Untitled Flashcards Set

Q: What is the main idea of The Tragedy of the Commons?
A: It explains how shared resources are overused and depleted when individuals act in their own self-interest.

Clear-Cutting & Deforestation

• Q: What is clear-cutting?
  A: The practice of cutting down all trees in an area at once.

• Q: What are three environmental impacts of clear-cutting?
  A: Habitat loss, increased soil erosion, higher atmospheric CO₂ levels.

• Q: What is the Edge Effect?
  A: Changes in environmental conditions at the boundary of a habitat, often caused by deforestation.

• Q: How does deforestation impact biodiversity?
  A: It destroys habitats, reduces species populations, and increases habitat fragmentation.

• Q: Name two ways to mitigate deforestation.
  A: Sustainable forestry practices, reducing road building in forests.

Agricultural Revolutions

• Q: What was the First Agricultural Revolution?
  A: The transition from hunting and gathering to farming and animal domestication (~2000 BCE).

• Q: How did the Second Agricultural Revolution (1700-1900 CE) change farming?
  A: It introduced mechanization, improved soil preparation, and led to increased food production.

• Q: What major advancements occurred in the Third Agricultural Revolution?
  A: Mechanization, biotechnology, genetic engineering, and pesticide use.

Green Revolutions

• Q: What innovations were introduced during the First Green Revolution (1940s–1980s)?
  A: Synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation methods, high-yield crop varieties.

• Q: What was a key development of the Second Green Revolution (1980s–present)?
  A: The introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for higher productivity.

• Q: Give an example of a genetically modified crop and its benefit.
  A: Golden Rice – modified with daffodil genes to increase Vitamin A content.

Agricultural Practices & Environmental Issues

• Q: What is desertification?
  A: The transformation of land into desert due to overuse, climate change, or deforestation.

• Q: What causes soil erosion?
  A: Water, wind, and human activities such as deforestation and overgrazing.

• Q: How does salinization occur in soil?
  A: Water evaporates from soil, leaving behind salt deposits.

• Q: What is overgrazing?
  A: Grazing before plant roots recover, which weakens plants and reduces root growth.

Irrigation Methods

• Q: What is the purpose of irrigation?
  A: To supply controlled amounts of water to crops at needed intervals.

• Q: How does drip irrigation work?
  A: Small tubes deliver water directly to the plant’s roots at a slow, steady rate.

• Q: What is the main drawback of flood irrigation?
  A: It leads to water waste and soil erosion.

• Q: How does furrow irrigation distribute water?
  A: Water flows down small channels dug along the field.

• Q: Why is spray irrigation widely used?
  A: It allows water to be sprayed evenly over crops using sprinklers.