APES Unit 5

food, medicine, fuel, fiber, timber, carbon sequestration, air purification, water purification, flood and erosion mitigation, maintenance of biodiversity, recreation, aesthetic and cultural value

services that forests supply

timber

when you cut down a tree

lumber

wood thats been cut and shaped

soil erosion, increased soil and stream temperature, and flooding and landslides

direct effects of clearcutting

tree plantations

areas where the same tree species are repeatedly planted, grown, and harvested

lowers biodiversity (because less species diversity) and all the trees are the same age (none are dying to provide organic material)

effects of tree plantations

filtering of air pollutants, removal and storage of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and habitat for organisms

benefits of forests

reduces air filtering and carbon storing services, cutting down trees releases carbon dioxide from decomposition of leftover organic material, slash and burn method releases carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and water vapor into the atmosphere

deforestation consequences

loss of

habitat/biodiversity

economic oppportunities

food sources

aesthetic value

increase of

darker surfaces (lower albedo)

soil erosion/desertification

water evaporation from soil

air pollution/ climate change

decrease of

infiltration

soil formation

transpiration

clearcutting impacts on and land and the atmosphere

increase in turbidity

increase in water temperature

increase in nutrient load

loss of habitat/biodiversity

impacts of clearcutting on aquatic environments

unsustainable

when a natural resource is used at a greater rate than it can be replenished

sustainable forestry

refers to a collection of methods that attempt to mitigate the human impact of harvesting trees and using forest resources

selective tree cutting, reforestation, buying and using timber that is sustainably sources and certified, reusing wood, selective tree removal to reduce disease, prescribed burns

sustainable forestry methods

prescribed burns

when dead biomass builds up it is fuel for large forest fires and traps good nutrients so create small, controlled fires to use dead biomass up and prevent large forest fires later, promotes nutrient recycling

green revolution

a shift to new agricultural strategies and practices in order to increase food production, with both positive and negative results

mechanization

monocultures

use artificial fertilizer and pesticides

extensive irrigation used

genetically modified organisms

green revolution strategies

machinery doesnt have the drawbacks of living labor

can be specialized and updated

easy to use

efficiency leads to higher profits

mechanization advantages

fossil fuel use: extraction, combustion, reliance upon

mechanization disadvantages

release nutrients over time

can be customized for the type of plant

mass produced

easily shipped and stored

easily and quickly dispersed

no objectionable smell

ensure higher yield due to maximized growth potential

artificial fertilizer advantages

easily dissolve in runoff

eutrophication

nitrogen-bearing ions in drinking water

disrupts the nitrogen cycle

disadvantages of artificial fertilizer

customizable application

maximizes yield by maximizing growth potential

irrigation advantages

depletion of freshwater resources

associated environmental effect

irrigation disadvantages

can be customized for the type of pest

mass produced

easily shipped and stored

easily and quickly dispersed

ensure higher yield due to minimize loss due to pest damage

artificial pesticides advantages

possible extermination of non target species

persistence

possible human health effects

contamination of groundwater

evolution of pesticide-resistant pests

artificial pesticides disadvantages

easy to plant, maintain, harvest

only certain types of pests associated with this one crop

monoculture advantages

loss of habitat and biodiversity

loss of ancestral varieties

increases possibility of catastrophic event

monoculture disadvantages

genetically modified organism

organism that has been produced by isolating a gene from one organism and transferred into the genetic material of another

creates crops that can grow on land once unusable for agriculture

crops can be herbicide resistance

crops can produce their own insecticide

advantages of GMOs

semiarid and arid lands converted to agriculture have low nutrient soil

weeds can become herbicide-resistant with ecess use of herbicide

Bt crops can lead to insecticide-resistant pests

moral/ethical/economic issues with patented genetic modification

disadvantages of GMOs

tilling

mixing and breaking up soil to make planting easier, loosens soil for roots

increases erosion by loosening topsoil, breaking up leftover root structure from harvest

loss of organic matter and topsoil nutrients over time

increased particulate matter/dust in air and sediments in nearby water

effects of tilling

slash and burn

cutting down vegetation and burning to clear land for agriculture and return nutrients to soil, unsustainable, lowers albedo, increases particulate matter in air, releases nutrients into atmosphere

synthetic fertilizer

advantages

easy to transport and use

timed release

customizable

disadvantages

water-soluble

often overused

does nothing to improve soil structure

organic fertilizer

advantages

can be worked into soil

contains partially-digested vegetation-improves soil structure

disadvantages

must be gathers

nutrient levels unknown

harder to use

1. contour plowing

2. windbreaks

3. perennial crops

4. terracing

5. no-till agriculture

6. stripp cropping

methods of soil conservation

contour plowing

preserves natural topography of land and leaves soil intact, plowing parallel to natural slopes of the land instead of down, prevents water runoff and soil erosion, forms mini terraces that catch water running off, conserving soil and water

windbreaks

reduces wind erosion that may blow soil away, using trees or other plants to block the force of the wind from eroding topsoil, can be used as a source of firewood or fruit, can provide habitat for pollinators and other species

strip cropping

harvesting one crop at different times which will leave other holding soil in place, another name for intercropping, alternating rows of dense crops with rows of less dense crops to prevent runoff from eroding soil

