted to organic substances by photosynthesis producers

Oligotrophic lakes

low productivity due to low amounts of nutrients in water like nitrogen and phosphorus

Mesotrophic lakes

moderate level of productivity+ moderate nutrient levels

Eutrophic lakes

high level of productivity and high nutrient levels

pros of aquaculture

produces food, reduce overharvesting of wild fisheries, less habitat destruction

cons of aquaculture

large waste output, destroy habitats, high cost

upwelling

deep cold ester rises towards the surface

aquaculture

fish farm with purpose of commercial, recreational, scientific purposes

pros of catching wild fish

high diversity, habitat restoration, local consumption

cons of catching wild fish

overfishing, bycatch, habitat destruction

fishing methods

pots and traps, bottom trawling, long using

bycatch

unwanted/ untargeted fish or marine creatures caught during commercial

eating down the food chain

consuming food from lower trophic levels

Aquatic Biomes

ocean, coral reef, and estuaries (saltwater)

lakes, ponds, streams, wetlands (freshwater)

DDT

In blood or top predatory bird, bird egg crack, banned in US, bioaccumulate

PCB

Industrial chemical, Neurotoxin, bioaccumulates

Atrazine

Herbicides, endocrine disruptor, amphibians become impaired, very common

BPA

plastic lining of food cans, endocrine disruptor, banned in baby products