Agriculture

Which is NOT true regarding of the mechanization of agriculture?

• The use of machines encourages farmers to grow several types of plants on a single farm.

• There is an economic advantage to using machines when fuel prices are low.

• There is an economic advantage to using machines when cost of labor is high.

• Staple crops such as beans and corn are more economically harvestable using machines

• Mechanization allows farms to take advantage of economies of scale.

Which is NOT an advantage of synthetic fertilizers?

• Ease of application

• Highly adjustable nutrient content

• Bioavailability of nutrients

• Fewer nutrient runoff problems

• Highly concentrated when produced

Which is NOT a disadvantage of monocropping?

• Erosion due to exposure of large areas of soil during planting

• Nutrition and pesticide needs do not change

• More vulnerable to pests that prefer a high concentration of food

• Loss of habitat for natural pest predators

• Reduction of productivity due to loss of nutrient-rich topsoil

Which areas of the world are most susceptible to desertification?

• Existing deserts

• Humid equatorial regions

• Temporal chaparral

• Areas adjacent to the poles

• Areas adjacent to existing deserts

. For organic farmers to make a profit

• manure must be found in abundance in close proximity to the farm.

• the government must continue to provide subsidies to organic farmers.

• conventional farmers must pay a tax to subsidize the organic farmers

• consumers must be willing to pay higher costs associated with organic produce

• organic farmers must use monocropping.

Why are marine fisheries particularly susceptible to the tragedy of the commons?

• Fish populations experience a lot of overshoot and die-off events.

• Fish are migratory and move through international waters.

• Pollution is highest in areas with high fish populations.

• International waters are governed by antiquated nautical law

• Fisheries are subject to eminent domain.

Many scientists argue that worldwide fisheries are declining, yet the worldwide number of fish harvested continues to increase. What best explains this discrepancy?

• Scientists are being cautious in their estimates.

• Fisheries are collapsing only in select areas.

• More people are reporting the fish that they catch.

• Only apex predator populations are collapsing.

• Improvements in technology is increasing the catch despite declining populations.

Grain production worldwide increased dramatically until about ____, when it began to level. Currently, worldwide grain production continues to rise and per capita grain production may be ____ slightly.

• 1950; increasing

• . 1950; decreasing

• 1985; increasing

• 1985; decreasing

• 2000, increasing

The average food item in the United States travels ____ km from harvest to table

• 500

• 1,000

• 1,500

• 2,000

• 2,500