Sustainability Study Guide

Define sustainability: ________

• meeting our current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

• using resources as quickly as possible for economic growth.

• prioritizing present needs over future concerns.

• focusing only on environmental protection without considering social or economic factors.

Define sustainable agriculture: ________

• practices that ensure the health of natural resources while also producing food to feed the world.

• methods that focus only on maximizing crop yields regardless of environmental impact.

• techniques that use only chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

• farming that ignores the needs of future generations.

Define crop rotation: ________

• Planting different crops throughout the year or in different seasons helps to increase soil fertility.

• Using only chemical fertilizers to improve crop yield.

• Growing the same crop repeatedly on the same land.

• Harvesting crops before they are fully grown.

Define cover crops: ________

• crops that are not harvested for food but are used to maintain soil health during the off season, prevent erosion, and return nutrients to the soil.

• crops that are grown only for commercial sale and export.

• crops that are genetically modified to resist pests.

• crops that are harvested exclusively for animal feed.

Explain drip irrigation: ________

• water is delivered directly to the plant’s roots through a system of pipes, valves, tubing, and emitters.

• water is sprayed over the entire field from above using large sprinklers.

• plants are flooded with water from nearby rivers or lakes.

• water is supplied only during the rainy season.

Define soil fertility: ________

• the ability for the soil to grow healthy plants that produce a crop.

• the process of breaking down rocks into smaller particles.

• the amount of water present in the soil at any time.

• the color of the soil surface.

Define irrigation: ________

• manually providing water to crops to encourage growth.

• removing weeds from the field.

• harvesting crops before maturity.

• using fertilizers to increase soil fertility.

Explain drought resistant plants: ________

• plants that require less water and can be grown in places with little to no irrigation.

• plants that only grow in waterlogged areas.

• plants that need daily watering to survive.

• plants that cannot survive in dry climates.

Explain the purpose of rainwater collection systems: ________

• to avoid water from washing away the soil and the water is stored to be used for irrigation.

• to increase the amount of rainfall in an area.

• to make the soil dry and infertile.

• to pollute the collected water with chemicals.

Explain carbon footprint: ________

• the amount of carbon emissions used to produce what you have used.

• the amount of water used in daily activities.

• the number of trees planted in a year.

• the total energy consumed by a household.