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