APES - Aquatic Unit

Which of the following is a direct economic advantage associated with aquaculture?

Aquaculture produces large amounts of seafood for human purchase and consumption year-round.

Which of the following is an unintended environmental consequence of aquaculture?

Contamination of surrounding water by organic waste

The farming of fish such as salmon at aquaculture facilities poses a threat to marine ecosystems because

the farmed fish can escape and outcompete wild fish for food and territory

Farmers need to make many decisions about how they grow their crops. One of these decisions is whether to use synthetic fertilizer or organic fertilizer, such as manure.

An advantage of using synthetic fertilizer instead of organic fertilizer is that

synthetic fertilizer can provide more targeted macronutrients to the crops

Which of the following is the most likely result from clearing mature, forested land and converting it into agricultural land that would be used for cattle grazing?

There will be a reduction in the uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

A major environmental problem caused by using the agricultural practice of tilling is

eutrophication from excessive fertilizer use

Which of the following best describes legislation that could be used to address problems with overfishing?

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora ( CITESCITES ) uses trade rules to protect commercially valuable species.

One way that consumers can help prevent a decrease in the number of fish species that are experiencing population declines is to

eat fish that are caught using sustainable harvesting methods, therefore ensuring fish populations remain stable and reducing the amount bycatch harvested

Which of the following is the best example of an economic approach to reduce overfishing for a fish species with a declining population?

The federal government sets a catch limit (per person or per boat) for the species and imposes a tax on any extra fish that are caught.

In a rural region of India, scientists collected data of different pesticide residue levels from closely located farming plots. Some of these plots used integrated pest management biopesticides, while others used chemical pesticides to control pests. The data below show levels of four pesticide residues found in tomato and cucumber crops in the two treatment plots.

Which of the following statements is best supported by the data in the table?

The greatest effect of integrated pest management was seen in lower levels of endosulfan in both tomatoes and cucumbers.

Which of the following methods should the farmers choose to minimize the cost for efficient pest removal while still reaching their goal of reducing the amount of pollution in the river?

Planting genetically modified crops

Which of the following claims would be the best solution to the pest problem, based on the data in the graph?

Use of Integrated Pest Management techniques is the most successful method because the sources for food, water, and shelter for pests are disrupted, leading to a reduced number of pests in the area.

Carbon dioxide equivalent ( CO2e ) is used to compare contributions to climate change of various greenhouse gases. A study at a farm calculated the carbon dioxide equivalent for different production stages for beef and chicken production. Which of the following statements is best supported by the data in the graph?

Raising beef contributes more to greenhouse gases than raising chickens does, primarily as a result of fermentation in cows' digestive tracts, which releases methane gas.

Based on the data provided, which of the following descriptions best identifies the types of farms that are being compared?

Farm A is a grass-fed pasture for beef production, whereas Farm B is a traditional concentrated animal feedlot for cattle.

Which of the following claims is best supported by the data in the graph?

Global meat consumption per capita will increase in all five countries between 2012 and 2022 as the countries move through the demographic transition and become more developed.

We Need A New Green Revolution

In recent years, farm production has stopped growing in the United States, and agriculture research is no longer a priority; it constitutes only 2 percent of federal research and development spending. And, according to the Department of Agriculture, total agricultural production has slowed significantly since the turn of the century. We need another ambitious surge in agricultural science.

Experience has shown that the best way forward is funding research through a competitive process. There is a program in the Agriculture Department that embraces these tenets, the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, and its research grants show great promise.

New, hardier varieties of corn are being developed from tropical species that can better withstand heat, drought and changes to the environment. The probiotics found in fermented products like yogurt are being tested to replace antibiotics used in animal husbandry. And nanotechnology and electrified micro-coatings of water are being applied to some produce, to prevent food poisoning. Government research is even exploring how to double the rate of photosynthesis and eliminate the need for pesticides.

The potential is great, but the program has never been fully funded. Despite a $25 million increase in the omnibus budget agreement, the budget of the department's research initiative sits at half of what Congress authorized in 2008 when it created the program.

Now more than ever, we need to embrace twenty-first century science, fund it and turn it loose so we can develop better methods of putting food on the table. Our world is changing; the way we grow and produce food needs a much richer diet of scientific ingenuity to keep pace.

From the New York Times. © 2016 The New York Times. All rights reserved.

Which of the following statements best identifies the author's assumptions in terms of a new green revolution?

Current agricultural practices and strategies need to be evaluated in order to meet the demand for increased food production.

Which of the following statements best identifies the author's perspective in terms of government funding for future agricultural research?

