Unit 6: Food Production and the Environment Study Guide
UNIT SCHEDULE
1. February 2 – Introduction to unit, Dirt! The Movie
2. February 4 – Soil Lab Part I; Notes (short class)
3. February 5 – Soil Lab Part II & III including Post-Lab Questions
4. February 9 – CAFO Case Study; Notes (Agriculture)
5. February 11 – Michael Pollen Videos (short class), Read: The Omnivore’s Dilemma Chapter 1
6. February 12 – Is Montbello a Food Desert Activity; Unit 6 Quiz (multiple-choice)
KEY QUESTIONS
 What is food security and why is it difficult to attain?
 How is food produced?
 What environmental problems arise from industrialized food production?
 How can we protect crops from pests more sustainably?
 How can we improve food security?
 How can we produce food more sustainably?
VOCABULARY
- food security
-
chronic malnutrition
industrialized agriculture
intensive agriculture
green revolution
topsoil
agrobiodiversity
-
food insecurity
-
-
famine
plantation agriculture
polyculture
fishery
desertification
integrated pest management
(IPM)
-
chronic undernutrition
(hunger)
irrigation
subsistence agriculture
organic agriculture
aquaculture (fish farming)
waterlogging
soil conservation
BIG IDEAS
1. About 1 billion people have health problems because they do not get enough to eat and 1.6 billion
people face health problems from eating too much
2. Modern industrialized agriculture has a greater harmful impact on the environment than any other
human activity
3. More sustainable forms of food production will greatly reduce the harmful environmental impacts of
industrialized food production systems while likely increasing food security
4. The primary reason for undernutrition and malnutrition is poverty
SOILS
There are thousands of different types of soils in the world. Soils vary due to differences in geography,
parent material, climate, age, and the presence of soil organisms. Soils are composed of a complex mixture of
weathered rocks, partially decomposed organic material, and organisms. Soils can take thousands of years to
form. The parent material that is broken down to form soil is often transported great distances by water and
wind, and may not be related to the bedrock on which the soil forms. The particle size of the broken-down
parent material influences the texture and porosity of the soil. Particle sizes arranged in order from large to
small are sand, silt, and clay.
Soils are usually formed into horizontal layers called soil horizons. Looking at a cross section of a soil
reveals its profile. For most soils, its profile reveals that nearly all of the living organisms are found close to the
surface. At the surface of soil is the O horizon, which is composed of the partially decomposed organic
material and/or leaf litter. Beneath the O horizon is the A horizon, or topsoil, which is composed of mineralcontaining weathered parent material and organic matter (humus). Plants spread most of their roots to absorb
water and minerals in the A horizon. Beneath the A horizon is the B horizon, or subsoil, which contains a
lower concentration of organic material than the first two layers and a higher concentration of mineral particles.
Beneath the B horizon is the C horizon, which is composed of weathered parent material sitting on top of
bedrock.
SOIL TRIANGLE
The soil triangle is used to determine textural classes of soil from the percentages of sand, silt, and clay
in the soil.
To determine soil texture using the soil triangle, the lines from each side must be extended in the
correct direction. Proceed as follows:
- clay side first. Extend a line horizontally from the percent clay (the line should be parallel to the side labeled
“percent sand”)
- silt side second. Extend a line diagonally downward from the percent silt (the line should be parallel with
the side labeled “percent clay)
- sand side last. Extend a line diagonally upward and to the left from the percent sand (this line should be
parallel with side labeled “percent silt”)
For example, if a soil is 30% clay, 30% silt, and 40% sand, the texture is clay loam
THE GREEN REVOLUTION AND INDUSTRIAL FARMING METHODS HAVE TRANSFORMED
AGRICULTURE
- the abundance of food supplied by agriculture is one factor that has lead to the exponential growth of the
human population
- a great deal of energy goes into growing, harvesting, processing, and preparing food
- the green revolution involves practices such as mechanization, irrigation, monocropping/monoculture, and
the use of fertilizers and pesticides
GENETIC ENGINEERING IS REVOLUTIONIZING AGRICULTURE
- genetic engineering describes the process by which scientists isolate a gene from one organisms and
transfer it into another
- the benefits of genetic engineering are increased crop yield and quality, possible reduced pesticide needs,
and increased profits
- concerns of genetic engineering include the safety of the food for human consumption, their effects on
biodiversity, and how they will be regulated
ALTERNATIVE IDEAS TO INDUSTRIAL FARMING METHODS ARE GAINING MORE ATTENTION
- locations with a moderately warm climate and relatively nutrient-poor soils can lend themselves to shifting
agriculture
- sustainable agriculture fulfills food needs while minimizing environmental harm
- integrated pest management tries to minimize the use of pesticides by implementing other techniques
