LAB 3 STUDY GUIDE KANSAS FARMING AND WATER USE IN SOUTH AFRICA 1.

. What is the name of the most ambitious project to determine the human footprint, or ecological footprint, on the natural environment? - Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2. What is referred to as our life support system? Ecosystems are our life support systems 3. Despite the difficulty of plowing prairie soils, what were 2 reasons mentioned why these soils are beneficial to farmers. Large soil particles could assist in suppressing weeds and it was found out that residue, the stalks, and all that, instead of being something that you try to dispose of, can help you because it acts as a mulch 4. How many years of mineral wealth are stored in prairie soils: decades, hundreds of years, thousands of years, or millions of years? - Millions 5. What is the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history? Dust bowl

6. Has the land fully recovered from the disaster mentioned in #5 above? The land didnt ever completely recover 7. How much topsoil is lost every year from an acre of farmland in the U.S.? 3 tons, 7 tons, 21 tons, or 115 tons? 7 Tons

8. What kind of tillage was the farmer in Kansas using in this movie: deep plowing, contour plowing, no tillage, or low tillage? Low tillage 9. Did the farmer have a negative or positive image of soil clods and crop residue? They had a positive view as they found out it could suppress weeds 10. How many billions of dollars in subsidies and tax deductions do U.S. farmers receive each year? - $28 billion

11. What agricultural input causes the most problems to ground and surface water in the United States? Phosphates, Nitrates, Pesticides, Machinery oil Nitrates 12. What body of water has a dead zone due to inputs of agricultural fertilizers? The gulf of mexico right outside of new Orleans from upstream rivers that over time washed fertilizers into the zone causing it to become dead 13. low What has happened to this Kansas Farmers yields since he has changed to tillage agriculture and reduction in fertilizers? It stayed the same while other

farmers using more fertilizers ect spent $25 per herbicide, while with lower tillage and fertilizer use meant the farmer spent nothing 14. What are 2 of the 3 benefits the farmer mentioned for leaving natural grasses? The grass breaks the wind in which to stop dust forming as it comes south and the grass naturally cleans the waters. 15. How did the farmer in the movie feel about the use of fertilizers and pesticides on his farm? He felt that we could change our environment almost overnight if less pesticides and fertilizers were used. 16. How did the Kansas farmer utilize his animals? (As far as penning them up, letting them run free, what to feed them) Started a small cow herd and started feeding them cattle residue while allowing them to run free. 17. What did most of the farmers neighbors think of his farm practices? They disagreed with him on his farming practices 18. In South Africa, what type of plant invader was sucking much of the water out of the rivers? Trees, grasses, shrubs, or agricultural crops? Trees 19. What was another benefit that the people of South Africa realized from the program to eradicate plant invaders? They can use it for wood

22. Does the scientist with the dark hair believe that goods and services derived from nature can be substituted for? No, not at the moment 21. The blonde haired scientist mentioned that the weight of the globe has been redistributed, causing a tilting of the earth. What human impact on water resources has caused this? The water was placed in the land resulting in the earths axis shifting 21. What percentage of the earths river flow is diverted by humans, according to the blonde-haired scientist? 10%, 20%, 60%, or 90% - 60% 22. Since 1940, what has gone up faster (2x, 3x, etc), water use or population? The human population has doubled, while water has quadrupled 23. or What is the biggest user of water in the world: factories, homes, recreation, farming? Farming

24. It was mentioned by the blonde scientist that irrigation is very inefficient; 50% in some cases. What type of irrigation did she mention as being closer to 90% efficiency? It begins with the letter d Drip irrigation

25.

Both scientists mentioned that the price of water is too cheap. What government action that starts with an s was mentioned by both as the reason for water being too price too cheaply? subsidizing environmental degradation,