More funding is continually needed because the agricultural research programs have never been completely financially supported.

Which of the following statements best identifies the author's perspective in terms of utilizing science technology for future agricultural advances?

The only way to meet the global demand for more food is to fully utilize new science technologies to advance agriculture.

Which of the following choices below is NOT consistent with the "First Green Revolution" that occurred between 1950 and 1970?

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

The greatest threat to the success of a species is

Loss of habitat

Despite the sharp rise in demand for agricultural products as a result of population growth and higher family incomes (e.g., more than one wage earner in the family), the rise in agricultural productivity caused the average adjusted world price that farmers receive for their agricultural products to fall between 1900 and 2010. Which of the following statements in true?

1.) certain areas of the world (e.g., sub Saharan Africa) have lower levels of agricultural productivity to meet demand compared with developed countries.

2.) many places around the world are far behind the advances made during the first and second agricultural revolutions in terms of agricultural productivity, and there is considerable room for these developing countries to catch up. However, Southeast Asia, China, and Latin America are now approaching the land and labor productivity levels achieved by current industrialized nations of the 1960s.

3.) the annual increase in the rate of agricultural production since the "Green Agricultural Revolution" in the mid 1960s averages about 2% growth per year. To attain and sustain these increases, farmers have relied on higher use of inputs; e.g., fertilizer, irrigation, mechanization, and pest control.

You just bought a small farm and are starting to grow some fruits and vegetables. Later in the season, you begin noticing that some of your fruits and vegetables are being destroyed by insects and the problem is only getting worse. Your neighbor suggested that you try an integrated pest management approach first. Which of the choices below would be the most logical order of the steps you would follow to reduce the damage caused by the pests, starting with inspecting your crops for the type of pests causing the problem.

Inspection -> identification -> action -> monitoring -> evaluation

Planting trees and/or shrubs between rows of crops is known as

alley cropping

The one area of the world that is NOT expected to increase food production soon is

Sub-Saharan Africa

Most foods derived from genetically modified crops contain

one or two additional genes

Which region of the developing world is currently as urbanized as the developed world?

Latin America

The most lethal form of malnutrition is

Lack of protein in the diet

Adding more fertilizer does NOT necessarily increase crop production is an example of

limiting factors

Soil that is transported by the wind is

Aeolian

The following is an excerpt from an article written by John Parker in the February 24, 2011 issue of The Economist entitled "Feeding the World: The Nine Billion People Question." ... which of the methods listed below are feasible to deal with the situation as outline in the article?

1.) close yield gaps- the difference between actual and potential crop yields

2.) increase agricultural resource efficiency, e.g., switch from flooding fields or ditch irrigation to drip irrigation, providing sustainable crop nutrients

3.) increase food supplies by shifting diets and reducing waste

Countries with the largest population growth rates are found in

Africa

Which of the following is NOT a concept that would be used in designing a sustainable city?

Design more affordable and fuel efficient automobiles

The Second Law of Thermodynamics would tend to support

More people becoming vegetarians

Most of Earth's land area is

Forest

Most grain that is grown in the United States is used

To feed cattle

The complex environmental issue of global warming requires an understanding of the problem and cooperation by all countries of the world (e.g., international treaties), as global warming is caused by and affects all countries and life forms on Earth. Thus, international protocols, treaties, and agreements dealing with global warming

Are controversial, and international regulations include the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocols, and the Paris Agreement; however, not all countries have agreed to cooperate on how to solve the issue or to agree to the Paris Agreement

What is the number one cause of soil erosion?

Water erosion

A process in which small holes are drilled into the earth and water-based chemical solvents are used to flush out desired minerals is known as

In situ leaching

Which of the following changes to the local hydrologic cycle will result if large areas of land experienced clear-cutting?

Evaporation of water from the soil will increase.

Industrial logging threatens many forested ecosystems. Which of the following environmental consequences will most likely result from clear-cutting deciduous forests for logging?

More carbon dioxide will be added to the atmosphere and increase anthropogenic climate change.

It has been observed that forest fires can produce up to 40 percent of the mean annual global emissions of which of the following gases?

Carbon Dioxide

Which of the following statements best describes the most unsustainable method of clear-cutting forests to harvest timber?

All of the trees in a forest are cut down and removed in one operation

Which of the following is a commercially used method for harvesting trees and is most likely to lead to a fragmented landscape with serious impacts on biodiversity?

Clear-cutting

Which of the following is most likely to occur in a forested region that has been recently clear-cut?

The concentration of nitrates in streams running through the region will increase.