Deck 10: Food Production and the Environment

Question 1

Poverty is the underlying reason that people experience food insecurity.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Per unit area, the application of synthetic pesticides is higher on typical crop fields than it is on the average lawn.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Polyculture lessens the need for fertilizer and water.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Consuming organic foods is associated with reduced exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Question 5

The genetic changes in genetically modified plants cannot spread to wild populations or affect natural biodiversity.

Question 6

It takes about seven kilograms of grain to raise every one kilogram of beef.

Question 7

Industrialized livestock production generates only small quantities of greenhouse gases, insignificant compared with those emitted by factories and cars.

Question 8

Although the use of synthetic pesticides has increased tenfold since 1942, food supply damage due to pests has increased during that time.

Question 9

It is possible to use natural parasites to control pest species.

Question 10

A disadvantage to the green revolution is that plant yields are generally similar to those with other methods of agriculture unless substantial amounts of commercial inorganic fertilizers are applied.

Question 11

Extensive irrigation can lead to a buildup of salts left behind when water evaporates.

Question 12

Both people who are underfed and underweight and those who are overfed and overweight experience similar health problems.

Question 13

A food desert is an area in the countryside where desertification is a major problem.

Question 14

Overgrazing by cattle can ultimately result in water pollution.

Question 15

Most imported foods and vegetables are tested for pesticide residues.

Question 16

When people do not consume sufficient amounts of vitamin A, they can go blind.

Question 17

Plantation agriculture is used primarily to reduce soil erosion and restore soil fertility, not for its value in producing crops to sell.

Question 18

Farmers use alley cropping, in which crops are planted in nearly level row patterns around hills, as an important way to prevent soil erosion.

Question 19

Research shows that, on average, low-input polycultures produce higher crop yields than high-input monocultures.

Question 20

Vegetarian diets, and other diets that are low on the food chain, cause malnutrition even in developed countries due to the lack of animal protein.

Question 21

Without sufficient quantities of the micronutrient _____, goiters may develop.

A) protein
B) carbohydrates
C) vitamin A
D) vitamin C
E) iodine

Question 22

Modern industrialized food production violates the three scientific principles of sustainability related to energy, greenhouse gases, and biodiversity.

Question 23

Foods labeled as "natural" are required to contain at least 50% organic ingredients.

Question 24

An agricultural method known as ____ relies on solar energy and natural fertilizers to grow multiple species in a single plot.

A) traditional intensive agriculture
B) polyculture
C) minimum tillage agriculture
D) high-input agriculture
E) plantation agriculture

Question 25

What is the root cause of food insecurity?

A) Insufficient food resources
B) Climate change
C) Poverty
D) Political disputes
E) Poor organization

Question 26

The term chronic malnutrition refers to people who ____.

A) produce insufficient hormones for metabolic functioning
B) are vegetarians
C) eat too much
D) suffer from lack of protein and other key nutrients
E) eat too much protein

Question 27

Monoculture is a method of growing food that is characteristic of ____.

A) industrialized agriculture
B) polyculture
C) traditional subsistence agriculture
D) traditional intensive agriculture
E) both industrialized agriculture and traditional intensive agriculture

Question 28

In less-developed nations, one example of a crop typically grown in monocultures for export using plantation agriculture is ____..

A) palm oil
B) wheat
C) trees
D) rice
E) mangoes

Question 29

What is the type of agriculture most likely to be found in developing countries?

A) Maximum-tillage agriculture
B) Traditional subsistence agriculture
C) Industrialized agriculture
D) Minimum-tillage agriculture
E) High-input agriculture

Question 30

What is the type of agriculture most likely to be found in developed countries?

A) Plantation agriculture
B) Traditional agriculture
C) Industrialized agriculture
D) Minimum-tillage agriculture
E) Maximum-tillage agriculture

Question 31

Why do our economic systems promote unsustainable forms of industrialized agriculture?

