APES Unit 4: Ch. 9 & 10

practice of raising crops & livestock for human use & consumption

land use to raise plants for human & animal use

land use for grazing livestock

a complex plant-supporting system

a decline in quality & productivity

uses large-scale mechanization & fossil fuels to boost yields

uniform planting of a single crop

new technology, crop varieties & farming practices were introduced to developing countries

the base geological material of soil

solid rock comprising the Earth's crust

processes that form soil

spongy, fertile material formed by partial decomposition of organic matter

wind, rain thermal expansion & contraction, water freezing

water & gasses

tree roots & lichens

each layer of soil

the cross-section of soil as a whole

dissolved particles move down through horizons

inorganic & organic material most nutritious for plants

indicates its composition & fertility

determined by size of particles

solid with a mixture of the three; clay, silt, and clay

a measure of soils “clumpiness”

affects a soils ability to support plant growth

process that allows plants to gain nutrients

a soils ability to hold cation

traditional used in tropical areas

a general deterioration of land, decreasing its product, & biodiversity

removal of material from one place to another

arrival of eroded material at a new location

a loss of more than 10% productivity

1930s drought & erosion caused “black blizzards” of sand

operate with federal direction, authorization, & funding

also includes water quality protection & pollution control

agency or university experts who advise & help farmers

growing different crops from one year to the next

plowing perpendicular across a hill

platforms cut into steep hillsides

planting different crops in alternating band

rows of trees planted along edges of fields

reduces the amount of tilling

farming disturbs the soil even less

artificially providing water to support agriculture

over irrigated soils

the buildup of salts in the surface soil layers

substances containing essential nutrients

mined or synthetically manufactured mineral supplements

the remains or waste of organisms

produced when decomposers break down organic matter

people receive fewer calories than their minimum requirements

guarantee of an adequate, safe, nutritious & reliable food supply

receiving too many calories each day

a shortage of nutrients the body needs

diet lacks protein or essential amino acids

protein deficiency & insufficient calories

large expanse of a single crop

are derived from organic materials

a biofuel deprived from corn

any organism that damages valuable crops

any plant that competes with crops

poisons that target pest organisms

kill insects

kill plants

kill fungi

institutions that preserve seed types as living museums of genetic diversity

chemists increase chemical toxicity to compete with resistant pests

the application of biological science to create products derived from organisms

an organism that contains DNA from another species

the genes that have moved between organisms

changes organisms through selective breeding of the same or similar species

mixes genes of different species

don't undertake a new action until the effects of that action are understood

also called concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs); Huge warehouses or pens deliver food to animals living at extremely high densities

odors, ammonia (acid rain)

raising aquatic organisms in a controlled environment

does not deplete soil, pollute water, or decrease genetic diversity

uses smaller amounts of pesticides, fertilizers, growth hormones, water, & fossil fuels than industrial agriculture

uses no synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, or herbicides

provide fresh, locally grown food

Consumers pay farmers in advance, Consumers get fresh food, Farmers get a guaranteed income