Green Revolution
What started the Green Revolution in 1961?
The creation of drought and disease-resistant crops through selective breeding.
Give an example of an industrial practice that contributes to the tragedy of the commons.
-Burning of fossil fuels...releasing excess GHG's
- destruction of wetlands
- polluting common waterways
-overfishing
What environmental damage results from slash-and-burn in the rain forests?
Depletes available nutrients for future growth
Which agricultural practice contributes to soil degradation and erosion?
Tilling
What is one way to reduce bycatch?
Use of gill nets or long line fishing.
What was the Green Revolution?
The advent of multiple technological advances in farming, as well as monocropping.
Dividing up a shared resource and assigning its parts to individuals is a Tragedy of the Commons?
No- it is a possible solution to ToC
What does "maximum sustained yield" mean?
The maximum possible harvest that is sustainable for future harvests.
What is a drawback to flood irrigation?
High water tables.
What meat source has the projected highest global demand and is also the least efficient to produce with regard to energy, land and water use vs. nutritional value
Beef
What is the name for the modern technique used for creating a better crop?
What is required of a situation in order to consider it a 'Tragedy of the Commons"
-greed/disregard for the need for the resource in the future
-taking/using excess of a shared resource.
What is an economic consequence of clearcutting?
-Decrease in number of hunting licenses
-Decreased taxes from tourism
-increased profits since costs are lower
What is an advantage and disadvantage of drip irrigation?
Advantage: efficient delivery of water, less waste, less evaporation
Disadvantage: costs more, requires difficult installation
What is CITES and how does affect overfishing?
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) uses trade rules to protect commercially valuable species.
*Why protect "commercially" valuable species??
The use of irrigation helped farmers significantly. What unintended consequence resulted from large-scale use of aquifers.
The water use was greater than the replenish rate, leading to a low water table.
Explain the tragedy of the commons and how it applies to public range lands.
Tragedy of the commons states that when individuals share resources and act according to their own best interests, the resource is quickly depleted and everyone suffers. This applies to public range lands because ranchers tend to overgraze any land that they do not personally own. This lowers the total amount of available range land.
The removal of trees from the water's edge can have what effect on water quality?
-Increase in water temperature
(no shade)
-Increased turbidity due to soil erosionWhat is the main drawback of synthetic fertilizers vs organic fertilizers?
No organic matter is being added to the soil
What are two benefits and two drawbacks to fish farms? (There are many!)
Benefits - reliable protein source, sustainable if managed properly, reduces pressure on wild fish populations, energy efficient, makes fishing more accessible and increases jobs.
Drawbacks - expensive, antibiotic use required to fight pandemic fish disease, large amounts of water pollution/waste, farm raised fish sometimes escape and spread disease, high population density is bad for fish health, low genetic diversity.
As we face ever increasing global demand for food production, what are key components needed for a "new Green Revolution"?
-evaluate current practices
-increase funding for research
-use new technologies to aid agricultural advances
What are two methods used to reduce over fishing?
Size limits
catch quantity limits
fishing licenses
Describe clear cutting and at least one negative consequence.
Remove all trees from an area
-loss of habitat
-reduced uptake of CO2 (carbon dioxide)
-soil vulnerable to erosion
-decreased albedo
What is a major environmental problem caused by tilling?
Tilling often results in increased soil erosion which requires excess fertilizer to be added which leads to runoff in streams and lakes causing eutrophication.
What are three drawbacks of CAFO's and two positive aspects?
-over use of antibiotics and growth hormones which can leach in animal waste into ground/drinking water
-large concentration of waste
-animals may not be treated in the most humane way since they are living out their lives in an otherwise unnatural setting
-excess smell/sewage
POSITIVES = most cost efficient use of land; less time to raise to maturity and thus income