A) They are so successful at providing healthy food to our populations.
B) The harmful environmental and health costs of food production are not reflected in market prices.
C) They are extremely effective in cutting costs.
D) They are major job providers.
E) The food production is efficient enough to justify the negative consequences.

Question 32

Overnutrition is a result of ____.

A) consuming too much rich and high-fat food, regardless of weight and energy expenditure
B) consuming too few calories, regardless of activity level and weight
C) being too active, regardless of calorie intake
D) consuming too many calories, regardless of weight or activity level
E) consuming too many calories relative to energy expenditures, leading to vastly increased weight

Question 33

For good health and protection against disease, people need fairly large amounts of certain food components (such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) called ____.

A) macronutrients
B) nutrients
C) micronutrients
D) vitamins
E) organics

Question 34

Excessive irrigation is only a problem in rainy areas that are prone to flooding.

Question 35

Insects are important as a sustainable source of ______ .

A) protein only
B) protein, fiber, healthy fats, and other nutrients
C) fiber only
D) fats, both healthy and unhealthy
E) grains and carbohydrates

Question 36

What proportion of food products sold on U.S. supermarket shelves contains some form of genetically engineered crop?

A) About 10% (less than half)
B) Approximately half
C) Almost all food with only a few exceptions
D) Almost none, with just a few examples
E) At least 80% but not 100%

Question 37

What would likely be found on an organic farm?

A) Synthetic pesticides
B) Synthetic fertilizers
C) Genetically engineered seeds
D) Feed additives
E) Feed that contains no antibiotics

Question 38

If plants with similar root depths were planted in a field, then: ____.

A) They would be able to absorb nutrients and water with maximum efficiency
B) They would compete for nutrients and water and grow less well than if plants with varying root depths were used
C) Their roots would become tangled, but they would grow about the same as if plants with varying root depths were used
D) They would be unable to grow at all
E) The plants would have to include multiple different species in order to grow

Question 39

An important type of food-producing system that is the most rapidly increasing type in use in the world is ____.

A) feedlots
B) cash crops
C) aquaculture
D) genetic engineering
E) organic foods

Question 40

Topsoil has an important effect on the earth's climate because ____.

A) oxygen and water vapor bond to the soil
B) nitrogen gas is converted to ammonia by the soil particles
C) organisms store CO₂and remove it from the atmosphere
D) it purifies water that runs through it
E) it can undergo erosion

Question 41

The world's 40,000 known species of spiders ____.

A) kill more livestock with poisonous bites than any other threat
B) have to be controlled in order for integrated pest management to work properly
C) are a threat not only to livestock, but also to rural farmers because they nest in sheds where equipment is stored and later retrieved
D) kill far more crop-eating insects every year than humans do by using chemicals
E) provide important food for birds that control caterpillar populations

Question 42

Trace amounts of sex attractants, otherwise known as ____, can be used to lure pests into traps or to attract their natural predators into crop fields.

A) herbicides
B) hormones
C) pheromones
D) mating pairs
E) shiny colors

Question 43

One drawback to integrated pest management is that it ____.

A) only applies to certain regions of the world
B) cannot manage most pests
C) leads to genetic resistance among pests
D) is complex and takes more time compared to pesticides
E) does not have a proven track record

Question 44

What is a major cause of soil salinization?

A) Desertification
B) Too little irrigation on crops grown in dry climates
C) Using seawater to water crops
D) Repeated irrigation in dry climates
E) Continual application of fertilizers that contain salt compounds

Question 45

What is an important concern about the increasing use of aquaculture?

A) It may lead to over-reliance on farmed fish for food.
B) It may lead to reduced biodiversity in wild fish populations that are harvested to feed farmed fish.
C) It may lead to increased fish consumption when other forms of meat production are much more sustainable and healthier.
D) It may increase problems associated with overfishing of large predatory fish, such as tuna.
E) It may cause shortages of grain and other foods used to feed the farmed fish.