terracing

decreasing velocity of water running down hill reduces soil erosion, cut flat platforms of soil into a steep slope, catches water and prevents it from becoming runoff and eroding soil

no till agriculture

leaves soil in place and does not loosen it so can resist erosion, leaving leftover crop remains in soil instead of tilling under

adds organic matter to soil

prevents erosion from loosened soil

perennial crops

crop roots hold soil together year-round does not have to be replanted, crops that live-year round and are harvested numerous times, longer, more established roots and prevention of bare soil between harvest

crop rotation

replenish soil of nutrients naturally- legumes add nitrogen to soil

green manure

adds bulk and NPK to soil that slowly decomposes

limestone

addition of limestone adds valuable calcium to soil and pH making soil more alkaline

overgrazing

extensive grazing that causes damage to plants

rotational grazing

the cycling of livestock around a particular part of their pasture as to not overgraze an area

groundwater

water stored in pore space of permeable rock and sediment layers

aquifers

useable groundwater deposits for humans, unconfined recharge quickly, confined recharge slowly

water logging

overwatering can saturate the soil, filing all soil pore space with water, doesnt allow air into pores, so roots can’t take in oxygen, can stunt growth or kill crops

soil salinization

salinization is the process of salt building up in a soil over time

saltwater intrusion

excessive pumping near coast lowers water table pressure, allowing saltwater to seep into groundwater

cone of depression

forms when water table is lowered by excessive pumping, depleting water and drying nearby wells

maximizes land use and profit which minimizes cost of meat for consumers

advantages of concentrated animal feeding lots

given antibiotics and growth hormones to prevent disease outbreak and speed meat production

animals produce large volume of waste which can contaminate nearby surface or groundwater

produces large amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases, manure lagoons

disadvantages of concentrated animal feeding lots

manure lagoons

large, open storage pits for animal waste, contains ammonia, hormones, antibiotics, fecal coliform bacteria, contaminates nearby surface and ground water with runoff, denitrification

free range grazing

animals graze on grass and grow at a natural rate without growth hormones

no need for antibiotics with dispersed population

doesnt require production of corn to feed animals

waste is dispersed over land naturally, acting as fertilizer instead of building up in lagoons

animals can graze on land too dry for most crop growth

advantages of free range grazing

requires more total land use/pound of meat produced which makes it more expensive

can lead to overgrazing

disadvantages of free range grazing

overgrazing

too many animals grazing an area of lang can remove all the vegetation which leads to topsoil erosion, animals compact soil = more erosion

desertification

can occur if plants are killed by overgrazing and soil is compacted so much that it cant hold enough water anymore

rotational grazing

prevents overgrazing, increases growth of grass by distributing manure and clipping grass back to size where growth is most rapid

pesticides

artificially select for pests with resistance by killing all the non-resistant individuals, leaving only resistant ones

integrated pest management

combination of methods used to reduce and eliminate pest species, includes biological, physical, and chemical controls

biocontrol

introducing a natural predator, parasite, or competitor to control the pest population

push plants

emit volatile chemicals that naturally repel pests away from crop

pull plants

emit chemicals that attract moths to lay eggs in them instead of crop

reduces death and mutation of non-target species

reduces effects on human consumers

reduces contamination of surface and ground water by agricultural runoff with pesticides

advantages of IPM

can be more time consuming and costly than just crop dusting pesticides

disadvantages of IPM

urbanization

removing of vegetation to convert natural landscape to city, replaces soil vegetation, wetlands, with impervious surfaces, prevents groundwater recharge

urban sprawl

population movement out of dense urban centers to less dense suburban areas surrounding the city

cheaper property in suburbs

cars make it easy to get to farther places

domino effect

fewer residents in cities leads to decline in tax revenue for city

residents leave so businesses follow

abandoned places create blight so more people leave

urban sprawl causes

blight

unsightly, rundown infrastructure

urban growth boundaries

public transport and walkable city design

mixed land use

solutions to urban sprawl

urban growth boundaries

zoning laws set by cities preventing development beyond a certain boundary

mixed land use

residential, business, and entertainment buildings all located in the same area of a city

ecological footprint

measure of how much a person/group consumes, expressed in area of land

food production

raw materials

housing

electricity production

disposing waste produced

factors of ecological footprints

carbon footprint

measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide produced per year

affluence/wealth - larger houses, more travel, more resources needed for material goods

meat consumption- more land, more water, more energy

fossil fuel usage

factors that increase the footprint

renewable energy use

public transport

plant based diet

less consumption, less travel, less energy use

factors that decrease the footprint

sustainability

consuming a resource or using a place in a way that doesnt deplete/degrade it more future generations

maximum sustainable yield

the maximum amount of a renewable resource that can be harvested without reducing or depleting the resource for future use

biological diversity

food production

average global surface temp and carbon dioxide concentration

human population

resource depletion

environmental indicators of sustainability

urban runoff

occurs when water from an urban area doesnt evapotranspire or infiltrate the soil

permeable pavement

specially designed to allow stormwater to infiltrate and recharge ground water, decrease runoff, decreasing pollutants carried into storm drains and into local surface water, decrease flooding

rain garden

gardens planted in urban areas, especially surrounding a storm drain, decreases runoff by allowing it to soak into garden soil surrounding storm drain, decreases flooding, creates habitat for pollinators