AP Environmental Science Chapter 12, Food, IPM and Soil Resources -A REVIEW- Living in the Environment, 12th edition, G. Tyler Miller

polyculture industrialized farming, plantation agriculture, traditional subsistence agriculture and traditional intensive agriculture. 1.Describe the benefits of polyculture and compare and contrast this farming technique to industrialized farming, plantation agriculture, traditional subsistence agriculture and traditional intensive agriculture. Match these! a.AKA high input, large amounts of FF energy, irrigation, commercial fertilizers, pesticides, monoculture b.Increased labor, fertilizer and water to get higher yield, for family and income c.Mix of different crops in same area d.Human labor, draft animals, enough crops for family survival e.Cash crops, bananas, sugar cane, coffee, tropical countries, monoculture, sale to developed countries Agriculture is the world’s largest industry. 1 in 5 people!

three systems 2. List the three systems humans depend on for their food supply. Describe what foods come from each system. –Croplands 77% –Rangelands 16% –Ocean fisheries 7% (6% of protein in human diet)

factory farming 3. Explain how factory farming has increased our food supplies. Describe the “downsides” of factory farming. Definitions and attempts at a balanced argument.

4. Explain the difference between annual and perennial plants. Give examples of each. Giant hogweed An invasive perennial

5. List the three grain crops that provide “more than half of the calories people consume”. Think about why this might be so. Consider advantages and disadvantages for this worldwide choice. –Wheat, rice, corn Only 14 plants & 8 animal species supply ~90% of world’s food

6. Describe what is meant by the “green revolution” (GR). Compare the first GR to the second GR. What is the third GR? Since 1950 Develop & plant monocultures Input fertilizer, pesticides, water Multiple cropping on plot of land Since 1967 Fast growing dwarf varieties of rice and wheat More food on less land Fossil fuels, Fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation Age of Genetic Engineering >2/3 of products on U.S. grocery store shelves contain ingredients from GE crops!

7. Understand the role the U.S. plays in providing food supplies for our country and throughout the world. How might we be proud of U.S. agriculture? Where and why might there be room for different strategies? 18% of US gross national income Employs more people than any other industry 17% of world’s grain, ~1/2 of world’s corn and soybeans Increased efficiency of US agriculture 2% of annual income spent on food compared to 11% in % of all commercial energy in US is used for agriculture 3 units of FF to produce 1 unit of food energy if we include livestock

8. List and explain the sustainable agricultural strategies Miller describes. –Interplanting Polyvarietal cultivation = Intercropping Alley cropping Several varieties of same crop -Polyculture Different plants maturing at different times planted together

9. Tell what soil is and how it forms. Compare and contrast the characteristics of different soils. What type do you have around your house? clay = “layer silicates that are formed as products of chemical weathering of other silicate minerals at the earth's surface. They are found most often in shales, the most common type of sedimentary rock.” silt = rock worn into tiny pieces (coarser than clay, but finer than sand). usually 1/20 millimeter or less in diameter sand = quartz or silica worn down over time. grains with diameters between 0.06 mm to 2 mm organic matter

soil erosion soil conservation 10.Explain what soil erosion is. Describe its causes and effects. List and describe various soil conservation methods. Soil moves….due to water, wind, people Loss of topsoil…the most fertile Soil ends up as sediment in water Soil IS renewable…WHERE does it come from?

11. Define and explain these soil related terms: –desertification –irrigation –salinization –waterlogging  “Salinization refers to a build up of salts in soil, eventually to toxic levels for plants. Salt in soils decreases the osmotic potential of the soil so that plants can't take up water from it. When soils are salty, the soil has greater concentrations of solute than does the root, so plants can't get water from soil. The salts can also be directly toxic, but plant troubles usually result primarily from inability to take up water from salty soils.” Caused by irrigation, poorly drained soils

pros and cons fertilizers 12. List and describe some of the pros and cons of using fertilizers. What different sorts of fertilizers are available? Organic… manure adds N and soil bacteria & fungi green manure compost mushroom spores Inorganic…1/4 th of the world’s crops depend on this. N, K, P Experimental data comparing methods! Click on the picture!

~ 1 in 6 people in developing nations are chronically undernourished or malnourished malnutrition undernutritionovernutrition 13. Discuss the difference between malnutrition, undernutrition and overnutrition. –distinguish between a macronutrient and a micronutrientmacronutrient micronutrient –define Marasmus and Kwashiorkor M = diet low in calories and protein K = severe protein deficiency Appreciate that not everyone has what you have!

14. What’s up with China? Why do some food experts say they are facing a “food production dilemma”? Why does this matter to the rest of the world?

Don’t ever let me see you involved in a food fight in the cafeteria! 15. Tell about other methods for increasing food supplies as described on pages …continue to use cross breeding & selective breeding…use genetic engineering (GMOs)…pass GR technologies to other countries (but fertilizer, pesticides, water needed)…increase variety of foods we eat…use polyculture of perennial crops…urban gardens….stop wasting so much food

1 cow produces as much waste as 16 humans 16. Explain some of the environmental consequences of meat production. a. Consider eating less meat. b. Consider how meat can be produced more sustainably. Why eat meat? It tastes good, we need protein, its tradition. It’s a sign of affluence! Why not? See your text for all sorts of stats One of many websites:

17 Become aware of some of the problems associated with eating fish and shellfish. a. Describe specifically where our fish and shellfish come from. b. Explain the methods used to catch fish. c. Explain the problem of overfishing. d. Compare methods of aquaculture. purse-seine drift net aquaculture trawl bag

18.Consider government agriculture policies. What would you do if you were in charge?

19. Consider “what you can do” (p. 303) to support sustainable agriculture.