Land Use and Sustainability

Crop rotation is a strategy used by farmers where a different type of crop is grown on the same soil every season. How has the development of this method of crop production allowed for more sustainable land use?

• consumers can access a wider variety of fruits and veggies

• soil is able to grow crops for a longer time period without becoming depleted of nutrients

• farmers will have to purchase new equipment each year to work with the wide variety of crops

• individuals will be able to take less supplemenmtal vitamins due to the access to nutrients in their diet

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According to the New York Times, most of the deforestation in the Amazon rainforest is being illegally caused by ranchers. Cattle is a $6 Billion industry in Brazil. Which of the following statements best explains why the rest of the world want to stop the deforestation of the Amazon?

• The forest is a large carbon sink that could impact global warming

• The world may have too little oxygen to survive without the rainforest

• Citizens from other countries would be upset there was no forest to visit

• The cattle industry in other countries is growing so Brazilian beef isn’t needed

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Which of the following would be an example of sustainable land use?

• Clear cutting a forest for an agricultural field

• Regulating how timber is cut and planted for paper goods

• Using oceans to put waste in so toxins do not leak into the soil

• Deregulating pesticide uses so the best pesticides get used the longest

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The Clean Water Act was established to restore and maintain chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the water supply in the United States. It has an exemption provided to agricultural facilities that allows them to avoid regulations on their agricultural runoff. Agricultural runoff is water from farm fields due to irrigation, rain, or melted snow that flows over and into the Earth. This runoff contains fertilizer and chemicals known to have negative impacts on the environment. What environmental parameters should be monitored to determine if policy changes are needed?

• number of farms in a given area

• changes to soil and water quality

• cost of changing current farming practices

• cost of filtering toxic nutrients out of the water

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Many large bodies of water have been developing “garbage patches” in the calm centers of their waters. One of the largest is the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” which is twice the size of Texas. Above is a sample of items found in this patch and how long it would take them to naturally decompose. Four students are trying to come up with a plan to decrease the amount of trash finding its way to the patch. Here are their ideas.

Sara- We should start banning waxed milk cartons and switch to plastic

Devon- We should burn all of our trash to keep it from ending up in the ocean

Mike- We should stop using aluminum cans and switch to a new type of container

Tina- We should start finding ways to use less plastic so we throw less away

Which students’ idea would have the greatest positive impact the environment while reducing the amount of trash going to the ocean?

• A. Sara

• B. Devon

• C. Mike

• D. Tina

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A new soda company is looking to market to people trying to reduce the amount of waste they make. The creators of the soda are looking to design the packaging to have the least impact on the environment once you finish drinking it. Which strategy would make the product the most eco friendly?

• Making the can refillable

• Making the can recyclable

• Making the can out of plastic

• Making the can biodegradable

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The above poster shows a potential future use for waste. Using this process would best prevent which part of the waste cycle?

• Releasing excess O₂

• Production of leachate

• Releasing excess CO₂

• Releasing excess CO₂

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Why would the government feel a monitoring plan for a new landfill is important?

• So the city can charge the landfill more money

• To ensure the landfill doesn’t impact the local environment

• To stall the building of the landfill so it could be voted away

• To promote the local economy by hiring local environmentalists

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In Florida, many acres of private land is being developed. What environmental parameters should be monitored to determine long term impacts to future policy decisions?

• economic profits created by the new communities

• jobs created from development of new company locations

• baseline data on number of species present in the environment

• cost of developing the areas into human habitable environments

Answer explanation

this is the only answer that includes an environmental parameter

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What long-term impact could the destruction of large areas of forests have on Earth?

• decreased rates of erosion

• increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels

• decreased amounts of acid rain

• increased atmospheric oxygen levels

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