Studied by 1 person
How is the Tragedy of the Commons solved?
Fees for using resources, availability of private land
What are some effects of clearcutting?
Increased soil erosion, stream temperature, turbidity
What was the Green Revolution?
the shift from small family farms to industrial agriculture
What are the pros and cons of HYV crops?
High Yield Crops offer stability in areas of poor fertility but decrease biodiversity in crops, leaving them prone to disease
What are the pros and cons of Synthetic Fertilizers?
Increased crop yield but excess fertilizer can run off into water sources and cause eutrophication, and it costs fossil fuels to produce them
What are the pros and cons of developed irrigation?
Increases crops in dry regions, but depletes groundwater which could lead to water salinization
What are the pros and cons of tilling?
Soil is aerated and loosened for easier planting, but it causes more soil erosion and spreads particulate matter
What are the pros and cons of using Slash & Burn?
It returns nutrients to the soil, but causes a loss of habitat, biodiversity, CO2 storage, water/air filtration and a lack of shade, which causes dry soil
How does soil salinization occur?
Salt in irrigation water can build up in soil over time, decreasing plant productivity and carbon storage
What are the four types of irrigation from least to most efficient?
Furrow Irrigation, Flood Irrigation, Spray Irrigation, Drip Irrigation
What happens when aquifers are depleted?
Saltwater intrusion occurs when the water table of the aquifer lowers, letting saltwater seep in to make it unusable
What are the pros and cons of CAFOs?
Concentrated Animal Feeding operations maximizes land use to minimize the cost of meat for consumers, but given antibiotics/growth hormones to their animals and produce a large amount of animal waste and greenhouse gases
What are the pros and cons of Free Range grazing?
Animals are spread out so that they don’t need antibiotics to prevent disease, extra land/energy use isn’t needed to make corn for feeding cattle, and waste is dispersed to act as natural fertilizers, but it requires more land and is more expensive for consumers.
What is Bottom Trawling and why is it harmful?
Bottom Trawling catches fish by dragging a large net across the ocean floor, often catching other unintended animals as bycatch and killing them while also increasing the turbidity of the water from disrupting the sediment.
What are 3 types of Surface Mining and what effects does surface mining have?
Strip Mining, Open Pit Mining, and Mountain Top Removal are types of Surface Mining that cause increased topsoil erosion, stream turbidity, particulate matter, and habitat loss.
What are 3 types of Sub-Surface Mining and what effects does sub-surface mining have?
Drift mining, slope mining, and shaft mining are types of subsurface mining that expose workers to toxic gases and mineshaft collapses
What are the environmental impacts of mining?
Mining releases sulfuric acid, particulate matter, cyanide (gold mining), and methane
What is the process of Mine Reclaimation?
Shafts are filled → original land contour is restored → topsoil is returned → native plants are replanted
What is Urban Sprawl?
The increase in population movement from dense urban areas into less dense suburban areas
How is ecological footprint measured?
In land (global hectares/gha), or in "Earths
How is carbon footprint measured?
In tons of CO2 produced per year
What are 3 solutions to reducing urban runoff?
Permeable pavement, rain gardens, public transit, and “building up, not out”
What are Rain Gardens?
Gardens made in urban areas, especially around storm drains, that decreases urban runoff
What are the tactics used in IPM? How is IPM beneficial?
Biocontrol, Crop Rotation, and Intercropping are used in Integrated Pest Management to reduce environmental damage and pesticide use in pest control.
How does Intercropping work in IPM?
Intercropping introduces plants that attract pests away from target crops as well as plants that emit chemicals that repel pests
What are 6 methods of preventing soil erosion in agriculture?
Contour Plowing, Terracing, Perennial Crops, Windbreaks, No Till, Strip Cropping
What are 4 methods of improving soil fertility?
Crop Rotation, Green Manure, Limestone, Rotational Grazing
What is Aquaculture and how is it beneficial?
Aquaculture is the act of raising sea life in cages underwater, which requires little space and prevents fisheries from collapsing.
What are the drawbacks of Aquaculture?
A high density of raised sea life can cause high waste concentrations and therefore an increased risk of disease, if any sea life escapes then non-native species can be released into the wild
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