HORT10040

horticulture covers x% of land but generates x% of jobs in the agricultural industry

2, 11

three main crops

mushrooms, potatoes, field vegetables

sustainability

ability to exist and grow without depleting natural resources

3 pillars of sustainability

environmental (planet), social (people), economical (profits)

photosynthesis equation

6CO2 + 6H2O + solar energy = C6H12O6 + 6O2

nutrients can only be absorbed in what state

dissolved

ppm of co2 in atmosphere

400

if a greenhouse is sealed how much co2 can be pumped in

3x avg ppm

photoperiodism

measure of daylength in plants

photoperiodism controls

flowering, dormancy, development of underground organs

agriculture generates x% global ghg emissions

26

x% inhabitable land is used for agriculture

50

x% freshwater is used for agriculture

70

agriculture causes x% waterway pollution

78

x% non-human biomass is livestock

94

x% bird biomass is livestock

71

health benefits of vegetarianism

20% decrease in heart disease, lower cholesterol, live 8 years longer on avg

2023 diet trends

climate conscious eating, plant based diets, online nutrition counseling, healthy food to-go, personalized nutrition, gut health, veganism, sober drinking

provisioning services

physical products of nature

regulating services

services that directly impact agriculture ie. pollination

supporting services

large services that maintain society ie. nutrient cycling

cultural services

non-monetary/material benefits to nature

benefits of vegetation in urban environments

reduce temperatures, intercept water runoff and mitigate flash floods, physical barrier to light/sound/air pollution, aesthetic improvement

urban environments are x degrees C hotter than rural environments on average

2 degrees

grass reduces surface temperatures in urban areas by up to x degrees

24 degrees

trees cause a x degree decrease in air temps and a x degree decrease in surface temps

5-6, 19

x% increase in tree cover in urban areas can decrease cooling energy requirements by up to x%

25%, 40%

SUDS

Sustainable Urban Development Systems

Permaculture key tenets

care for the people, care for the earth, and share the surplus

4 ways to improve soil quality from conventional agrculture

cover crops, crop rotation, compost/manure instead of artificial fertilizer, min-till

3 steps for choosing conventional vs permaculture practices for a farm

1. assess financial capacity and economic goals

2. evaluate risk factor and pros/cons of both methods

3. analyze market trends

guilds

mutually beneficial species that are worked into larger ecosystems

community function guilds

species grouped based on their ability to solve problems in the ecosystem

establishment guilds

species planted alongside the main crop to help it establish in the ecosystem long term

mature guilds

crops rotated in once main crop is established

mutual support guilds

species that can maximize symbiotic relations between plants

resource partitioning guilds

species that can maximize the efficacy of resource usage in an ecosystem

zone 0

human settlement

zone 1

frequently visited natural area ie. kitchen garden

zone 2

semi-intensely cultivated space ie. greenhouse

zone 3

cultivated space ie. orchard or field

zone 4

minimal maintenance area ie. pasture

zone 5

wilderness ie. wild foraging

edge effect

when 2 habitats meet and diversity increases

hügelkultur

burying of wood to increase water retention in soil

sheet mulching

mimicking decomposition layers of the forest floor

herbaceous layer

plants that die back and naturally decompose on the forest floor

vermicomposting

breakdown of organic matter using earthworms

chitin

composition of fungi cell walls

hyphae

filaments that make up the body of fungi

vegetative hyphae

hyphae that obtain nutrients

aerial hyphae

reproductive hyphae

mycelium

hyphae filamentous masses

thallus

undifferentiated fungal body made of multiple mycelium

2 most common ways fungi reproduce

spores and budding

colony collapse disorder

disappearance/death of worker bees

DDT

dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane

septoria leaf blotch accounts for x% of fungicide use in the eu

70% of fungicides

Integrated Pest Management

methods that slow the development of pesticide resistance

CITES

Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species

date of CITES origin

1st july 1975

when did Ireland join CITES

april 2002

how many species are on the CITES list

37k

1st appendix of CITES

threatened with extinction = no commercial trade allowed

2nd appendix of CITES

fragile and threatened if over-traded = strictly regulated trade

3rd appendix of CITES

international cooperation to prevent overexploitation = watchlist

x% of plant species on CITES are orchids

84%

most eu imported live good on CITES

snowdrop (galanthus)