Plants and Humans Exam 3

Climate Change

All of the effects associated with the rise in greenhouse gas emissions.

Global Warming

Increase in the average global atmospheric temperature.

Greenhouse Effect.

The natural warming of the planet that allows life to exist.

Greenhouse Gases.

Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere.

• water vapor , carbon dioxide, methane 

Enhanced Greenhouse Effect

Unnatural warming of the planet due to an increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from human activity.

2 types of Greenhouse Gases

1.) Carbon Dioxide (co2)

• metabolism

• deforestation

• burning of fossil fuels

2.) Methane

• metabolism (ruuminants)

• anaerobic decay of manure by microorganisms

3 Natural sources of greenhouse gases

1.) Decay of vegetation

2.) Respiration of specific bacteria

3.) Thawing of permafrost (frozen subsoil)

3 Greenhouse gas emissions by sector

1.) transportation 

2.) electricity generation

3.) industry

8 effects of climate change

1.) greater warming at the poles 

2.) increase in average global temperature 

3.) precipitation changes 

4.) melting of glaciers and ice sheets 

5.) sea level rise 

6.) more acidic oceans 

7.) longer growing season 

• date of the last frost in the spring to the date of the first frost in the fall.

8.) bigger pest ranges

Carbon Dioxide Removal

• photosynthesis

• carbon capture and storage

Ways to combat change

1.) less carbon - based energy / using alternative ( renewable) energy. 

2.) use less energy 

• energy efficient appliances

• shade trees ( reduce cooling costs) 

• eating locally - grown foods

3.) green building methods

4.) 3 R’s —> reduce, reuse, recycle 

5.) using biofuels 

    —> Ethanol

How has agriculture change the planet ?

• less biodiversity

• pesticides / runoff

• overfarming

• allowed water use changes

• food production

• forestry

What is the purpose of Agriculture

To feed over 8 billion people.

How long ago was agriculture developed?

10,000 - 12,000 years ago.

Prehistoric agriculture

Agriculture prior to the development of writing systems.

Earliest Agricultural

Grown crops - rice, maize, wheat, barley, legumes

Impacts of early agriculture

• Development of cities

• Writing systems

• Development of Math/ Science

• War

• Expeditions

Types of Modern Agriculture

1. Traditional form - different farm sizes that could be divided into plots, each growing a different crop.

2. Tree farms - tree of one, sometimes a few species.

3. Orchard - fruit and trees.

4. Ranches - grazeland for cattle and livestock.

5. Hydroponic forming - farming without soil.

6. Organic farming - farming without the use of synthetic chemicals benefits ; better for human health and environmental health disadvantage ; costly.

7. Conventional farming - synthetic chemicals can be used

Benefit : less expensive

Disadvantage : worse for human health and environmental health.

What is the steps of Agricultural Process

1.) Preparing the land.

• Plowing / ditching

• water supply ( irrigation or rainfall)

2.) Tending the crops

• Distance between individual plants.

• weed control ( chemical, physical )

• pest control ( chemical, organic - friendly options )

• pruning

3.) Harvesting the crops.

• crops that are dry / hard at maturity → combine (wheat)

• crops that are grown in the ground → digging machine (potatoes)

• crops that are delicate to the touch → handpicked

• crops that are not dry enough at maturity → mown ( alfalfa) 4.) Caring for the land.

• overturn / plowing and ditching

• burn fields

• allow the land to rest

• planting a cover crop

Domestication

• altering organisms → human - chosen traits - form of artificial selection

GMO ‘S ( genetically modified organisms )

• organisms whose DNA has been changed using DNA technological methods.

Transgenic Organisms

• organisms that contains DNA from a separate species.

