Deck 14: Food and Soil Resources

Question 1

Which food is among the three foods that make up half of the calories consumed by humans? 

A) fish 
B) wheat 
C) beef 
D) soybean

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which type of agriculture is most characteristic of developed countries? 

A) traditional subsistence agriculture 
B) traditional intensive agriculture 
C) plantation agriculture 
D) industrialized agriculture

Answer 2

D

Question 3

How many domesticated animal species provide the majority of the meat and animal products consumed by humans? 

A) about 32 
B) about 24 
C) about 16 
D) about 8

Answer 3

D

Question 4

What is a garden plot called in which corn is planted next to nitrogen-restoring alfalfa? 

A) It is agroforestry. 
B) It is intercropping. 
C) It is a polyculture. 
D) It is polyvarietal cultivation.

Question 5

Which of the following is a type of subsistence agriculture? 

A) shifting cultivation of small plots in tropical forests 
B) coffee plantations 
C) large cornfields 
D) intensive cultivation plots

Question 6

What was implemented in the second green revolution? 

A) a dry climate 
B) no pesticides 
C) varieties of wild plants 
D) inorganic fertilizer

Question 7

What percentage of Canada's gross national product (GNP)does agriculture contribute? 

A) 6.7% 
B) 18% 
C) 28% 
D) 38%

Question 8

Which statement best describes energy use in agriculture? 

A) Industrialized agriculture is more energy efficient than subsistence agriculture. 
B) The amount of fossil fuel energy required to grow most plants is less than the amount of food energy produced. 
C) Raising animals for food is more energy efficient than raising plants. 
D) About 2 units of nonrenewable fossil fuel energy are needed to put 1 unit of energy on the table.

Question 9

Which type of agriculture involves supplementing solar energy with human labour and draft animals? 

A) industrialized agriculture 
B) traditional subsistence agriculture 
C) traditional intensive agriculture 
D) plantation agriculture

Question 10

How many types of organisms supply the global population with 90% of its food? 

A) about 52 
B) about 32 
C) about 22 
D) about 12

Question 11

Which term best applies to a farm where alternating rows of hemp and maple trees have been planted? 

A) It is intercropping. 
B) It is a monoculture. 
C) It is agroforestry. 
D) It is polyvarietal cultivation.

Question 12

What percentage of all jobs in Canada's  workforce are generated by agriculture? 

A) about 5% 
B) about 12% 
C) about 25% 
D) about 50%

Question 13

Which type of agriculture is most characteristic of developing countries? 

A) plantation agriculture 
B) traditional subsistence agriculture 
C) traditional intensive agriculture 
D) industrialized agriculture

Question 14

Which crops were specially bred for tropical and subtropical climates,and were the outcome of genetic research conducted during the green revolution? 

A) dwarf varieties of corn and potatoes 
B) dwarf varieties of sugarcane and pineapples 
C) dwarf varieties of rice and wheat 
D) dwarf varieties of bananas and coconuts

Question 15

Which type of agriculture usually involves growing only a single type of crop? 

A) plantation agriculture 
B) industrialized agriculture 
C) minimum-tillage agriculture 
D) traditional intensive agriculture

Question 16

Which law represents the fact that the initial dramatic yields realized by crops that have received inputs of energy,water,fertilizer,and pesticides eventually level off? 

A) the first law of thermodynamics 
B) the tragedy of the commons law 
C) the prevention vs. treatment law 
D) the law of diminishing returns

Question 17

What is required by industrialized agriculture? 

A) large amounts of pesticides 
B) small amounts of water 
C) small amounts of fossil fuels 
D) no inorganic fertilizers

Question 18

What does intercropping involve? 

A) It involves growing several different crops on a plot of land. 
B) It involves growing several varieties of one crop on a plot of land. 
C) It involves growing trees and crops together on a plot of land. 
D) It involves growing crops in alternate rows on a plot of land.

Question 19

What characterizes the plants of the second green revolution? 

