Tragedy of the Commons
A situation where individuals use a shared resource until it is depleted.
What is the tragedy of the commons?
Farming practice that grows only one crop over a large area.
What is monoculture?
Cutting down all trees in an area at once.
What is clear-cutting?
Artificially supplying water to crops.
What is irrigation?
Mining method that removes soil and rock above a resource.
What is strip mining?
The spread of cities into surrounding rural areas.
What is urban sprawl?
Name one shared resource commonly affected by the tragedy of the commons.
What are fisheries, grazing land, the atmosphere, or groundwater?
This agricultural development increased food production.
What is the Green Revolution?
Fishing method that catches many unwanted species.
What is bycatch?
Irrigation system that delivers water directly to plant roots.
What is drip irrigation?
Acidic runoff caused by exposed sulfide minerals.
What is acid mine drainage?
Hard surfaces like roads that prevent water absorption.
What are impervious surfaces?
Why do shared resources tend to be overused?
What is lack of ownership and individuals acting in self-interest?
A major environmental problem caused by fertilizer use.
What is eutrophication?
Forestry practice that removes only some trees to reduce ecosystem damage.
What is selective cutting?
A major environmental problem caused by over-irrigation.
What is salinization?
One environmental impact of mountaintop removal mining.
What is habitat destruction?
A major environmental issue caused by urban runoff.
What is water pollution?
This economic concept explains why people act in self-interest when using common resources.
What is cost–benefit analysis?
Farming method that reduces soil erosion.
What is contour plowing?
Why is overfishing unsustainable?
What is fish populations cannot reproduce fast enough?
Why does agriculture use the most freshwater worldwide?
What is large water demand for crops and livestock?
One way mining impacts water quality.
What is heavy metal contamination?
One strategy to reduce urban runoff.
What are permeable pavement or green roofs?
One method governments use to reduce overuse of common resources.
What are regulations, quotas, permits, or fines?
One benefit and one drawback of industrial agriculture.
What is increased food production but increased pollution and resource use?
One advantage and one disadvantage of aquaculture.
What is increased food production but increased pollution or disease risk?
One way to make irrigation more sustainable.
What are efficient irrigation systems or drought-tolerant crops?
Law that regulates mining waste and land restoration.
What is the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act?
Concept that measures the amount of land and resources a person uses.
What is ecological footprint?
Explain how overfishing is an example of the tragedy of the commons.
What is individuals catching fish faster than populations can reproduce?
Compare industrial and sustainable agriculture.
What is high input vs. lower input and long-term soil health?
Explain how clear-cutting can increase runoff and erosion.
What is removal of tree roots reduces soil stability?
Explain how groundwater depletion affects ecosystems.
What is lowered water tables harming wetlands and streams?
Explain one trade-off of mineral resource extraction.
What is economic benefits versus environmental damage?
Explain how smart growth improves sustainability.
What is reduced sprawl, lower transportation emissions, and efficient land use?