Sustainability Study Guide
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Potential disadvantages of planting and managing timber forests, especially in less-developed countries, as a solution to address global climate change.
(1) Area used for timber forests could be used for agriculture. Using the land for forests could decrease food security. (2) Harvesting timber from forests requires large machinery which uses fossil fuels and contributes to global climate change
Biological pest control approaches that are part of IPM
(1) introduce, attract, or create habitat for the predators of pests (2) introduce sterile males into pest populations to decrease their reproductive success
Chemical pest control approaches that are part of IPM
Use pheromones to attract pests to traps
Health benefits of using IPM
Reduces bioaccumulation and biomagnification of pesticides in food chain
Physical pest control approaches that are part of IPM
(1) Vacuum pests from crops (2) Spray crops with hot water to scald pests
Environmental benefits of using IPM
(1) reduces incidental killing of non-target organisms such as bees (2) Reduces genetic resistance to pesticides
Agricultural practices that increase crop yields
Plant high yielding genetically modified varieties of crops
Describe one benefit to human health that can result from pesticide use
Control disease vectors, such as, mosquitoes, ticks, rats, mice, that can spread disease to humans
Identify one way chemical pesticides can enter the human body
(1) Drinking water contaminated by runoff from farms (2) Consumption of food with pesticide residue on it
Describe one environmental problem that can be caused by irrigation
Aquifers can be severely depleted if the water is overused for agriculture eg the Ogallala Aquifer in central USA
Describe one sustainable agriculture strategy that can be used to increase soil fertility
Use crop rotation to cycle various crops with different nutrient needs in the same area so the soil is not depleted of nutrients.
Propose a sustainable solution to reduce the amount of soil erosion from agricultural practices
(1) practice no-till agriculture (2) plant windbreaks
Describe environmental advantaged of using GM crops
Higher yields per acre and hence less acreage needed for agriculture
Describe environmental disadvantaged of using GM crops
Native plant diversity may be impacted by the spread of genes to non-engineered crops
Describe economic advantaged of using GM crops
Increased profits due to use of GM crops that have higher yields per acre
Describe economic disadvantaged of using GM crops
Increased costs for farmers due to the use of GM crops that have patented seeds which commit the farmer to annual purchase of seeds that are often too expensive for poor farmers
Describe agricultural practices that farmers can use to maintain or improve soil quality
Mulching applies organic matter to the surface of the soil. This lowers water loss and increases nutrient availability.
Identify international regulations that apply to the harvesting of marine food resources and explain how that regulation helps to manage marine species
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) prevents trade of threatened or endangered marine species
Identify US federal laws that apply to the harvesting of marine food resources and explain how that law helps to manage marine species
(1) Marine Mammal Protection Act protects and conserves marine mammals (2) Endangered Species Act prohibits the harm or harvesting of endangered species
Explain how acid deposition onto soil can affect plant health
Acid can leach cations/metal ions/nutrients from soil, making them less available to plants, and thus decreasing plant growth
Explain a solution for remediating soil affected by acid deposition
Adding crushed limestone / marble dust / bone meal / crushed egg shells / oysters shells to neutralize acid
Chemical soil tests
(1) pH - measures the acidity or alkalinity or soils (2) Salinity - measures the salt content of soil
Physical soil tests
(1) Soil texture - the percent/proportion of sand, silt, and clay-size particulates in soil (2) Water holding capacity or Porosity - the amount of water soil can hold due to the amount of pore or air space
Propose a solution to address the concerns of reduced land on which to grow food
(1) Plant rooftop gardens in urban areas (2) Use vertical farming techniques