GMO Concerns

• long term effects

• natural processes

• toxic for human health

• Agriculture companies histories

Improvements for Crops

• - size - taste - more nutrients

• - yield - disease immunity

• - pest resistance - grows faster

Reduce negative impacts of agriculture

• organic farming

• organic fertilizers ( manure, slow - release )

• reduce tilling / plowing / ditching

• plant diversity ( reduce monocultures )

• reduce plant waste by using all parts of the plant

• plant cover crops

• reclaim land if it is no longer used for agriculture

Carbohydrates

Monosaccharides → glucose, fructose

Dissacharide → sucrose

Polysaccharide → starch, glycogen

Cellulose

Makes up the plant cell walls

Cannot be digested but acts as fiber

Leafy, green vegetables

rich in cellulose (fiber)

vitamins

The grass family

• oats, wheat, rice, barley, miller, sorghum, corn

• whole grain ( bran, germ, endosperm )

• refined grain (endosperm )

wheat

• gluten

• - 2 main types

• 1.) durum wheat → pasta

• 2.) bread wheat → baked goods

rice

• 2 main types

• 1.) Asia (china) → oryza sativa

• 2.) West Africa → oryza glaberrima

oats

• lowers cholesterol, has healthy lipids and a little protein.

barley

• soups, stews, livestock feed

rye

• some types of crackers, breads

• can grow in areas that are not warm enough for wheat to grow

• can be grown as a cover crop

corn

• many products ( corn flour, oil, syrup, ethanol, animal feed)

• humans are needed for its production

starches

• potatoes

• tubers ( underground shoot tissue )

• “eyes: → buds / meristems

• domesticated → 11,000 BCE in South America

• Irish potato famine

Yams

-used in savory dishes

-( not nearly as sweet as sweet potatoes )

-variety of colors from beige to light pink.

-domesticared in Africa

sweet potatoes

-used in sweeter dishes

-variety of colors but orange is common

sugars

• sugarcane

• sugar beets → biennials but are treated by farmers as annuals

• Honey → antimicrobial activity → does not spoil

Protein

the legume family

• soy ( milk, cheese, flour, tofu, edamame )

• Peanuts

• chickpeas / garbanzo beans

• peas, beans

• alfalfa → food for cattle

what is not a alternative energy source

fossil fuels

what are organisms whose dna has been changed due to biotechnological methods

GMO’S

Plant breeding and domestication are types of natural selection in plants. True or False

False. humans are choosing these

Oils / Fats

• beans, avacados, pecans, almonds, walnuts, coconuts

• flavored non - flavored

vitamins

• fat - soluble vitamins → vitamins A, D, E, K

• water - soluble vitamins → vitamins B, C

• Citrus family - Vitamin c (antioxidant)

• rose family - apples, peaches, blackberries → anthocyanins

• potato family - tomatoes, egg plant, chilli peppers

• cucurbit family - pumpkin, butternut squash

• grape family → red

• cabbage family - leafy, green vegetables

• carrot family - carrots, celery

Herbs

leaves

Spices

roots, seeds, stems / bark (any other plant part )

Purposes of herbs and spices

Agriculture made eating food more reliable, but it also made food more boring

Terpenes

Volatile molecules, found in many places, often added near the end of cooking

Taste

sweet, sour, bitter, salty, savory

Flavor

taste + smell

Mint family

basil, oregano, rosemary

Carrot family

dill, cumin, cilantro

Mustard family

horseradish, wasabi

Potato Family

Chili peppers

Pepper family

peppercorns

Ginger family

tumeric, cardamon

Vanilla

-vanilla planifolia

-native to mexico ( tropical )

-vanillin

Capsicum (peppers)

-bell peppers, jalapeño peppers, habanero, ghost pepper, californiano reaper

tropical americas

• burning sensation → capsaicin

• hottest pepper → pepper x

Peyote

Lophophora williamsii

active compound → hallucinogen mescaline

Aloe Vera

Sunburns / burns

Aspirin

Bark of the willow tree

Madagascar periwinkle

cancer

Cinchona tree bark

quinine → malaria

purple foxglove

digitoxin, digitalin → help stabalize heart beat in those with cardiac issues.

Taxol

ovarian cancer → bark of the yew tree

Shikimic acid

associated with tamiflu → from star arise (precursor)

Type II diabetes

Metforming → guardine derivative form goat’s rue.

NOT A PLANT

• Psychedelic mushrooms psilocyle genus

• used for treatment - resistant depression