Land and Water Use - Environmental Science - page 105

C. Build zoos
D. Build directly on wetland areas to be close to the ocean
E. Eliminate recycling programs to reduce cost
Answers
1. C The use of monoculture increased during the Green Revolution. Large areas of land were converted
for agricultural use, and new high-yield seed varieties became widely used. Monoculture is generally
more efficient in planting and harvesting. The technological advancements during this time enabled
new agricultural processes.
2. C Desertification is the loss of soil productivity due to erosion, overgrazing, drought, soil compaction,
and any other factors that deplete the soil.
3. E The purpose of the World Bank is to help developing nations in need of financial and technical assist-
ance in an effort to eliminate poverty. Therefore, an initiative to improve healthcare would be an initiat-
ive that the World Bank would undertake.
4. B Extended periods of fire suppression lead to increased fuel, mostly in the form of underbrush, causing
the wildfires that inevitably occur to burn hotter and potentially consume more land. Forest fires natur-
ally clear out dead brush, trees, and leaves, helping to keep the ecosystem clear of debris while return-
ing nutrients to the soil. Also, many types of vegetation germinate after a fire because the seeds open
from the extreme heat.
5. A Mining is a destructive process. Acid drainage can run off and contaminate freshwater and groundwa-
ter sources. Habitat alteration occurs to varying degrees in mining processes, with some techniques res-
ulting in complete habitat destruction and others being less dramatic. This leads to loss of wildlife and
biodiversity in the area of the mine. Also, the removal of vegetation leaves soil exposed and prone to
erosion.
6. D Humans harvested the largest, most desirable fish to the point of drastically decreasing populations,
forcing humans to then hunt for smaller fish, further down the food chain. As this process continues,
smaller and less desirable fish are targeted. Basically, humans are "fishing down the food chain."
7. B As the country became industrialized, people started moving to city centers for jobs, healthcare, and
education. The cities offered more opportunities and options.
8. D The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for the management of public lands.
9. C Because aquaculture farms are located close to shore and fishing fleets are not required to harvest the
fish, fossil fuel use is reduced. In traditional fishing, boats may travel hundreds of miles for long peri-
ods of time to achieve their harvest goal. This consumes large amounts of fossil fuels and emits pollu-
tion.
10. C Subsidies are monies given by the government to people and companies in order to encourage cer-
tain desired practices.
11. A No-till agriculture does not cause soil disturbances like tillage agriculture does and can, thus, reduce
soil loss due to erosion. A variety of factors contributed to the devastating impact of the Dust Bowl, in-
cluding the clearing of land, overusing and overtilling for agricultural use, and drought.