Agriculture
This practice agitates the soil with a goal of improving nutrient distribution and water retention, but can disrupt soil structures and increase runoff and erosion.
What is tilling?
These four methods are common ways of irrigating agricultural fields.
What are flood/basin, furrow, spray/sprinkler, and drip irrigation?
This compound is used to eliminate pests that can negatively impact crop health, crop yields, and food storage.
What are pesticides?
This pest control method, abbreviated IPM, uses environmentally friendly methods such as natural predation to reduce pest populations.
What is integrated pest management?
The idea that humans should conserve and use resources in a manner that does not deplete them in order for future generations to thrive.
What is sustainability?
As a result of the green revolution, this method for increasing quantity and quality of crop yields became prevalent.
What is fertilizer?
Saving time, healthier crops, saving cost, and efficient use of water resources are examples of what?
What are benefits of irrigation?
This process can occur over time as pests adapt to pesticides, and pass pesticide resistant genes on to the next generation.
What is artificial selection?
IPM reduces the risk pesticides pose to which three groups?
What are wildlife, water supply, and human health?
IPM addresses the idea of sustainability by doing what?
What is increasing biodiversity, reducing impact on wildlife, reducing impact on water supplies, OR reducing impact on human health?
A downside of fertilizers can cause toxicity in plants due to an overabundance of this nutrient (in addition to others such as potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium)
What is nitrogen?
Identify three general drawbacks of all irrigation methods.
What are runoff, salinization, and waterlogging?
Scientists can use this technology to genetically alter crops to be resistant to pests and other diseases.
What is recombinant DNA technology?
These four methods are common ways that IPM is implemented in agricultural fields.
What are biocontrol, intercropping, crop rotation, and natural predation?
The easiest way to mitigate the consequences of deforestation as a result of clear cutting is through what process?
What is reforestation?
This process occurs when excessive runoff leads to explosive growth of microorganisms, resulting in the depletion of resources in aquatic ecosystems and eventually death of native organisms.
What is eutrophication?
This irrigation method is efficient and mimics natural rainfall, but is very expensive, and draws on a lot of energy in order to operate, increasing greenhouse gases.
What is sprinkler irrigation?
These two outcomes can be a potential downside of genetically engineering a crop to be resistant to pests.
What are reducing genetic diversity and outcompeting local species?
An increase in biodiversity, reduced reliance on pesticides, and decreased risk of cancers and developmental diseases are examples of what?
What are benefits of IPM?
Replanting, IPM, removing diseased or decaying trees, allowing for ecosystem recovery, and supporting businesses that promote sustainable practices are all associated with what?
What is sustainable forestry?
Increased facilitation of gas exchange, increased microbial activity, better water retention, and even nutrient distribution are examples of what?
What are benefits of tilling?
This aquifer in the Midwest is heavily used for agriculture and domestic purposes, resulting in its depletion as more water is taken out than nature can replenish.
What is the Ogallala Aquifer?
Most crops in today's economy are considered to be what?
What are genetically modified organisms (GMOs)?
Extensive research, high degree of complexity, high financial cost, and an extensive time investment are examples of what?
What are drawbacks of IPM?
This practice has two main methods, and reduces the likelihood of wildfires by removing old vegetation and allowing new, healthier vegetation to replace it.
What is prescribed burn?