soil erosion and soil conservation /farming practices to protect soil
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46 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 weathering | physical disintegration and chemical decomposition of earth materials at or near the earths surface |
| erosion | removal and transportation of weathered or unweathered materials by wind water ice and gravity |
| what 4 methods erode materials | wind, water, ice and gravity |
| name 3 types of water erosion | sheet erosion, rill erosion and gully erosion |
| sheet erosion | surface water moves down a slope, peels off uniform sheeets or layers of soin |
| rill erosion | fast flowing water that cut small channels in the soil |
| gully erosion | when rill erosion connects and grows wider and deeper |
| man induced erosion | farming, logging, construction, over-grazing, deforestation, off road vehicles |
| largest source of water pollution | sediment because it clogs irrigation, ditches, lakes rivers, etc |
| loss of topsoil makes soil | less fertile, can not hold as much water |
| define soil "desert"ification | soil becomes more desert like |
| causes of DESERTification | overgrazing, deforestation, surface mining, salt in water logged soil, soil compaction |
| how do you prevent DESERT ification | grow diverse crops, move grazing animals, rotate crops, 7 year rest of farmland |
| US SOIL CONSERVATION ACT OF 1935 | RECOGNIZED* soil erosion threat nations *established the Soil Conservation Service |
| Protect Against Soil Erosion w/ crop rotation | alternate the type of crop grown season to season |
| pros of crop rotation | breaks cycle of disease , allos fields to naturally resotr nutrients |
| cons of crop rotation | takes time, planning and more expensive |
| Protect Against Soil Erosion w/ Contour Farmin | planting crops to follow natural landscape; rows planted perpendicular to the slope |
| pros of contour farming | reduces soil erosion increases water absorption |
| cons of contour farming | time effort planning |
| Protect Against Soil Erosion Terracing | transform slopes into steps - cultivate hilly land |
| cons of terracing | very labor intensive, but all you got if u need to cultivate hillly land |
| shelterbelts (windbreaks) | reduce erosion from wind |
| types of shelterbelts | rows of trees or tall plans on edges of fields |
| Protect Against Soil Erosion reduced tillage | disturbs the soil less, not common |
| pros of reduced tillage | better soil development, plant acts as a blanket |
| cons of reduced tillage | time and labor intensive |
| Protect Against Soil Erosion Green Manure | natural compost of dead and decaying organic matter. chem free fertilizer |
| dates of green revolution | 1940-1960's |
| how did green revolution increase yields | new crop cultivation, irrigation, fertilizers, pesticides, genetic modification of plants becomes common |
| how much oil does green revolution agriculture use | about 10% |
| true or false green revolution increases costs of farming to the smaller independent farmer as they struggle to compete w/ corporate farms | true |
| true or false pests develop genetic immunity to widely used pesticides | true |
| true or false insectiCIDES, herbiCIDES,fungiCIDES are called pesticides | true |
| pesticide use has risen fourfold (4x) worldwide since 1960 true or false | true |
| what is a genetically modified organism (GMO) | GMO alter the genetic makeup of living organisms |
| GMO Product Benefits to crops | enhance crop quality, making it more possible reduce global hunger b/c crops are healther, resistant to virus and pests and therefore easier to grow |
| GMO benefits to animals | better and increased yields of animals |
| GMO benefits to environment | more efficient, use "friendly bioherbicides and bioinsecticides |
| GMO controversies - SAFETY | potential human health impact |
| GMO controversies - access & ethics | a few companies could dominate world food production is it ok to tamper with nature this way?? |
| How many species of cultivated plants rely on BEES AND INSECTS for pollination? | 800 |
| Bee population is being affected by: | parasites and the use of agricultural and home pesticides |
| Urbanization | the movement of people from rural into cities for more jobs and opportunities |
| Urban Sprawl | The rapid extension of a city into the country side |
| cons of urban sprawl | Takes area's that had been used to grow food |
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