Question 46

What is the primary goal of an integrated pest management program (IPM)?

A) To increase inputs of fertilizer and irrigation water
B) To reduce crop damage to an economically tolerable level
C) To increase pesticide use
D) To decrease yields and increase costs
E) To increase the development of disease-resistant pests

Question 47

What agricultural practice is least beneficial in trying to reduce crop-eating insect damage?

A) Rotating crops
B) Genetic engineering of crops
C) Planting monocultures
D) Bringing in natural enemies
E) Planting polycultures

Question 48

According to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, a well-designed____ can reduce synthetic pesticide use and pest control costs by 50-65%, without reducing crop yields and food quality.

A) integrated pest management program
B) polyculture farm
C) organic farm
D) crop rotation program
E) natural predator habitat restoration program

Question 49

The practice of raising animals for food in high densities in feed lots can lead to ____.

A) less available land for feeding overall
B) an increase of the risk of human infection by bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics
C) a reduction in soil erosion, resulting in more sustainable food production
D) a reduction in overgrazing, resulting in more sustainable food production
E) reduced feed requirements for the animals, meaning that it takes less energy to produce each pound of meat

Question 50

Compared to synthetic pesticides, the use of natural biological pest controls is ____.

A) more costly
B) dangerously unpredictable
C) faster
D) nontoxic
E) not very effective

Question 51

Why is it less sustainable to eat grain-fed beef compared to other meats, such as poultry and plant-fed farmed fish?

A) Cows need to be raised in high densities in feed lots, resulting in substantial environmental damage to the surrounding areas.
B) Cows have more fat per unit body weight than other animals.
C) Red meat causes heart disease.
D) Cows produce more methane than other herbivores.
E) It takes more grain per pound of body weight to produce grain-fed beef than other meats.

Question 52

A chemical produced by animals to control their developmental processes at different stages of life, among other functions, is known as a ____.

A) gene
B) protein
C) pheromone
D) hormone
E) carbohydrate

Question 53

Most soil erosion is caused by ____.

A) flowing water
B) strong winds
C) human activities
D) climate change
E) farming

Question 54

How can irrigation lead to salinization of soils?

A) Water associated with irrigation flows through the soil.
B) Water associated with irrigation contains small amounts of dissolved salts, and evaporation leaves behind increasing concentrations of these salts.
C) Wells for water are drilled too near the ocean coastlines.
D) Irrigation water is treated with dissolved salts that then lead to oversaturation.
E) Irrigation is primarily accomplished through the use of abundant seawater, which contains high concentrations of salts.

Question 55

What process can lead to desertification?

A) Conservation tillage
B) Severe and prolonged drought
C) Crop rotation
D) Polyculture farming
E) Terraced crop arrangements

Question 56

Proponents of pesticides claim that they provide some advantages, primarily by ____.

A) reducing the risk of erosion associated with agriculture
B) reducing pollution
C) reducing expenses for farmers over the long term time as pest levels consistently decrease
D) promoting genetic resistance
E) saving human lives by reducing the transmission of disease

Question 57

What is a disadvantage of using pheromones to control pests?

A) They are costly and time-consuming to produce.
B) They are more effective in the juvenile stage than the adult stage of pests.
C) They are ineffective with most insects due to resistance.
D) They are biologically magnified in non-target species.
E) They only work in large amounts.

Question 58

One concern about the use of pesticides is that ____.

A) they are not available in sufficient quantities to meet the demand for their use
B) their effects are relatively slow compared with other approaches
C) they are more expensive than other approaches in both the short and long term
D) residues can be associated with the development of cancer
E) their use is not regulated

Question 59

Why did malaria control efforts in Malaysia once lead to cats being parachuted into affected areas?

A) Cats help to consume mosquitoes, lowering their populations.
B) Cats were needed to keep aid workers company.
C) As pesticides made their way through the food chain, cats died and rats that transmitted sylvatic plague increased in numbers.
D) As pesticides affected agricultural crops as well as pests, residents needed other sources of food.
E) Cats were needed to help consume rats that were consuming roofs of houses after a rat population explosion due to unexpected consequences of pesticide use.

