Deck 26: Population Growth, Resource Use, and Sustainability

Question 1

Harvesting at a level that will ensure a similar yield repeatedly without forcing the population into decline is called ________ yield.

Answer 1

sustained

Question 2

In forest harvest, the time between harvests is called the ________ period, or harvest interval.

Answer 2

rotation

Question 3

Explain how a natural ecosystem 'manages' its nutrients.

Answer 3

The rate of use is controlled by the amount supplied through decomposition. If there is less, productivity decreases; if there is more, it increases. Thus, productivity shifts to match the availability of the nutrient.

Question 4

In forestry, the period of time between harvests of trees at a site is called the

A)harvest time.
B)regrowth period.
C)rotation time.
D)fallow time.

Question 5

________ occur when the actions of one individual (or group of individuals)affect another individual's well-being, but the relevant costs (or benefits)are not reflected in market prices.

Question 6

________ agriculture refers to maintaining agriculture production indefinitely while minimizing environmental impacts.

Question 7

Traditional agriculture is dominated by ________ agriculture in which primarily human labor and draft animals are used to produce only enough crops or livestock for a family to survive.

Question 8

Ecosystem ________ are the processes by which the environment produces resources (natural capital)such as clean air, water, timber, or fish.

Question 9

A community that consists of a mixture of crop species is called a(n)________.

Question 10

Explain what is meant by "the tragedy of the commons."

Question 11

Outline the four critical components identified in variable retention harvesting practised on coastal BC forests. Briefly state why they are critical.

Question 12

________-cutting is the complete removal of a forest during harvest.

Question 13

A method of subsistence farming that is practiced primarily in the tropical forested regions is called shifting cultivation, or ________ agriculture.

Question 14

The amount of a resource harvested per unit time is called ________.

Question 15

In ________ cutting, mature single trees or groups of trees scattered through the forest are removed, which produces only small openings or gaps on the forest canopy.

Question 16

________ is a technique employed to add and compare costs and benefits that occur at different points in time.

Question 17

Different agricultural methods represent a trade-off between sustainability and ________.

Question 18

The strategy of harvesting a resource at a rate equal to the rate at which it is renewed is referred to as the maximum ________ yield.

Question 19

The amount of resource harvested per unit time is called the

A)crop.
B)yield.
C)take.
D)net harvest.

Question 20

When chemical fertilizers are transported from agricultural lands into adjacent aquatic habitats, accelerated nutrient enrichment of aquatic habitats leads to major ecological changes termed cultural ________.

Question 21

Which of the following is an example of a nonrenewable resource?

A)groundwater
B)trees in a forest
C)tuna
D)coal

Question 22

The harvesting of a natural resource based on sustainable yield applies to

A)renewable resources.
B)nonrenewable resources.
C)perpetual resources.
D)both A and B.

Question 23

A field of corn is an example of polyculture.

Question 24

Marine life that is caught, but is unwanted and discarded, is referred to as

A)disposable.
B)excess.
C)bycatch.
D)refuse.

Question 25

The negative consequences of harvesting a natural resource, such as the soil erosion and sedimentation of a river that occur after a forest is logged, typically are not included in the market price of the resource; these costs are referred to as

A)externalities.
B)byproducts.
C)coincidentals.
D)unintended consequences.

Question 26

The concept of sustained yield applies to nonrenewable resources.

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of swidden agriculture or shifting cultivation?

A)Some trees are cut but others are left to provide seed for new trees.
B)Felled trees and brush are burned to clear land for planting.
C)Ash from fires is high in mineral nutrients.
D)Productivity declines with each successive crop.

Question 28

Different agricultural practices represent a trade-off between

A)sustainability and economic growth.
B)productivity and cost.
C)productivity and sustainability.
D)sustainability and convenience.

Question 29

For the exploitation of a resource to be sustainable, the consumption rate must be equal to or greater than the regeneration rate.

Question 30

The vast majority of human food resources are derived from agriculture.

Question 31

When trees are harvested and removed

A)soil temperature decreases.
B)the rate of soil erosion increases.
C)the rate of decomposition decreases.
D)the rate of mineralization (transformation of organic compounds into inorganic compounds)decreases.

Question 32

The three annual grasses that make up 80% of our cereal grains are ________, ________ and ________.

