Topic 5 - Soil
Which soil horizon is most likely to be of interest to farmers?
Horizon A (topsoil)
Name 2 greenhouse gases.
Carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, nitrous oxides, CFCs, etc
Give 1 example of non-renewable natural income.
Minerals, coal, oil, natural gas, water in aquifers
Name one pull factor that promotes urbanization.
better housing, better access to utilities, higher salaries, access to healthcare, more entertainment opportunities, more recreational opportunities, more shops, etc
What is 1 gas that is responsible for acid deposition?
Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide
Name 1 input to and 1 output from the soil sysem.
Inputs - humus from decaying organic matter, minerals weathered from bedrock, water from precipitation/infiltration
Outputs - nutrients and water via plant absorption/uptake, nutrients and minerals through leaching/erosion
What international agreement is responsible for the reduction of CFCs & HCFCs, eventually leading to the elimination of the ozone hole?
If a city has cloudy weather for 302 days of the year, what might be a good option for renewable energy for this city?
Geothermal, wind, hydroelectricity (anything but solar)
Draw a population pyramid that might belong to an LIC.
TBD by Ms. Moore but should be triangle-shaped
Name 1 adaptation strategy for dealing with climate change.
Building on stilts, limiting floodplain development, storing rainwater, growing drought-resistant crops, increasing reservoirs, cloud-seeding, migrating to new areas, vaccinating against water-borne diseases, etc
Overirrigation of the soil leads to what soil degradation issue?
increasing soil salinity
How does global warming lead to climate change?
Greenhouse gases trap more heat on Earth, leading to increased global temperatures (global warming). Increased temperatures cause more droughts, floods, stronger storms, etc leading to climate change.
Why is nuclear energy not considered renewable?
It produces nuclear waste which cannot be recycled and must be disposed of carefully. This waste will last for thousands (if not millions) of years and it will remain dangerous during this time.
Name 2 strategies that can help cities become more sustainable.
TBD by Ms. Moore - increased renewable energy, green roofs, urban farming, biophilic design, car-free zones, accessible public transport, the options are endless
What is a named example of an intensive commercial food production system that we learned about in class?
Iowa corn production
Name 1 soil conservation method a farmer might use in a place with steep hillsides.
Terracing or contour plowing, cover cropping
Name 1 mitigation strategy for dealing with climate change.
Reducing energy demand, removing fossil fuel subsidies, carbon credits, changing cattle diets from grain to grass, sustainable agriculture, reforestation, using renewable energy, carbon capture and storage
Basically anything that reduces GHGs or pulls them out of the atmosphere.
Name 1 benefit and 1 disadvantage of using incinerators to manage our solid domestic waste.
Advantages - uses less land, can be used to generate electricity
Disadvantages - expensive to build, releases toxins into atmosphere that fall back to the soil, requires constant stream of waste
If a given population has a natural increase rate of 1.5%, what is its doubling time?
70/1.5 = 46.7 years
Draw a population pyramid that could belong to a late-stage HIC such as Germany or Japan.
TBD by Ms. Moore but should be wider at the top (lots of old folks)
Name 1 soil conservation technique that might be used in a place with high wind erosion.
contour plowing, alley cropping, cover cropping, windbreaks
Identify 1 positive and 1 negative impact of climate change on human societies.
Positive - more arable land in Canada and northern Asia, Northwest Passage opens up trade opportunities, mineral and fossil fuel deposits in the permafrost would be exploitable, hyrdoelectricity becomes viable at higher latitudes because it won't freeze, etc
Negative - increased incidence of droughts and severe weather, sea level rise leading to flooding, insect pest and disease vectors spreading, mass extinctions, less freshwater due to glaciers melting, etc
Name 3 strategies that can be used to minimize our SDW.
TBD by Ms. Moore - buying things that last and/or can be repaired, recycling, using less packaging, composting organic waste, using energy efficient appliances, repurposing old items (turning clothes into rags) legislating and educating, etc.
Identify and categorize 2 pollution management strategies for dealing with acid deposition.
Level 1 - replace fossil fuel use, use fewer private vehicles, reduce energy demand
Level 2 - "end-of-pipe" scrubbing technologies, catalytic converters, carbon capture and sequestration
Level 3 - liming lakes and rivers, recolonizing damaged forests and lakes
If a population has a CBR of 35 and a CDR of 40, what is its natural increase rate?
(35 - 40)/10 = -0.5%