APES_Land, Food and Soil combo UNIT 5

biosphere reserves

tracts of land with exceptional biodiversity that couple preservation with sustainable development to benefit local people.

Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

federal agency that owns and manages most U.S. rangelands

clear-cutting

a logging practice in which all trees in a stand of forests are cut, leaving just the stumps

wildlife corridor

a passageway of protected land established to allow animals to travel between islands of protected habitat

deforestation

the clearing or destruction of forests

forestry

the science of planting and caring for forests and the management of growing timber

maximum sustainable yield

the maximum amount of a renewable resource that can be taken year after year without depleting the resource

National Forest service (USFS)

public lands: "Land of Many uses" recreation, hunting, mining, forestry, wildlife management, and rangeland.

National park

a scenic or historic area set aside for recreation and preservation. Run by US Park Service, Department of the Interior.

Wilderness area

An area set aside to serve as a haven for plants and animals, "no mechanized equipment" means no roads, logging, etc.

prescribed burn

controlled burn; deliberately ignited fire for the purpose of forest or grassland management. Can aid in the release of seeds and the maintence of underbrush or fuel to reduce the likelihood of uncontrolled fires later.

salvage logging

the removal of dead trees following a natural disturbance

second-growth forest

trees that have sprouted and grown to partial maturity after old growth timber has been cut

sustainable forestry certification

a form of ecolabeling that identifies timber products that have been produced using sustainable methods

Wildlife refuge

An area set aside to aid in the population management of species (especially game), often around breeding areas. May allow for permitted hunting and fishing during certain seasons. Run by Dept. of the Interior.

undernutrition

chronic hunger/not consuming enough calories to be healthy; leads to food deficit, decreased daily function, improper brain development, and low IQ. Result of poverty or famine.

malnutrition

result of a diet which lacks the correct balance of nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals

overnutrition

type of malnutrition caused by ingestion of too many calories and/or improper foods; increases risk of Type 2 diabetes/hypertension/heart disease/stroke; function of availability and affordability of [high-processed, nutrient-poor] foods

Green Revolution

20th century shift in farming methods which introduced mechanization (and monocrops) to agriculture, as well as fertilization, irrigation, and improved crop variety

salinization

Process that occurs when soils in arid areas are brought under cultivation through irrigation. small amount of salt in irrigation water becomes highly concentrated on soil surface after evaporation; eventually reaches toxic levels and halts plant growth

waterlogging

impairs root growth through lack of oxygen when soil remains under water for prolonged periods. From over watering or clay soils.

organic fertilizer

returns nutrients to agricultural soils through the slow decomposing manure, humus or compost

synthetic/inorganic fertilizer

commercially produced fertilizer which is easily applied, can be altered to target specific crops, and can be absorbed in poor soils; however, uses fossil fuel energy, is more susceptible to runoff and leaching from soils. Can cause eutrophication, and doesn't add key organic matter to the soil

monocropping (monoculture)

large planting of single crop species or variety encouraged by mechanization of agriculture and use of synthetic fertilizers; efficient but leads to soil erosion and pest vulnerability

insecticide

pesticide which targets insects and other crop-consuming invertebrates

herbicide

pesticide which targets plant species that compete with crops

pesticide

natural or synthetic substance which kills or controls organisms considered to be pests (such as weeds, bugs, rodents, or fungus)

bioaccumulation

increased concentration of a chemical within an organism over time (ie. through chronic exposure over time or foodchain).

pesticide treadmill

pests resistant to a pesticide gradually form larger and larger fractions of the population until the population is immune, requiring application of new pesticides and forming a positive feedback cycle

GMO (genetically modified organism)

organism possessing a specific gene injected into its DNA from another organism, which gives it desirable traits impossible to develop by traditional breeding techniques; benefits include increased crop yield/quality, and increased profits; costs include reduction in biodiversity, spread into local genepool and questionable safety of consumption.

desertification

dry, nutrient-poor soils are degraded until they are completely unproductive; caused by salinization from irrigation, and erosion of topsoil due to overgrazing, tilling or deforestation.

sustainable agriculture

farming which meets food/fiber productionneeds while improving soil quality, conserving nonrenewable resources, and giving farmers economic prosperity; agriculture on a given piece of land should be indefinite

intercropping

two or more crop species are planted in the same field at the same time to promote beneficial interaction (ex., nitrogen fixers planted with nitrogen users. or

crop rotation

rotation of crop species in a field from season to season, preventing pest development and leaving nutrients for alternating crops

agroforestry

intercropping trees with vegetables, reducing erosion and providing fruit and firewood

contour plowing

plowing/harvesting parallel to topographic contours of land , preventing water erosion while retaining ability to plow

no-till agriculture

An agricultural method in which farmers do not turn the soil between seasons, used as a means of reducing erosion and retaining soil nutirents and Carbon-sequestration.

integrated pest management (IPM)

agricultural practice minimizing need for pesticide application while increasing yield through crop rotation, intercropping, pest-resistant crops, and predator habitat creation; pheramones and traps. (pesticides may be used sparingly after careful observation in targeted method)

organic agriculture

production of crops without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, focusing on soil maintenance and environmental preservation;

concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs)

feedlots; large indoor/outdoor structures designed for for maximum output which confines animals; increases efficiency, but also increases waste runoff, manure buildup, and antibiotic-resistant microorganisms

free-range meat

meat produced more sustainably than that in CAFOs through natural grazing and open spaces, reduced use of antibiotics, and naturally dispersed manure; cons include more land required and higher cost

fishery

commercially harvestable population of fish within a particular ecological region

fishery collapse

decline of a fish population by 90 percent or more

bycatch

unintentional catch of nontarget species (juveniles, non-commercials) which significantly reduces populations

aquaculture

farming of aquatic organisms like fish, shellfish, and seaweed; could alleviate undernutrition and boost economy, but pumped wastewater contains pollutants and dangerous organisms, and escaped fish could compete, interbreed, or spread disease among wild fish populations

Leaf Litter or O horizon

Layer of decaying organic matter and plants on top of soil

Top Soil or A horizon

Soil layer best for growing plants. Often dark brown in color due to that humus, also contains mixture of sand, silt, clay (loam). Holds water, roots, and many soil microbes such as fungi, bacteria, earth worms, insects and nematodes.

