Reasons Urban
The surface of most suburban and urban areas covered that increase runoff.
What is impervious surface/Pavement?
What is the name of the process that results from runoff containing nutrients flowing into local streams and rivers, often resulting in damaging algal blooms?
Eutrophication
What is one way you can help runoff?
Clean up extra waste, take care of your septic systems, garden/vegetative planting, automotive maintenance
What is the only sustainable way to farm on a mountainous area?
Terracing-creating level platforms; less hilly structure reduces runoff
The pollutants of Runoff
What is sediment, toxic chemicals, pesticides, bacteria, salts, heavy metals, and thermal pollution?
The process in which water filters through a porous surface, like the ground.
What is infiltration?
Chemical fertilizers are often applied to plants to help them grow but can be problematic if runoff carries the nutrients elsewhere. What are two chemical compounds or pure elements most commonly associated with fertilizer?
Nitrates, Phosphates, Potassium
Another use for yard waste/disposal.
What is compost?
Explain Integrated Pest Management.
To reduce pesticide application, various biological and physical measures are used to eliminate pests.
Result of a raised water table
What is suffocated/lack of oxygen plants?
The downside to storm sewer systems
What is excessive speed/force, damaged vegetation, and wiped out aquatic habitats?
Explain one pro and one con of CAFOs.
Pros-Reduced risk of overgrazing, high efficiency
Cons-Drug+hormone use, pollution (methane and nutrients), inhumane
Are urban solutions more expensive in older urban developments, or newer developments?
Older developments
Identify and explain two farming techniques that prevent erosion and therefore reduce the damage done by runoff.
Contour Farming-Plowing furrows (ridges) along the curves of the land in order to slow wind and water erosion.
Intercropping-Crop diversity makes it harder for runoff to leave the farm.
Shelterbelt-Shields a farm against wind erosion.
No-Till Farming-Leaving crop roots intact holds the soil together, while organic residue provides soil cover.
Explain Biomagnification
Toxic chemicals from runoff are increased as the trophic level increases since the higher trophic level needs to consume more of the lower trophic level due to much energy being lost each level through cellular respiration.
What is a problem with the loss of infiltration for groundwater systems?
Depleted Aquifers, extra groundwater pumping, slower replenishing and recycling processes.
Explain the tragedy of the commons and how it impacts runoff.
Everyone uses the land to the highest extent they can without cooperating to conserve the land. The plants and root systems are destroyed, and runoff and erosion occur more frequently.
What can city developers do in order to decrease runoff?
Split payments, flow pathways, vegetation, and mulch.
Explain how genetic engineering can help prevent the overuse of pesticides.
Plants can be injected with a gene to produce a certain pesticide in small amounts. This reduces the danger of runoff by not having large amounts sprayed onto the soils to be washed into aquatic systems.
What results from livestock walking on soil and making it denser?
Compaction-Soil is compacted as heavy livestock walk on it, making it less permeable. Less permeable surfaces have less pore space, increasing runoff and decreasing infiltration.
How does a growing population along with urbanization lead to more runoff?
More people lead to more cities, and more urbanization leads to more impervious services, which leads to more runoff
Explain the overgrazing positive feedback loop.
When livestock graze, they loosen the soil by removing grass. The soil erodes and the rangeland's ability to sustain grass is degraded. Therefore, livestock are driven to consume more and more of the available grass until desertification occurs.
What are ways you can control runoff in new and older developments
Older - street sweeping, pollutant prevention, ecological restoration, retrofit activities, public education
Define sustainable farming.
Definition: Meeting society's food needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
Excess fertilizer runoff containing nitrate can pollute water systems. If infants consume water with too many nitrates, it can lead to a fatal condition. What is it called?
Methemoglobinemia/blue baby syndrome. The body converts the nitrates into nitrites, which bind to hemoglobin in the blood, making the blood unable to carry oxygen.