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6.3 Non-Sustainable Agriculture (Industrialized Agriculture (harms the…
6.3 Non-Sustainable Agriculture
Soil Degradation & Erosion
topsoil is the fertile top layer of many soils
stores most of the water and nutrients that plants need
provides vital ecosystem services like nutrient recycling
potentially renewable resource as nutrients are not removed faster than natural processes replenish them
soil erosion- the movement of soil components, especially surface litter and topsoil from one place to another by actions of wind and water
flowing water causes erosion in three ways: sheet erosion, rill erosion and gully erosion
wind loosens and blows topsoil particles away, especially in areas with dry climate and relatively flat land not covered by vegetation
problems
loss of soil fertility through depletion of plant nutrients in topsoil
water pollution in surface waters where eroded topsoil ends up as sediment and cause eutrophication by overloading the water with plant nutrients
release of carbon stored in the soil to into the atmosphere as CO2 which contributed to atmospheric warming and climate change
excessive irrigation can degrade soil and pollute water
soil salinzation
waterlogging
Water Pollution
eroded topsoil flows as sediments into streams, lakes ad wetlands where it can smother fish and shellfish and clog irrigation ditches and boat channels
poisonous pesticides will run off into waterways too
Pesticides
pests- species that interfere with human welfare by competing with us for food, invading our homes or gardens, destroying building materials, spreading disease, and invading ecosystems
benefits of pesticides: same human loves from insect-borne diseases, increase foos supplies, work fast, can be stored and shipped easily
some pesticides harm wildlife, kill natural predators and parasites that help control other pest populations, dangerous to human health, they don't stay effective for long use
Traditional Agriculture
composed of two basic forms
traditional subsistence agriculture- combines energy from te sun with the labor of humans and draft animals to produce enough crops for a farm family's survival, with little left over to sell or store as a reserve for hard times
traditional intensive agriculture where farmers try to obtain higher crop yields by increasing their inputs of human and draft animal labor, animal manure for fertilizer, and water
polyculture- various crops mature at different times, providing food year-round and keeps the topsoil covered to reduce erosion from wind and water. less need for fertilizer and water. diversity reduces the chance of losing most or all of the year's food supply to pests and bad weather.
slash and burn- a type of traditional, polyculture agriculture that involves burning and clearing small plots in tropical forests, growing. variety of crops for a few years until the soil is depleted of nutrients, and then shifting to other plots to begin the process again.
Industrialized Agriculture
steadily increase each crop's yield- the amount of food produced per unit of land
plantation agriculture- a form of industrialize agriculture used primarily in less-developed tropical countries
made possible due to three technological advances:
irrigation- a mix of methods by which water is supplied to crops by artificial means
synthetic fertilizers- manufactured chemicals that contain nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, etc.
synthetic pesticides- chemicals manufactured to kill or control populations of organisms that interfere with crop production
farm subsidies (gov. payments and tax breaks intended to help farmers stay in business) has been an important factor in expanding industrialized crop production
harms the enviro. in many ways
uses heavy equipment that required lots of gas
requires lots of capital
uses large amounts of fossil fuels
uses large amount of water