Agriculture

Agriculture

activity connected with growing food and fibre

croppping

planting of species in the same location over a period of time

Horticulture

growing of plants for seeds, fruit, leaves or other products

Animal husbandry

raising animals for products including milk, meat, and fibre

Aquaculture

raising and harvesting fish, shellfish, algae, and other organisms that live in water

permanent plantations

growing of plants where products are harvested from them, without taking whole plant
e.g grapes, fruit tree, maple syrup

Agriculture changes to biomes

removing of existing vegetation
ploughing the soil
foreign plants, animals
building fences, shed, road, barn
irrigation, water canals, dams
fertilisers + pesticides

Deforestation

↓ habitats, ↑ green house gases, altered ecosystems

Soil degradation

over-culivation, monocropping, machinery leads to soil erosion, compaction and ↓ nutrient

↓ plants, food security, animals, ruin food chains

water resource depletion

irrigation in ag can dry up rivers, lakes
↓ wild life, ↑ salinity

Pesticides and Herbicides

harm non target organisms and contaminate water, food poisoning

Fertilizers

Cause eutrophican in aquatic systems, leading to algal blooms and dead zones

PH levels in soil = bad, ↓ plants in water, biodiversity

Eutrophication

process in which nutrients accumulate in water, increasing algae growth

Greenhouse gas

Agriculture is maj source of methane (livestock) and nitrous oxide (fertilizers) → climate change

Desertifcation

overgrazing and mismangement → desert
less stuff grow, ↓ biodiversity