- organic agriculture uses no synthetic pesticides or fertizliers
AP REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 12
1. Industrialized meat production has harmful environmental consequences, these include all of the
following EXCEPT
a. The use of large amounts of energy
b. Contributing to the eutrophication of the Gulf of Mexico
c. Contributing to global warming
d. Polluting the air, water, and soil with manure
e. Natural control of pests
2. Which of the following techniques helps to limit soil erosion?
a. Cutting down all the trees in a specific area
b. Growing only wheat, rice, and corn, which provide approximately half the calories people ingest
c. The creation of steep steps on a hillside, creating a series of flat areas on which to plant crops
d. The presence of large numbers of animals grazing too long in a grassy area, which hardens the
soil they stand on
e. The use of off-road vehicles because they flatten and harden the soil beneath them
3. Which best describes genetically modified crops (GMOs)?
a. Genes are spliced from one plant species into another plant species
b. Planting a variety of crops in the same area such as native grass, grains, and sunflowers
c. Used mostly in tropical developing countries, corps such as bananas, coffee, and sugar cane
are grown on large plantations and sold to developed countries
d. Fishes are grown in underwater cages, protected from pest species
e. Plants are not grown in soil, but instead their roots are in nutrient-filled water so they are
protected from pests that would otherwise damage them
4. One way that farmers can help to reduce soil erosion is by using soil conservation methods. Which of
the following is an example of a soil conservation method?
a. One or two crops are planted together in rows between trees or shrubs which provide shade as
well as fruit or nuts
b. Cutting down trees to allow sunlight and rain to reach the soil
c. Native plants are plowed up to make room for crops and after the crops are harvested land is
plowed and left bare until the next growing season
d. Frequent flood irrigation of agricultural land, whereby the water flows in ditches through the
fields
e. Frequent irrigation so water accumulates under the ground and when the water table rises,
supplies constant water to the plant roots
5. Which of the following would be a disadvantage to using pesticides?
a. Selective pesticides kill specific organisms, such as acequinocyl, which kills mites
b. The financial treadmill occurs, wherein pests become resistant to pesticides so farmers must
use higher does to kill the pests
c. By killing the pests that damage agricultural crops, pesticides help keep the price of food down
d. Pesticides have a long shelf life, so farmers will not lose money if the pesticides are kept for a
long time before being used
e. Pesticides save lives by killing the vectors for diseases such as malaria, bubonic plague, and