Question 60

The Environmental Working Group estimates that you could reduce your pesticide intake by up to 90% by eating only 100% organic ____.

A) beef from non-feed lots
B) polyculture grains produced using sustainable practices
C) complex carbohydrates
D) meats and dairy from non-industrial agriculture
E) fruits and vegetables from the foods that they call the "dirty dozen"

Question 61

What is the best method to maintain soil fertility via topsoil conservation?

A) Emphasizing agricultural practices that enhance monocultures
B) Rotating crops annually
C) Keeping the soil covered by vegetation
D) Preventing insect pests from destroying valuable crops
E) Converting croplands into pasturelands or feedlots

Question 62

What kind of cropping is where one or more crops, usually legumes or other crops that add nitrogen to the soil, are planted together and between orchard trees or fruit-bearing shrubs, which provide shade?

A) Alley
B) Contour
C) Terracing
D) Tillage
E) Stripping

Question 63

Numerous practices have been developed to reduce ____________________, including reducing or eliminating tillage, managing irrigation to reduce runoff, and using terracing or contour planting.

Question 64

Aquaculture might be made more sustainable if ____.

A) consumers choose to eat fish species that eat algae and other vegetation
B) consumers choose to eat top predators
C) fish farms are located near mangrove forests
D) fish farms are located near estuaries
E) chemical pesticides are used to control common fish diseases

Question 65

What do sustainable polyaquaculture and livestock agriculture have in common?

A) Soil conservation
B) Water
C) Using fewer resources, i.e., grain
D) Growth hormones
E) Antibiotics

Question 66

Even with large quantities of food available, people in the United States can experience diseases such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some forms of cancer that are associated with ________.

Question 67

The practice of ____________________is where fish are raised in freshwater ponds, lakes, reservoirs, and rice paddies, and in underwater cages in coastal and deeper ocean waters.

Question 68

A(n) ____________________ is a chemical used to control or kill populations of organisms that we consider undesirable such as insects, weeds, or rodents.

Question 69

Of the factors below, the one that most negatively affects aquatic biodiversity is ____.

A) attempts to use full-cost pricing
B) attempts to use natural pest management and the associated runoff
C) government subsidies to the fishing industry
D) the use of genetically engineered fish in aquaculture
E) restrictions on the bottom-trawling industry

Question 70

Which fertilizer type is relied upon most in more-developed countries?

A) Organic
B) Synthetic
C) Animal manure
D) Green manure
E) Compost

Question 71

Low-energy input ____________________ produces higher yields than does high-input monoculture.

Question 72

____________________ are chemical sex attractants emitted that also attract predators and can be used as alternatives to pesticides.

Question 73

Although traditional agriculture is common in many parts of the world, the United States primarily uses ____________________ agriculture for food production.

Question 74

What is the main purpose of conservation tillage?

A) To decrease labor costs
B) To increase erosion
C) To increase energy consumption
D) To accelerate water loss from the soil
E) To decrease erosion

Question 75

What is a way to restore land that has undergone desertification?

A) Crop rotation
B) Irrigation
C) Fertilizing with green manure
D) Fertilizing with animal manure
E) Planting trees and plants

Question 76

A way to grow food on steep slopes or mountainsides without depleting topsoil is called ____________________.

Question 77

Genetically modified plants can ________ with wild plants to form hybrids.

Question 78

____________________ is a form of industrialized agriculture used primarily in tropical developing countries where cash crops are grown, such as bananas, coffee, vegetables, soybeans, sugarcane, and palm oil.

Question 79

One problem that can be caused by excessive irrigation and which reduces soil oxygen levels is called ____________________.

Question 80

The extensive use of herbicides to control weeds that grow alongside crops that have been genetically modified to be herbicide resistant can lead to selection for ____________________.