Soil+and+Agriculture+Take-home+lecture

Soil and Agriculture Take-home Lectures:
1. [|Agriculture and Soil Take-home Lecture.pdf] - 6 slides per page (recommended if you would like to print out this presentation for future reference)

2. [|Agriculture and Soil Take-home Lecture 2.pdf] - 1 slide per page (recommended if you will be reading this presentation on your computer)

Each file is 3MB

This is a graded homework assignment! Use this presentation to answer the questions below, and bring your answers with you to class on Friday, April 8th if you wish to receive credit for this work.

Reading Response Questions:

 * 1) What is soil and how does it form? List and describe the various components of a soil ecosystem, including both living and non-living components.
 * 2) How does erosion affect soil? Why does erosion occur more rapidly when vegetation is removed from the land?
 * 3) Compare and Contrast traditional and industrial agriculture. What are the pros and cons of each approach?
 * 4) How do each of the following affect soil?
 * Over-grazing
 * Over-watering
 * Over-fertilization
 * Forestry
 * 1) Pick three of the following methods for protecting soil. Describe each method and why each is effective for protecting and maintaining soil:
 * No- or reduced-till agriculture
 * Crop rotation
 * Contour farming
 * Terracing
 * Intercropping
 * Use of shelter-belts or windbreaks
 * 1) What was the "Green Revolution?" In what ways has the Green Revolution been beneficial, and in what ways has it been harmful?
 * 2) What is a "monoculture?" What are the pros and cons of monoculture farming?
 * 3) What are the costs and benefits of feedlots?
 * 4) Describe the environmental impacts of eating meat.
 * 5) What are the pros and cons of using Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)? Which crops are most frequently genetically modified? Which countries are the biggest producers of GMOs?
 * 6) What is the purpose of seed banks? Why is genetic diversity within a population, and within an ecosystem, a desirable trait?
 * 7) What criteria must be met for a food (plants AND animals) to be considered organic? What are the pros and cons of organic agriculture compared to industrial agriculture?
 * 8) What is Locally Supported Agriculture (aka Community Supported Agriculture)? What are the pros and cons of Locally Supported Agriculture?
 * 9) What is Aquaculture? What are the pros and cons of aquaculture?