typhus
6. Which is the best example of persistence?
a. DDT, because it remained harmful in the environment for years
b. First-generation pesticides, natural chemicals found in plants such as nicotine sulfate in tobacco
leaves
c. The use of essential oils taken from common species such as clove, mint, rosemary, and thyme
d. Protecting the enemies of pests by providing habitats for them, such as creating areas where
spiders are safe during harvesting so they will persist in eating the pests
e. The use of genetic engineering to create pest-resistant crops so successive generations of
those crops will also be best resistant
7. The following practices are used to grow organic crops EXCEPT
a. Providing habitat for insects or other small invertebrates
b. Keeping organic matter and nutrients in the soil as much as possible
c. Planting corps before or after insect pests are there to cause damage
d. Bringing in natural enemies to the insect pests, such as releasing ladybugs or praying mantis
insects
e. Spraying pesticides on the roots so that the part of the plant that is eaten is not contaminated
8. A method of using biological control to control pests is to
a. Bring in natural enemies such as predators, parasites and bacteria
b. Utilize synthetic herbicides
c. Allow wind to carry pesticides from one region to another
d. Use broad-spectrum agents
e. Use a second-generation pesticide
9. The goal of integrated pest management is to
a. Wipe out as many of the pest species as possible to save crops
b. Wipe out as many of the pest species as possible to save human lives
c. Genetically engineer as many crop species as possible to eliminate the need for pesticides
d. Encourage farmers to grow organically, eliminating the need for pesticides
e. Use biological, chemical, and cultivation techniques in a coordinated way to eliminate pest
species
10. One way to successfully incorporate genetic engineering is to
a. Add pesticides to the DNA of the crop plant
b. Cross a crop plant with a native variety
c. Bring in hormones to control developmental processes at different stages
d. Use biological control by importing natural predators
e. Get on the pesticide treadmill
11. All of the following are true about aquaculture EXCEPT
a. China raises 70% of the world’s fishes using aquaculture methods
b. Farmed fishes are safe from contamination by toxins such as PCBs because their cages do not
allow them to swim deep enough in ocean water
c. Algae and other plants are the most common food eaten by fishes raised in aquaculture
environments
d. Also called the blue revolution, this method involves raising fishes in ponds, lakes, rice paddies,
and underwater cages in oceans or estuaries
e. About 37% of the wild marine fishes caught are used to provide food to farmed fishes
12. A more sustainable form of meat production is to
a. Graze beef in larger numbers but on local lands so the meat does not have to travel as far to the
consumer
b. Switch to poultry and farm-raised fish because these are more grain-efficient animals
c. Inject cattle with hormones to grow larger with more muscle mass so fewer head of cattle would
have to be raised
d. Switch to beef rather than pork or poultry because cattle are larger and can supply meat to more
people
e. Use less land by putting more animals in feedlots and injecting them with antibiotics to keep
them healthy
13. Blindness may be caused by a diet deficient in the nutrient
a. Iodine
b. Iron
c. Protein
d. Vitamin D
e. Vitamin A
14. Which of the following best explains how a pest develops resistance to a chemical pesticide?
a. Natural selection takes place
b. The pest develops adaptations during times of secondary pest outbreaks
c. Mutation and genetic drift occur
d. Geographic isolation results in the emergence of a new pest species
e. Punctuated equilibrium takes place
15. Which of the following problems can be best addressed with contour plowing?
a. The failure of terracing
b. The excessive use of pesticides
c. Soil erosion
d. Waterlogging
e. Soil salinization
16. Which of the following is a feature of integrated pest management?
a. It makes use of the natural enemies of pests
b. It makes effective use of disease transfer organisms
c. It relies on the use of intermittent groundwater pumping stations
d. It requires intense cultivation of marginal land
e. It is most effective on land within 100 miles of the coast
17. The Green Revolution is most closely associated with the time period between
a. the U.S. Civil War and World War I
b. the beginning and the end of the Industrial Revolution
c. World War I and World War II
d. World War II and the present
e. The American Revolution and the U.S. Civil War
18. Where is overnutrition most common today?
a. In developing nations of Central America
b. In tropical nations of Asia
c. In Pacific and Indian Ocean island nations
d. In mountainous nations of South America
e. In developed nations of Europe and North America
19. This layer of soil is also known as the topsoil; it contains much humus
a. A horizon
b. B horizon
c. C horizon
d. O horizon
e. Z horizon
20. It is determined that a soil sample is composed of 23% silt, 11% clay, and 66% sand. According to the
soil triangle, which of the following is the soil texture of the soil?
a. Silty clay loam
b. Silt loam
c. Clay
d. Sandy loam
e. Loamy sand
FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS
1. The world’s population grew from approximately 2.6 to 5.2 billion between 1952 and 1987. The green
revolution is credited with allowing the world’s food supply to keep pace with the rapid growth of human
population during that time. The replacement of traditional crops with high-yielding monocultures is
central to the agricultural practices associated with the green revolution
a. Assuming that the population growth during this time period followed an exponential model,
calculate the average annual population growth rate of the world between 1952 and 1987 as a
percentage
b. Describe ONE advantage and ONE environmental disadvantage associated with the farming of
monocultures
c. Another agricultural practice associated with the green revolution is the intensive irrigation of
crops. Describe TWO negative environmental effects associated with intensive irrigation
d. Other than the extensive use of monocultures and intensive irrigation, identify and describe
TWO additional agriculture practices associated with the green revolution, and for each practice
describe ONE environmental disadvantage associated with it.