Pests & Pesticides
What species do the following pesticides target?
Insecticide
Herbicide
Bactericide
Avicide
Insecticide - Insects
Herbicide - Plants
Bactericide - Bacteria
Avicide - Birds
What are the 6 things plants need to grow?
Soil, water, air, space, nutrients, sunlight
What are the 3 minerals that make up soil?
Which has the largest diameter?
Sand, silt and clay
Largest diameter: Sand
What are some effects/causes of deforestation?
- Loss of biodiversity
- Local climate change
- Agricultural and financial loss
- Soil erosion
- Global warming
- Cultural displacement
What are 2 ways we can classify pesticides?
Pesticides are classified in different ways:
- Sometimes on the basis of the type of pest they kill
- Sometimes on the basis of how they work to kill the pest
What is the difference between monocultures and polycultures?
Monocultures: 1 crop on a plot of land
Polycultures: more than 1 crop on a plot of land
What is the best soil for agriculture?
Loam
What are some products forests provide us with?
Timber, food, medicine & personal care products, crafting materials, tourism
To keep our crop yield high and prevent loss from insect feeding, fungal growth, rodents and competition from other plants
What is companion planting and what is an example?
Planting two or more plant species close to each other.
E.g., Corn, beans, squash
Soil is 30% sand, and 80% silt. What type of soil is it?
Silty loam
What is the Heat Island Effect? What causes it?
Temperature is warmer in cities than rural areas.
Cities have more concrete and asphalt which holds on to heat more than forests, land, etc.
What is the dirty dozen? What is the clean fifteen? Name an example of each.
The Dirty Dozen: 12 crops that retain the highest trace of pesticide residues
The Clean Fifteen: 15 crops that have the lowest level of residues
What's the difference between rotational grazing and Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFOs)?
Rotational Grazing: Confining animals to a small area of pasture for a short time. Often only for a day or two, before shifting them to a new location.
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFOs): "factory farms", animals are housed and fed for rapid growth
Why does the soil pH matter?
Each crop has an ideal pH for growth
This can be used to determine how much organic material and chemical fertilizer to add to the soil
What are the 3 methods to clear trees? What's the difference between them?
Can you think of pros and cons?
Clearcutting: Removing all trees
Selective cutting: Removing all medium aged or mature trees every 10-20 years
Shelterwood Logging: Removing trees in a series of cuts over a period of 10-30 years. Leaves ⅓ of mature trees standing.