A)wheat, rice, potato
B)wheat, rice, corn
C)wheat, oats, barley
D)quinoa, spelt, millet

Question 33

Cultural eutrophication refers to the

A)natural decomposition of solid wastes in a landfill.
B)breakdown of biodegradable wastes by bacteria.
C)process in which sewage is purified naturally by plants.
D)accelerated nutrient enrichment of bodies of water due to runoff of chemical fertilizers.

Question 34

The technique of adding and comparing costs and benefits at different points in time is referred to as

A)benefit-cost analysis.
B)discounting.
C)external analysis.
D)profit-debt analysis.

Question 35

A sustained yield refers to the

A)rate at which a renewable resource can be used indefinitely without reducing its available supply.
B)use of only perpetual and renewable resources without using nonrenewable resources.
C)overuse of common property or resources with free access, leading to depletion of resources.
D)self-sustaining management of a country's economy to preclude external debt.

Question 36

Some nonrenewable resources may be recycled, which extends the effective lifetime of a resource.

Question 37

Ninety percent of our global food supply comes from ________ animals and ________ plants.

A)4, 3
B)8, 15
C)10, 25
D)It varies by region.

Question 38

The practise of leaving ecologically significant components of a forest (such as snags and woody debris)after it has been harvested is known as

A)selective cutting.
B)variable retention harvesting.
C)seed tree harvesting.
D)clear cutting.

Question 39

The silvicultural technique in which mature single trees or groups of trees scattered through the forest are removed is referred to as

A)the shelterwood, or seed-tree system.
B)clear-cutting.
C)selection cutting.
D)strip cutting.

Question 40

The maximum sustainable yield of a fishery occurs at a population level that is at

A)the carrying capacity.
B)just below the carrying capacity.
C)about half of the carrying capacity.
D)about a quarter of the carrying capacity.

Question 41

Selective cutting usually involves leaving a small number of seed-bearing trees, which are a source of seed for establishment of natural vegetation after harvest.

Question 42

Industrialized agriculture produces a higher yield than traditional agriculture but also requires more energy per unit of food produced.

Question 43

Genetically modified crops rely on the insertion of a beneficial gene from a closely related species because genes from distantly related species are incompatible.

Question 44

Industrialized agriculture depends on crop rotation to naturally maintain concentrations of plant nutrients in the soils and to sustainably maintain productivity.

Question 45

Although industrialized agriculture produces small quantities of crops, it takes very little energy input to do so.

Question 46

Trees harvested for timber require a longer rotation period than trees harvested for paper products.

Question 47

The maximum sustainable yield of a fishery occurs at a population level that is at the carrying capacity.

Question 48

Externalities occur when the actions of one individual affect another individual's well-being, and the relevant costs are reflected in market prices.

Question 49

In some parts of our national forests, forest managers are mandated by the government to sell timber at prices that do not meet the costs of management and harvest.

Question 50

Industrialized agriculture uses pesticides to control pest species and increase productivity.

Question 51

Swidden agriculture involves burning, which clears space for crops and produces ash that is high in nutrients.

Question 52

Increased pesticide use is one component of efforts toward sustainable farming practices today.

Question 53

Soil temperature increases when trees are removed from a forest.

Question 54

Nitrate is a commonly used chemical fertilizer that is harmless to human health.

Question 55

Soil erosion increases when trees are removed from a forest.

Question 56

As biomass in a forest increases, the density of trees decreases, while the average tree size increases as a result of self-thinning.

Question 57

One of the strengths of traditional models of sustainable harvest in fisheries is that they see stocks of fish species as components of a larger ecological system.

Question 58

In recent decades, the per capita land area under agricultural production has declined.

Question 59

The technique of discounting often runs counter to the objectives of sustainable resource management.

Question 60

Species characterized by a very high rate of population growth often lose much of their production due to high density-independent mortality.

Question 61

Describe two different forest harvest practices, and explain the pros and cons of each.

Question 62

List and describe three examples of sustainable farming practices used today.

Question 63

What are the pros and cons of aquaculture? What do you think is the solution to the cons?

Question 64

Distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable resources, and give two examples of each.

Question 65

Compare and contrast three agricultural practices. What are the trade-offs for each and how do they differ from a natural system?

Question 66

Discuss the relationship between externalities and the market prices of a natural resource.

Question 67

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using chemical fertilizers such as nitrates and phosphates.

Question 68

Discuss the theorized relationship among maximum sustainable yield, carrying capacity, and rate of population growth of a harvested species.

Question 69

Using an example from farming, forestry, or fisheries, discuss the concept of discounting and how it is used to economically justify the overexploitation of a resource.