Describe the specific importance of three micronutrients
iron, iodine, and vitamin A
Describe each of the four layers of soil
O, A, B, and C horizons
Food security
ability, access, and use of food
820 million/10%
the portion of people globally that are undernourished
3/10
the number of people globally that are food insecure
Overfertalized areas
Mississippi River Basin/China
macronutrients
protein, carbohydrates, fats
micronutrients
vitamins and minerals
iron
lack of this mineral is called anemia, often affects mothers giving birth and losing blood
iodine
lack of this mineral leads to goiters, but the mineral can be added to salt
vitamin A
lack of this vitamin leads to blindness and maternal mortality
industrialized agriculture
uses heavy equipment, money, fossil fuels, inorganic fertilizers → high yield of monocultural crop
monocultural crop
one type, high yield
plantation agriculture
growing cash crops using industrialized methods for export
traditional subsistence agriculture
uses solar energy and human + animal labor → enough food for the family that cultivates the land
traditional intensive agriculture
farmers increase the inputs of human and animal labor to sell surplus
slash-and-burn agriculture
setting fires and clearing small plots of land (especially in tropical forests) that use the land for polyculture crops
agribusiness
a small number of giant multinational corporations control all aspects of the production and sale of food
agroforestry
crops and trees are grown together → uses less water via trickle-down and less runoff
green revolution
development of higher yield staple crops that can produce more food in less space using more organic fertilizer
artificial selection
choosing and cross-breeding organisms for desirable inheritable traits
genetic engineering
picking genes from unlike organisms and modifying a crop to give it desirable traits
CAFO
intensive, confined animal raising operation with higher yield in smaller areas → leads to more point source pollution and spread of disease
rangelands
raising less livestock on more land → smaller yield, more dispersed pollution/land degradation
Green Revolution
monoculture GMO crops increased global food production but led to more fertilizer and water use
Conservation tilling
little disturbance to the soil during planting → less erosion and vulnerability
Soil Erosion Act
helped farmers conserve soil after Dust Bowl
Food Security Act
farmers paid to take highly erodable soil out of production
Terracing
helps retain water and soil on steep hills; inexpensive
Strip Cropping/contour farming
Alternating strips of crops are planted on hillsides and in windy environments
Cover Crops
Legumes planted to cover the soil in winter months to prevent erosion
O horizon
leaf litter with decomposers that contribute nutrients to the soil
A horizon
topsoil with miniature food web
B horizon
subsoil, mostly inorganic
C horizon
parent material that rests just above bedrock
humus
partially decomposed organic matter broken down by microorganisms
desertification
topsoil loses productive potential due to drought or erosion due to human activities
biopesticide
chemicals naturally produced to deter or harm predators such as bugs
subsidies
government funds given to incentivize agriculture
FIRFA
a government act that evaluates the harmful effects of pesticides (semi-effective)
Salinization
salts left behind by repeated irrigation
Waterlogging
can be used to combat salinization but can accumulate and flood the roots of plants
intercropping
two or more crops grown on the same plot
windbreaks
rows of trees/shrubs that prevent soil from blowing away on a farm
arable land
land capable of being farmed or being currently used for agriculture