Deck 14: Food and Soil Resources

Question 1

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

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which statementbestdescribes 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.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

What was implemented in the second green revolution?

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

Answer 3

D

Question 4

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 5

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 6

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 7

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 8

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 9

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

Question 10

What percentage of Canada's GNP does agriculture contribute?

A)9%
B)18%
C)28%
D)38%

Question 11

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 12

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 13

Which type of agriculture usuallyinvolves growing only a single type of crop?

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

Question 14

Which term bestapplies 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 15

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 16

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

Question 17

Which type of agriculture is mostcharacteristic of developed countries?

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

Question 18

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 19

What percentage of all jobs in Canada's private sector aregenerated by agriculture?

A)about 5%
B)about 10%
C)about 25%
D)about 50%

Question 20

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 21

Which practice both reduces erosion and increases soil fertility?

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

Question 22

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 23

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 24

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 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

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 termbestdescribes the garden plot?

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

Question 27

Which agricultural style prevents erosion on steep slopes?

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

Question 28

What is onepossible result of irrigation?

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

Question 29

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 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

Whatis 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 60% of Canada's cropland.
C)It is widely used outside Canada and the United States.
D)It increases soil compaction.

Question 32

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 33

What is the agent of mostsoil erosion?

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

Question 34

Which activity is involved in contour farming?

A)plowing perpendicular to 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 35

Which statementbestdescribes 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 36

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 33%

Question 37

Which of the following is an inorganic fertilizer?

A)animal manure
B)compost
C)green manure
D)mineral-based amendments

Question 38

Which statementbestdescribes 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 39

What is the greatestsource 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

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 41

What is the impact of agriculture on the land?

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

Question 42

What causes marasmus?

A)a vitamin deficiency
B)a parasitic infection
C)a lack of calories and protein
D)a lack of water

Question 43

What causes kwashiorkor?

A)a vitamin deficiency
B)a parasitic infection
C)a lack of protein
D)a lack of water

Question 44

What do commercially available inorganic fertilizers do to the soil?

A)They providelow levels of trace elements to the soil.
B)They raise the soil's oxygen content.
C)They increase the soil's water-holding capacity.
D)They increase soil porosity.

Question 45

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 46

What is mostlikely 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 47

Which of the following characterizes shelterbelts (windbreaks) in the prairies?

A)They are usually planted in an east-west direction.
B)They eliminate the need for other soil-conservation methods.
C)Many are employed to channel water away from gullies.
D)Many have been destroyed to make way for farming equipment.

Question 48

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)Iodinedeficiency can cause kwashiorkor.
D)Iodinedeficiency can cause blindness.

Question 49

What is one component of a UNICEF program aimed at sharply reducing the number of childhood deaths from improper nutrition?

A)administration of fibre capsules
B)preventing dehydration by giving infants salt
C)administration of iron supplements
D)discouraging breast-feeding

Question 50

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 51

Which process would mostlikely deplete soil nutrients?

A)fertilizing with compost
B)irrigation
C)crop rotation
D)fertilizing with green manure

Question 52

When is a personconsidered malnourished?

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

Question 53

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

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

Question 54

How are living organisms affected by agriculture?

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

Question 55

What is one reason whyfarmers choose inorganic fertilizers over animal manure as a crop fertilizer on large farms?

A)Manure lacks soil microorganisms.
B)Manure is often unavailable or too costly to transport.
C)Manure degrades soil structure.
D)Manure is high in fertility.

Question 56

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 57

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 58

What is one way that industrialized agriculture impacts water resources?

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

Question 59

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

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

Question 60

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 thy suffer from poor food quality

Question 61

What would be increased through the use of perennial crops?

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

Question 62

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 tolerate more herbicide.
D)The plants may require less water.

Question 63

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 64

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

A)about 20%
B)about 25%
C)about 33%
D)about 50%

Question 65

Whatpercentage of the global annual commercial fishery catch is comprised of marine fish and shellfish?

A)about 77%
B)about 66%
C)about 55%
D)about 44%

Question 66

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 67

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

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

Question 68

What is onemajor environmental effect of raising livestock?

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

Question 69

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 70

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 71

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 72

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 73

Which statementcharacterizes 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 74

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 20years
C)about 25years
D)about 30 years

Question 75

What happened to global per capita meat production between 1961 and 2007?

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

Question 76

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

A)freshwater rivers
B)coastal waters
C)the abyssal zone
D)the open sea

Question 77

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 78

What is the major goal of range 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 79

What is onecomponent 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 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