A) They are adapted to drought. 
B) They are giant varieties. 
C) They are slow growing. 
D) They are high-yield varieties.

Question 20

What is the main reason for the increase in global food production since 1950? 

A) the blue revolution 
B) the red revolution 
C) the yellow revolution 
D) the green revolution

Question 21

What is the agent of most soil erosion? 

A) moving water 
B) wind 
C) earthquakes 
D) excess heat

Question 22

Which statement best describes salinization? 

A) It results from applying fertilizer to the soil on an annual basis. 
B) It improves crop growth. 
C) It results from repeated applications of irrigation water to the soil. 
D) It increases crop yields.

Question 23

What is representative of the conservation tillage approach? 

A) It reduces the number of crops that can be grown in an area in a year. 
B) It is used on 72% of Canada's cropland. 
C) It is widely used outside Canada and the United States. 
D) It increases soil compaction.

Question 24

Which statement best describes the effects of conservation tillage compared to conventional tillage? 

A) Conservation tillage requires increased use of herbicides. 
B) Conservation tillage reduces fuel and tillage costs. 
C) Conservation tillage accelerates water loss from the soil. 
D) Conservation tillage causes soil compaction.

Question 25

What is one outcome of conservation tillage? 

A) It increases labour costs. 
B) It decreases erosion. 
C) It increases energy consumption. 
D) It accelerates water loss from the soil.

Question 26

Which term best applies to a farm where several varieties of wheat are growing? 

A) It is intercropping. 
B) It is polyvarietal cultivation. 
C) It is agroforestry. 
D) It is a monoculture.

Question 27

What is one possible result of salt build-up? 

A) agriculturally unproductive land 
B) increased crop yields 
C) greater need for irrigation 
D) increased crop growth

Question 28

A relationship between poverty and soil erosion occurs in many developing countries.The plowing of marginal land by poor farmers leads to soil erosion,land degradation,and thus to further poverty.What type of cycle is this? 

A) It is a destructive negative feedback cycle. 
B) It is a constructive positive feedback cycle. 
C) It is a destructive positive feedback cycle. 
D) It is a constructive negative feedback cycle.

Question 29

A garden plot contains ten species that mature at different times.Some species are used for food,fuel,or medicine.Some take nutrients from the soil,and some return nutrients to the soil.Which term best describes the garden plot? 

A) It is polyvarietal cultivation. 
B) It is intercropping. 
C) It is agroforestry. 
D) It is a polyculture.

Question 30

On what percentage of the world's croplands is topsoil eroding faster than it forms? 

A) about 8% 
B) about 38% 
C) about 78% 
D) about 98%

Question 31

Which agricultural style prevents erosion on steep slopes? 

A) alley cropping 
B) conventional tillage 
C) terracing 
D) conservation tillage

Question 32

What percentage of cultivated land in the Canadian prairies is affected by wind erosion? 

A) about 10% 
B) about 17% 
C) about 20% 
D) about 36%

Question 33

What is the term for plowing,breaking up,and smoothing the soil in the autumn in order to facilitate planting in the spring? 

A) conservation tillage 
B) conventional tillage 
C) terracing 
D) contour farming

Question 34

When is a person considered undernourished? 

A) when there is not enough meat in their diet 
B) when they eat too much junk food 
C) when they eat fewer than the basic minimum number of daily calories 
D) when they suffer from poor food quality

Question 35

Which activity is involved in contour farming? 

A) plowing across the slope 
B) plowing straight down a slope or straight up a slope 
C) building a series of small dams 
D) converting a steep slope into a series of terraces

Question 36

Which statement best describes alley cropping? 

A) Special tillers are required to prevent the topsoil from being disturbed. 
B) Rows are plowed across the slope. 
C) Terraces are built to prevent swift water runoff. 
D) Crops are planted between hedgerows of trees or shrubs that are fruit bearing or used for fuelwood.

