Food and Soil Resources G. Tyler Miller’s Living in the Environment 14 th Edition Chapter 14 G. Tyler Miller’s Living in the Environment 14 th Edition Chapter 14

Key Concepts  Methods of producing food  Increasing food production  Soil degradation  Increasing sustainability

How Is Food Produced?  Sources of food  Primary plants: wheat, corn, and rice  Primary animals: fish, beef, pork, and chicken

Major Types of Agriculture  Industrialized agriculture  Traditional subsistence agriculture  Plantation  Traditional intensive agriculture

World Food Production Fig p. 275

Producing Food by Green- Revolution Techniques  High-input monoculture  Selectively bred or genetically-engineered crops  High inputs of fertilizer  Extensive use of pesticides  High inputs of water  Multiple cropping

Green Revolutions First green revolution (developed countries) First green revolution (developed countries) Second green revolution (developing countries) Second green revolution (developing countries) Major International agricultural research centers and seed banks Major International agricultural research centers and seed banks Fig p. 277

Producing Food by Traditional Techniques  Interplanting  Polyvarietal cultivation  Intercropping  Agroforestry (alley cropping)  Polyculture See Individuals Matter p. 279

Causes of Soil Erosion  Wind  Water  People  Wind  Water  People

Areas of serious concern Areas of some concern Stable or nonvegetative areas Global Soil Erosion Fig p. 280

Soil Erosion in the US  Dust Bowl – 1930s: Fig p. 281  Reductions in erosion since 1987  1985 Food Security Act  Dust Bowl – 1930s: Fig p. 281  Reductions in erosion since 1987  1985 Food Security Act

Causes of Desertification  Overgrazing  Deforestation  Erosion  Salinization  Soil Compaction  Natural Climate Change  Overgrazing  Deforestation  Erosion  Salinization  Soil Compaction  Natural Climate Change Refer to Fig p. 283

World Desertification Fig p. 282

Soil Degradation on Irrigated Land  Salinization  Waterlogging Evaporation Transpiration Evaporation Waterlogging Less permeable clay layer Fig p. 283

Reducing and Cleaning Up Salinization  Reduce irrigation  Switch to salt-tolerant crops  Flush soils  Not growing crops for 2-5 years  Install underground drainage  Reduce irrigation  Switch to salt-tolerant crops  Flush soils  Not growing crops for 2-5 years  Install underground drainage Refer to Fig p. 283

Solutions: Soil Conservation  Conventional-tillage  Conservation tillage  Terracing  Windbreaks  Land Classification Refer to Fig p. 285  Contour farming  Strip and alley cropping

Soil Restoration  Organic fertilizer  Commercial inorganic fertilizer  Animal manure  Green manure  Compost  Crop rotation

World Food Production  Now leveling off  Shortages in developing countries Fig p. 287

Nutrition  Undernutrition  Malnutrition  Overnutrition Refer to Fig p. 288

Environmental Effects of Food Production  Biodiversity loss  Soil degradation  Air pollution  Water shortages and erosion  Human health See Fig p. 290

Increasing World Crop Production  Crossbreeding and artificial selection  Genetic engineering (gene splicing)  Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)  Continued Green Revolution techniques  Introducing new foods  Working more land

Producing More Meat  Feedlots  Rangelands  Improved rangeland management  Efficiency  Environmental consequences ( Connections p. 295 ) Kilograms of grain needed per kilogram of body weight Beef cattle 7 7 Pigs 4 4 Chicken 2.2 Fish (catfish or carp) Fish (catfish or carp) 2 2 Fig p. 297

Catching and Raising More Fish  Fisheries  Fishing methods ( See Fig p. 299 )  Overfishing  Commercial extinction  Aquiculture  Fish farming and ranching

Government Agricultural Policy  Artificially low prices  Subsidies  Elimination of price controls  Food aid

Solutions: Sustainable Agriculture  Low-input agriculture  Organic farming  Profitable  Increasing funding for research in sustainable techniques See Fig p. 302