Unit 5 Notes (apes)

Sustainable Forestry

The practice of logging trees using sustainable methods, reusing wood, and protecting forests.

Timber Market Value

The economic value of timber.

Lumber

Timber that has been shaped and can be used for paper, houses, and energy.

Ecological Value

The value of trees in providing habitat, preventing soil erosion, helping with soil formation, reducing runoff, and storing carbon.

Integrated Pest Management

A method of pest control that involves removing affected trees and using biological controls.

Prescribed Burns

Controlled burns used to prevent uncontrollable wildfires by burning up dead material.

Clearcutting

Cutting down trees all at the same time, leading to even-aged stands.

Even-aged Stands

Trees that grow at the same size.

Uneven-aged Stems

Trees that grow at different sizes.

Industrial Agriculture

The application of mechanization and standardization to food reproduction.

Green Revolution

A period of increased agricultural productivity through industrial agriculture.

GMOS

Genetically Modified Organisms designed to be healthier, cheaper, and more productive, but can have cons such as allergic reactions and increased antibiotic resistance.

Irrigation

The process of supplying water to crops.

Waterlogging

When roots cannot get enough oxygen due to excessive water.

Salinization

The accumulation of salt in soil, which is toxic for plant growth.

Ogallala Aquifer

A large water table aquifer located beneath the Great Plains.

Flood Irrigation

Flooding the field and letting the water soak in evenly.

Furrow Irrigation

Building trenches and filling them with water.

Spray Irrigation

Pumping water through nozzles for more efficiency.

Drip Irrigation

Slowly dripping water through hoses, buried or on top, for maximum efficiency.

Pesticides

Substances used to control pests and prevent plant damage.

Biocontrol

Using living organisms or their products to control pests, reducing reliance on chemical pesticides.

IPM

Integrated Pest Management, which aims to control pests and minimize environmental impact using a variety of methods.

Sustainable Soil

Practices to maintain healthy soil, such as contour plowing, terracing, strip cropping, windbreaks, and crop rotation.

Dust Bowl

A period of severe soil erosion resulting in dust storms.

Organic Fertilizer

Fertilizer made from natural sources, but harder to use and nutrient levels may be unknown.

Free Range

Animals have access to the outdoors, but can overgraze and cause desertification.

CAFOs

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, which are cost-efficient but raise ethical concerns and waste issues.

Aquaculture

Cost-effective method of fish production, but can have issues with genetically modified fish and waste.

Overfishing

The excessive fishing of certain species, leading to loss of biodiversity.

Mining

The extraction of minerals from the earth's surface or underground.

Surface Mining

Mining methods such as strip, open pit, or mountaintop removal.

Substance Mining

Mining through tunnels underground.

Remediation

The process of restoring a mined area, such as turning it into a recreational area or replanting vegetation.

Urbanization

The process of population growth and development of cities.

Heat Island Effect

Cities have higher average temperatures than suburbs and other areas.

Mass Transit

Public transportation systems to reduce the ecological footprint of transportation.

Permeable Surfaces

Surfaces that allow water to infiltrate, reducing runoff.

Impact on Water Cycle

Urban areas have more runoff and less infiltration due to impervious surfaces.

Overburden

The layer of the earth and rock that is removed to access the materials below

Spoils

Unwanted rock and other waste materials produced when a material is removed from the earth’s surface or substance by mining, dredging, quarrying, and excavation

Tailings

The materials that are left over after the minerals have been extracted from the ore

Gangue

Waste or undesired material in an ore

Smelting

The process in which a desired metal is separated from the other elements in an ore mineral

Selective Cutting

Forestry practice where only certain trees are harvested, allowing the remaining trees to continue growing.

Strip Cutting

A logging method where trees are cut down in long strips, leaving narrow areas of forest intact.

Slash and Burn Agriculture

A method of growing food which forest land is clear cut and any vegetation left is burned

Monoculture

The cultivation of a single crop in an area

Polyculture

The cultivation of more than one crop in an area