Food Systems and Tropical Forests (Potts & Chambers)

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Questions and Answers

What is a significant environmental cost of expanding farmland?

Soil degradation (correct)

Enhanced ecosystem services

Improved air quality

Increased biodiversity

Which of the following defines the 'exploitable yield gap'?

The yield obtained from organic farming methods

The difference between current yields and potential yields (correct)

The amount of food produced annually

The total area of land used for agriculture

What are GMOs primarily designed to achieve in agriculture?

To lower pesticide use without yield increases

To reduce soil erosion

To eliminate all pests

To increase crop yield and resistance (correct)

What is one of the primary benefits of epiphytes growing on trees?

They access better moisture and nutrients from the air. Signup and view all the answers

Which landscape type is commonly converted into new farmland?

Forests Signup and view all the answers

What is NOT a characteristic of the Green Revolution?

Decline in global food production Signup and view all the answers

Which atmospheric circulation pattern do the tropics primarily encompass?

Trade winds Signup and view all the answers

How much annual precipitation is typically received by a rainforest biome?

2000-4000 mm Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is true regarding coral reefs?

Coral reefs occur in shallow water. Signup and view all the answers

What is coral bleaching?

The loss of color in corals due to environmental stress. Signup and view all the answers

What major symbiotic relationship is found with coral in coral reefs?

Coral and zooxanthellae algae. Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary cause of ocean acidification?

Absorption of excess CO2 from the atmosphere. Signup and view all the answers

What is a low-severity fire typically characterized by?

Minimal surface fuel consumption and low overstory impact. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes 'adaptive management'?

A strategy that involves adjusting management practices based on observed outcomes. Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes cultural burning from industrial burning?

Cultural burning focuses on small areas with community input. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a human-caused threat to coral reefs?

Natural seasonal temperature changes. Signup and view all the answers

What factor does NOT significantly influence soil formation in tropical regions?

Human intervention Signup and view all the answers

Which hypothesis does NOT explain the latitudinal gradients in species diversity from the poles to the tropics?

Genetic drift hypothesis Signup and view all the answers

What does it mean that nutrients are tightly cycled in tropical forests?

Nutrients are conserved and recycled quickly between organisms. Signup and view all the answers

What does agroecology focus on in terms of agricultural practices?

Using diversified farming systems to enhance biodiversity Signup and view all the answers

How does the presence of sand influence vegetation types in tropical regions?

Sand restricts plant growth due to poor drainage. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of crop rotation in agroecology?

To enhance soil nutrients and prevent pest cycles Signup and view all the answers

What is NOT expected to happen under climate change scenarios regarding temperature and precipitation?

Stable climate patterns across regions Signup and view all the answers

Which term describes the benefits provided by ecosystems that support agriculture?

Ecosystem services Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes the concept of a 'novel ecosystem'?

An ecosystem that contains new species and interactions not seen before. Signup and view all the answers

What is considered a negative effect of livestock grazing on ecosystems?

Overgrazing leading to soil degradation Signup and view all the answers

How does intercropping compare to monoculture in terms of food production?

Intercropping often leads to higher biodiversity and better yields per area Signup and view all the answers

According to the intermediate disturbance hypothesis, how does no grazing affect biodiversity?

Leads to dominance of a few species Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant tradeoff of industrialized agriculture regarding environmental impacts?

High usage of pesticides leading to biodiversity loss Signup and view all the answers

What is food sovereignty?

The right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound methods Signup and view all the answers

Agroecology is defined as a knowledge-intensive field. Which aspect contributes to its knowledge base?

Drawing from traditional practices adapted to local conditions Signup and view all the answers

What are hedgerows and buffer strips primarily used for in agriculture?

To provide habitat and corridors for wildlife Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Food Systems (Potts)

Primary concerns regarding future food supply include climate change impacts and factors contributing to them
Two approaches to increase food production are expansion (increasing farmed area) and intensification (increasing yield per area)
Expansion: Environmental benefits and costs of increasing farmed land, including the type of land converted for agriculture and other land use issues
Intensification: Yield potential, exploitable yield gap, and limitations contributing to yield gaps
Green Revolution: Biochemical, mechanical, and social innovations leading to increased food production and consequences
Efficiency gains since the 1960s: Changes in food production, undernourishment, food production per capita, and food price
GMOs: Desirable changes in crops for increased yield, pros and cons of using GMOs
Environmental impact reduction: Examples for reducing food production's environmental impact

Tropical Forests (Chambers)

Tropical latitudes and atmospheric circulation patterns
Tropical rainforest vegetation types (woody plants, herbs, shrubs, grasses), variations among regions, and convergent evolution
Annual precipitation amounts and dry season characteristics in rainforests, along with why there's mid-day water stress despite high precipitation
Epiphytes: Definition and benefits of growing on trees
Soil formation factors within the tropics

California Needs Grazing (Huntsinger)

Changes in California grasslands since colonization
Types of native grasses (annual/perennial)
Novel ecosystem definition and example in California grasslands
Benefits of livestock grazing, controlled grazing applications, and role of cows as ecosystem engineers
Grazing benefits to plant, animal and insect species and habitats
Comparison of livestock grazing with burning, fire risks and intermediate disturbance hypothesis
Effects of different grazing levels (no grazing, intermediate grazing, intensive rotational grazing) on biodiversity
Importance of ranching

Agriculture & Sustainability (Bowles)

Components needed for sustainable agricultural systems and their roles
Changes in factors like fertilizer, pesticide, mechanization, irrigation, yield potential and yield gaps during the Green Revolution
Characteristics (crop types, external inputs, water, landscape, labor) of agricultural systems using green revolution technologies
Environmental costs of industrialized agriculture
Examples of industrialized agriculture's negative environmental impact

Agriculture & Sustainability (Bowles) Pt 2

Definition of Agroecology and its goals
Agroecology as a knowledge-intensive field drawing on traditions
Definitions of associated biodiversity, complementarity, facilitation, and ecosystem services
Intercropping, crop rotation, hedgerows/buffer strips
Benefits of agroecological practices (biodiversity and ecosystem services)
Comparison of Agroecology and industrial agriculture across dimensions like biodiversity reliance, external inputs, site-specificity, human labor, and innovation
Reasons why farmers may not shift to agroecological strategies
Definition of food sovereignty

Threats to Oceans

Classification of coral (animal, plant, or mineral)
Properties common to all corals (tropical, shallow water, reef building)
Importance of coral reefs as ecosystems
Symbiotic relationships between coral and other species in reefs
Coral bleaching, human-caused threats to reefs
Cause of ocean acidification
Effects of ocean acidification on marine life, and magnitude of existing acidification (pH and hydrogen ion concentration)

Fire and Forests (Stephens)

Overview of fire policies and suppression strategies in the US
Definition and components of fire regimes
Low-severity and high-severity fire definitions and considerations
Specific fire regimes, including the use of mastication and prescribed burns in California
Comparison and contrast of different strategies for fuel reduction and their impacts.

Adaptive Management

Changes in California Delta from early 1800s to early 2000s
Definition of water export and its destination from the Delta
Rationale for continued Delta water exports even during droughts
Definition of adaptive management
Co-equal goals in a specific complex sector

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Description

Explore the critical issues surrounding future food supply in relation to climate change, agricultural expansion, and intensification strategies. Delve into the impacts of the Green Revolution, GMOs, and ways to reduce the environmental footprint of food production. This quiz encapsulates essential concepts from the Food Systems and Tropical Forests texts, providing a comprehensive understanding of modern agricultural challenges.