Question 37

Which term is used to describe the planting of crops in alternating rows of close-growing plants? 

A) alley cropping 
B) crop rotation 
C) erosion 
D) strip cropping

Question 38

Which practice both reduces erosion and  prevents the spread of pests and plant diseases? 

A) contour farming 
B) row cropping 
C) strip cropping 
D) terracing

Question 39

What is the greatest source of water pollution? 

A) sediment from erosion 
B) runoff of agricultural chemicals 
C) drainage from urban areas 
D) runoff of animal waste from farms

Question 40

What is one possible result of irrigation? 

A) waterlogging of the soil 
B) low soil pH 
C) high nutrient levels in the soil 
D) high soil pH

Question 41

What is one effect of modern agricultural practices? 

A) increase in genetic diversity through use of monocultures 
B) prevention of soil erosion and desertification 
C) benefits to human health from drinking groundwater with nitrates 
D) contamination of recreational waters with livestock wastes

Question 42

How are living organisms affected by agriculture? 

A) soil ecology is improved 
B) water resources are improved 
C) habitat is degraded through the use of monocultures 
D) productive feed habitats are increased

Question 43

Which statement characterizes genetically modified foods? 

A) They have been proven to be dangerous. 
B) There is no real interest in regulating them. 
C) They may reduce the need to apply large amounts of pesticides to crops. 
D) Their use is decreasing.

Question 44

Which activity causes more pollution and environmental degradation than any other human activity? 

A) transportation 
B) agriculture 
C) recreation 
D) industry

Question 45

What is most likely to be an effect of modern agricultural practices on soils? 

A) waterlogging of soils 
B) reduction of soil erosion 
C) soil desalination 
D) replenishment of soil fertility

Question 46

What is the greatest importance of elemental iodine to humans? 

A) Iodine deficiency can cause goiter, which can lead to deafness. 
B) Iodine is useful as a disinfectant. 
C) Iodine deficiency can cause kwashiorkor. 
D) Iodine deficiency can cause blindness.

Question 47

When is a person considered overnourished? 

A) when he eats fewer than the basic minimum number of daily calories 
B) when he eats too many calories each day 
C) when he eats balanced meals 
D) when he suffers from poor food quality

Question 48

What percentage of the world's food is provided by urban gardens? 

A) about 5% 
B) about 15% 
C) about 25% 
D) about 35%

Question 49

What proportion of people in developing countries are undernourished or malnourished? 

A) one in four 
B) one in nine 
C) one in eight 
D) one in ten

Question 50

Which deficiency can result in anemia? 

A) a deficiency in iron 
B) a deficiency in calcium 
C) a deficiency in cobalt 
D) a deficiency in iodine

Question 51

What would be increased through the use of perennial crops? 

A) fossil fuel use 
B) crop yields 
C) soil erosion 
D) water use

Question 52

What is the impact of agriculture on the land? 

A) It increases soil fertility. 
B) It increases microorganism diversity. 
C) It causes soil desalination. 
D) It causes soil erosion.

Question 53

Which plant has been called a "supermarket on a stalk"? 

A) a peanut plant 
B) a winged bean plant 
C) a soybean plant 
D) a rice plant

Question 54

Which measure will prevent the majority of human blindness in developing countries? 

A) administration of immunizing shots 
B) administration of vitamin A capsules 
C) administration of iodine 
D) administration of sugar and salt dissolved in a glass of water

Question 55

When is a person considered malnourished? 

A) when they suffer from deficiencies of key nutrients 
B) when they eat fewer than the basic minimum number of daily calories 
C) when they eat too much junk food 
D) when there is not enough meat in their diet

Question 56

What is a projected disadvantage that could result from the genetic modification of food plants? 

A) The plants may require more fertilizer. 
B) The plants may require greater water inputs. 
C) The plants may promote the appearance of herbicide-resistant weeds. 
D) The plants may require less water.

Question 57

What is one reason that China has lost much cropland since about 1960? 