Subsoil or B horizon

a layer of soil beneath the topsoil that has lower organic content and higher concentrations of fine mineral particles; often contains soluble compounds and clay particles carried down by percolating water

porosity

The percentage of the total volume of a rock or sediment that consists of open spaces. Indicates ability of soil to hold water and have air for organisms.

permeability

The ability of a rock or sediment to let fluids pass through its open spaces, or pores.

humus

material formed from decaying leaves and other organic matter

erosion

condition in which the earth's surface is worn away by the action of water and wind. Causes loss of topsoil.

weathering

the chemical and physical processes that break down rock at Earth's surface…creating soil.

run-off

Water (usually from rain) that flows over a land surface in streams and water ways

leaching

Process in which various chemicals in upper layers of soil are dissolved and carried to lower layers and, in some cases, to groundwater. (ie. fertilizers, pesticides, etc.)

alley cropping

agricultural method of alternating between rows of plants such as shade producing trees or nitrogen-fixing hedges and low growing food plants to promote growth and reduce erosion.

terracing

carving small, flat plots of land from hillsides to use for farming on steep slopes and reducing erosion.

green manure

a growing crop that is plowed under to enrich soil (often nitrogen fixing cover crops).

purse-seine

a seine (drawstring net) designed to be set by two boats around a school of fish and then closed at the bottom by means of a line

long-lining

a long line with baited hooks. it targets a variety of pelagic species , best known for tuna swordfish and marlins. disadvantages: by-catch, catches endangered species

Trawling

a method of fishing that involves using nets that stretch 200 feet or more that scoop up every living thing; Trawling nets are weighted to drag along the bottom for maximum catch; They scrape the bottom clean, destroying fragile benthic marine ecology

Gill net

a flat fishnet suspended vertically in the water to entangle fish by their gills. Can be small and hand held on shore or commercially left to drift out at sea and meters long.

Fish farm

A closed off area of water (usually tanks or ponds) in which people raise fish.

hatchery

a place where eggs are hatched under artificial conditions (especially fish eggs). Fish are either raised to adulthood in fish farms or are part of a release program to increase wild populations (such as trout)

fish ranching

Form of aquaculture in which members of a fish species such as salmon are held in captivity for the first few years of their lives, released, and then harvested as adults when they return from the ocean to their freshwater birthplace to spawn.

DDT

A colorless odorless water-insoluble hydro-carbon insecticide that tends to accumulate in ecosystems and has toxic effects on many vertebrates; became the most widely used pesticide from WWII to the 1950's; implicated in illnesses and environmental problem (Rachel Carson's Silent Spring); now banned in the US.

Urbanization

Movement of people from rural areas to cities

Urban Sprawl

The process of urban areas expanding outwards, usually in the form of suburbs, and developing over fertile agricultural land.

urban blight

the decay and deterioration of an urban area due to neglect or age. Exacerbated by flight of taxpaying residents to the suburbs

zoning

a way the urban areas create a plan for growth often setting specific areas for industrial use appart from residential areas.

smarth growth

set of principals/plan set by a community to direct the development of the area in ways that facilitate healthy communities an sustainable practicies.

infill

A way to allow for growth of housing and buisinesses in a community without having to sprawl outward onto new land.

riparian area

Land areas directly influenced by a body of water: stream banks, lake borders, and marshes.

ecological restoration

actively altering an area in an effort to restore or create a functional ecosystem

cover crop

a crop planted to protect the soil and increase fertility; a crop planted after the harvest of another crop or between the rows of other crops

buffer zone

A strip of vegetation, separating land dedicated to one use from land dedicated to another use (e.g., a park between residential from commercial). Or in farming area between farm and waterway to stop run-off.

compost

A mixture of various decaying organic substances, as dead leaves or manure, used for fertilizing soil

timber

the wood of trees cut and prepared for use as building material

loam

perfect agricultural soil with equal portions of sand, silt, and clay.

fire ecology

examines the role of fire in ecosystems and a common cause of ecosystem disturbance. Many communities are regulated by fire, plants in these environments need adaptions to deal with fire.

water table

The upper level of the saturated zone of groundwater

Aquifer

A body of rock or sediment that stores groundwater and allows the flow of groundwater.

saltwater intrusion

Movement of salt water into freshwater aquifers in coastal and inland areas as groundwater is withdrawn faster than it is recharged by precipitation.

irrigation

The process of supplying water from rivers, reserviors and wells to areas of land to make them suitable for growing crops.

Soil compaction

When soil is pressed down tightly resulting in the removal of air pockets; therefore not allowing water to penetrate or plants to grow.

slash and burn agriculture

Another name for shifting cultivation, so named because fields are cleared by slashing the vegetation and burning the debris. Often used in tropical areas to move more nutrients to the soil.

Tragedy of the Commons

the tendency of a shared, limited resource (commons) to become depleted or degraded because people act from self-interest for short-term gain. Individual smaller acts add up to larger consequences for the whole.

ecological footprint

the impact of a person or community on the environment, expressed as the amount of land required to sustain their use of natural resources