Animals
What is a CAFO? Name 3 characteristics of CAFOs
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations
1) livestock are concentrated in a very small area
2) given hormones/antibiotics
3) fed grains for more rapid growth for slaughter.
Name 2 reasons why it’s better to buy local food
1. less fossil fuels burned in transportation 2. support local farmers!
RAPIDFIRE: What are the 4 levels of IPM, from 1st to last used? Give an example of each.
Cultural (more controlled watering) - Physical (row covers; screens) - Biological (parasitic wasps; ladybugs) - Chemical (synthetic pesticides - chemicals designed to kill or control populations of pests)
What 3 crops provide more than 1/2 the calories people consume worldwide? Which is #1 in the U.S?
Wheat; rice; corn. In US: corn is #1!
What is aquaculture? Name 3 Pros and 3 Cons.
the breeding, rearing, and harvesting of fish, shellfish, algae, and other organisms in all types of water environments.
PRO: less fuel; less habitat destruction less overfishing; able to provide needed food.
CON: Wastes; diseases; parasites; potential escape (and effect on wild species); overuse of antibiotics; use of herbicides
What is meant by "free-range"?
Free-range means allowed access to outside (from peephole in cage to actually free-roaming).
What are the most destructive fires called? What environmental disaster often follows a wildfire?
Crown Fires. Followed by flooding and landslides.
RAPIDFIRE: How are GMOs different from selective breeding? Name 1 reason they were developed and 1 negative aspect of their use
GMO's are Organisms that have had their genes altered in a laboratory for specific purposes - by isolating a specific gene from one organism and transferring it into the genetic material of another in a lab. PRO: designed for 1) nutritional better; 2) higher yields 3) built-in pesticides 4) herbicide resistant 5) drought/heat tolerant 6) salt tolerant
DRAWBACKS: 1) Decreased biodiversity ( 2) Pesticide-resistance 3) Use more herbicides 4) Kill non-target organisms (e.g. monarch butterflies) 5) using marginal land, may lead to desertification 6) unknown health effects (allergies?)
What is monoculture? Name one pro and one con or monocultures.
Monoculture is when you only plant one type of crop. PRO: Produces lots of food. CON: "all eggs in one basket" (risk of catastrophic failure).
What is a TED?
Turtle Exclusion Device. Designed to allow turtles to escape from nets.
Why should cows be fed grass instead of corn?
Their anatomical systems were evolved to eat grass (ruminants, 4 stomachs); less methane emissions
What is erosion (give the 2 main agents) and why is it bad?
Erosion is the weathering and transportation of rock and soil - primarily by water and wind.
Farms can get stripped of nutrient-rich top soil.
RAPID FIRE: Name 6 negative aspects of pesticide use.
1) Kills nontarget species; 2) waterway pollution (kills aquatic organisms) 3) groundwater pollution - human health effects; toxicity 4) Pesticide Drift - there is no "away" 5) Persistence (bioaccumulation/ biomagnification) 6) Pesticide treadmill
Name 3 environmental reasons why organic food is better than conventional food. Name one drawback to organic food.
PRO: 1. no pesticides 2. no chemical preservatives 3. more humane to animals
CON: Higher labor costs --> more expensive to consumer
What are the 4 main methods of fishing?
1) Bottom trawling 2) long-lining 3) nets (purse seine and drift 4) poles.
--> Which is the "ecosystem eraser"?
What is the main difference between fish farmimg, mariculture and IMTA (integrated multi-trophic aquaculture)?
FISH FARMING: Uses man-made tanks and other enclosures
MARICULTURE: takes place in open water enclosures (e.g. nets)
IMTA: mixed species - cultivate all trophic levels (use wastes to feed lower levels)
What are 6 key features of the Green Revolution?
1) mechanization 2) monocultures 3) extensive irrigation 4) use of artificial fertilizers 5) use of artificial pesticides 6) GMOs
What does “natural” mean in food labeling?
It doesn’t mean anything because anyone can call their food “natural”
What is the most efficient and least efficient method of irrigation? What are 3 environmental consequences of irrigation?
BEST = drip; WORST = furrow. Cons: 1) Overuse (declining water resources 2) salinization 3) waterlogging
Why is grass-fed beef healthier than corn-fed beef?
Grass-fed beef is leaner
What is the largest use of land in the US?
Rangeland (grazing)
RAPID FIRE: Name 12 sustainable plant agriculture practices - 6 to reduce soil erosion and 6 affecting soil quality and other environmental aspects (give one in each category)
Reduce Soil Erosion - examples: Contour plowing; terracing; strip cropping; windbreaks; perennial crops; no-till agriculture (conservation tillage);
Improve soil fertility / minimize soil degradation: crop rotation; [green] manure; limestone; better water use (drip-irrigation; IPM; organic pesticides/fertilizers and compost
What is an alternative to using chemical fertilizers?
using manure or compost
What is bycatch?
unwanted fish, birds, and mammals that are caught alongside the desired fish species - juveniles and nontarget species