AP Environmental Science Chapter 14, Food and Soil Resources Living in the Environment, 14th edition, G. Tyler Miller

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AP Environmental ScienceChapter 14, Food and
Soil Resources
Living in the Environment, 14th edition, G.
Tyler Miller
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Agriculture is the worlds largest industry. 1
in 5 people!

• 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!
• AKA high input, large amounts of FF energy,
  irrigation, commercial fertilizers, pesticides,
  monoculture
• Increased labor, fertilizer and water to get
  higher yield, for family and income
• Mix of different crops in same area
• Human labor, draft animals, enough crops for
  family survival
• Cash crops, bananas, sugar cane, coffee, tropical
  countries, monoculture, sale to developed
  countries

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• 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)

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• 3. Explain how factory farming has increased our
  food supplies. Describe the downsides of
  factory farming.
• Definitions and attempts at a balanced argument.
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factory_farming

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4. Explain the difference between annual and
perennial plants. Give examples of each.
Giant hogweed An invasive perennial
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Only 14 plants 8 animal species supply 90 of
worlds food

• 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

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• 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 gt2/3 of products on
U.S. grocery store shelves contain ingredients
from GE crops!
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• 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 worlds grain, 1/2 of worlds corn and
  soybeans
• Increased efficiency of US agriculture
• 2 of annual income spent on food compared to 11
  in 1948
• 17 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

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• 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
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• 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
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• 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 topsoilthe most fertile
• Soil ends up as sediment in water
• Soil IS renewableWHERE does it come from?

http//www.usd.edu/anth/epa/dust.html
http//www.agr.state.il.us/Environment/LandWater/t
by2000.html
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_conservation
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• 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
http//www.montysplantfood.com/docs/salinization.h
tm
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• 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
• Inorganic1/4th of the worlds crops depend on
  this.
• N, K, P
• Experimental data comparing methods!

Click on the picture!
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1 in 6 people in developing nations are
chronically undernourished or malnourished

• 13. Discuss the difference between malnutrition,
  undernutrition and overnutrition.
• distinguish between a macronutrient and a
  micronutrient
• define Marasmus and Kwashiorkor
• M diet low in calories and protein
• K severe protein deficiency

Appreciate that not everyone has what you have!
http//www.unicef.org/search/search.php?qmarasmus

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• 14. Whats 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?

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Dont 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 291-294.
• continue to use cross breeding selective
  breedinguse genetic engineering (GMOs)pass GR
  technologies to other countries (but fertilizer,
  pesticides, water needed)increase variety of
  foods we eatuse polyculture of perennial
  cropsurban gardens.stop wasting so much food

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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. Its a sign of affluence!
• Why not?
• See your text for all sorts of stats
• One of many websites
• http//www.friendsoffreedom.com/Writings/NoMeat.ht
  ml

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trawl bag

• 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.

aquaculture
drift net
purse-seine
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• 18.Consider government agriculture policies.
  What would you do if you were in charge?

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