A) population decline 
B) war 
C) the adoption of a one-child policy 
D) industrialization

Question 58

What is one way that industrialized agriculture impacts water resources? 

A) It pollutes surface waters with fertilizer. 
B) It protects aquifer resources. 
C) It prevents sediment pollution. 
D) It prevents eutrophication.

Question 59

Which type of plant are agricultural experts developing in order to increase food production? 

A) plants that do not require any water 
B) plants that do not require light 
C) plants that make their own inorganic fertilizer 
D) plants that grow in salty soil

Question 60

What is over nutrition? 

A) food energy intake exceeds energy use 
B) food energy intake is lower than the energy used 
C) food intake is high in fresh vegetables 
D) food intake is high in fibre

Question 61

Which farmed animal is the most efficient to produce in terms of grain consumption? 

A) cattle 
B) catfish 
C) pigs 
D) chickens

Question 62

What percentage of the global annual commercial fishery catch is composed of marine fish and shellfish? 

A) about 91% 
B) about 71% 
C) about 51% 
D) about 31%

Question 63

Which statement best describes aquaponics? 

A) It involves removing oxygen from a body of water. 
B) It involves raising fish with plants. 
C) It involves organic feed for the fish 
D) It involves raising fish in tanks on land.

Question 64

Which country is the world leader in aquaculture? 

A) Japan 
B) North Korea 
C) China 
D) Brazil

Question 65

Perennials do not contribute as much to soil erosion and water pollution as do annual crops.

Question 66

One way to develop sustainable agriculture is to reduce poverty.

Question 67

Worldwide food production has declined since 1950.

Question 68

Where is the majority of the global commercial fish catch from? 

A) freshwater rivers 
B) wild ecosystems 
C) the abyssal zone 
D) the open sea

Question 69

What is one major environmental effect of raising livestock? 

A) reduced erosion 
B) reduced fossil fuel use 
C) water contamination 
D) bad smells

Question 70

Traditional subsistence farming techniques are less efficient than large-scale farming techniques.

Question 71

What is the major goal of rangeland management? 

A) to improve soil conservation 
B) maximize recreational opportunities 
C) maximizing livestock productivity without overgrazing 
D) to improve the quality and quantity of water

Question 72

People worldwide are unable to purchase or to raise enough food to meet their nutritional needs.

Question 73

What percentage of global food is lost through spoilage,inefficient processing and preparation,and plate waste? 

A) about 25% 
B) about 50% 
C) about 60% 
D) about 70%

Question 74

What is the cause of the majority of overgrazing? 

A) too many animals permitted to stay in one place for too long 
B) increased temperatures due to climate change 
C) large populations of wild herbivores 
D) increased drought due to climate change

Question 75

How many years would it take global fish stocks to recover to healthy levels,even if all fishing stopped immediately? 

A) about 15 years 
B) about 20 years 
C) about 25 years 
D) about 30 years

Question 76

What characterizes the vegetation found in a riparian zone? 

A) It is a kind of algae in watering holes for cattle. 
B) It is poisonous to cold-water fish. 
C) It can destroy a grassland ecosystem. 
D) It can be easily destroyed by trampling and overgrazing.

Question 77

What is one benefit of aquaculture? 

A) It has no environmental impacts. 
B) It uses no fuel. 
C) It does not affect natural habitats. 
D) The yields in small volumes of water are high.

Question 78

What percentage of the global commercial fish harvest is obtained through aquaculture? 

A) about 22% 
B) about 32% 
C) about 42% 
D) about 52%

Question 79

What is one component of sustainable management of rangelands? 

A) increased livestock grazing in underutilized areas 
B) reduced grazing fees 
C) no or limited grazing on riparian areas 
D) elimination of riparian areas

Question 80

What happened to global per capita meat production between 1961 and 2013? 

A) it decreased fivefold 
B) it remained steady 
C) it doubled 
D) it increased fivefold