CHAPTER 10—FOOD, SOIL, AND PEST MANAGEMENT
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which of the following is a likely scenario for an organic farm?
a.
use of synthetic pesticides
b.
use of synthetic fertilizers
c.
use of genetically engineered seeds
d.
use feed additives
e.
use of feed that contains no antibiotics
2. Which of the following terms does not belong with the others?
a.
organic food
b.
sustainable agriculture
c.
animals raised on 100% organic feed
d.
natural food
e.
label of 100% organic
3. Which of the following is the root cause of food insecurity?
a.
insufficient food resources being produced globally
b.
rapid climate change
c.
Poverty
d.
political disputes over natural resources
e.
poor organization of government agencies
4. Which of the following is a micronutrient, which without sufficient quantities in a diet can result in
goiter?
a.
Protein
b.
Carbohydrates
c.
vitamin A
d.
vitamin C
e.
Iodine
5. The term malnutrition refers to people who
a.
eat less than the basic minimum number of daily calories
b.
eat balanced meals
c.
eat too much
d.
suffer from lack of protein and other key nutrients
e.
eat too much protein
6. Which macronutrient in the human diet helps to build and repair body tissues?
a.
Proteins
b.
Carbohydrates
c.
Oils
d.
Fats
e.
both oils and proteins
7. Which of the following problems with nutrition do you think is most prevalent in the United States?
a.
Malnutrition
b.
under nutrition
c.
Micronutrition
d.
chronic hunger
e.
Overnutrition
8. Which of the following is the list of macronutrients needed to sustain good health?
a.
vitamin A, C, and iodine
b.
vitamin A, C, and E
c.
iodine, protein, and carbohydrate
d.
protein, carbohydrate, and fats
e.
protein, carbohydrate, and nucleic acids
9. The following grains are among the world’s major food crops except
a.
Wheat
b.
Soybean
c.
Rice
d.
Corn
e.
wheat and corn are major food crops, but not soybeans or rice
10. Which of the following types of agriculture is most characteristic of developing countries?
a.
plantation agriculture
b.
traditional agriculture
c.
industrialized agriculture
d.
minimum-tillage agriculture
e.
high-input agriculture
11. Which of the following types of agriculture is most characteristic of developed countries?
a.
plantation agriculture
b.
traditional agriculture
c.
industrialized agriculture
d.
minimum-tillage agriculture
e.
maximum-tillage agriculture
12. All of the following crops are commonly grown in plantation agriculture except
a.
Corn
b.
Bananas
c.
palm oil
d.
Coffee
e.
Sugarcane
13. The majority of soil organic matter is concentrated in the
a.
O horizon of leaf litter
b.
A horizon of topsoil
c.
O and A horizons
d.
C horizon
e.
B horizon
14. What proportion of food products sold on U.S. supermarket shelves contains some form of genetically
engineered crop?
a.
20%
b.
30%
c.
50%
d.
60%
e.
70%
15. Which of the following would not be used to describe polyculture?
a.
Plants mature at various times.
b.
The plot of land is left unmanaged for long periods of time.
c.
Fertilizer use and water use are reduced.
d.
Pesticides are rarely needed.
e.
It produces higher yields than high-input monocultures.
16. Which of the following associations is incorrect?
a.
croplands and grains
b.
aquaculture and seafood
c.
rangelands and meat
d.
feedlots and shellfish
e.
fishery and commercial harvesting
17. Because root systems at different depths in a given area of soil capture nutrients and soil efficiently we
can say that
a.
polyculture lessens the need for fertilizer
b.
polyculture lessens the need for fertilizer and water
c.
polyculture increases the need for fertilizer but not water
d.
polyculture increases the need for water but not fertilizer
e.
polyculture lessens the need for pollinators
18. Monoculture is a method of growing food that is utilized solely in
a.
industrialized agriculture
b.
Polyculture
c.
traditional subsistence agriculture
d.
traditional intensive agriculture
e.
both industrialized agriculture and traditional intensive agriculture
19. Since 1950, aquaculture production has
a.
declined by half
b.
increased almost seven-fold
c.
increased over 40-fold
d.
stayed exactly the same as the wild fish catch
e.
declined by about 10%
20. Our economic systems promote unsustainable forms of industrialized agriculture because
a.
they so successfully provide healthy food to our populations
b.
they do not include most of the harmful environmental and health costs of such food
production in the market prices
c.
they are so effective in cutting costs
d.
they provide so many jobs
e.
the food production is so efficient
21. Most soil erosion is caused by
a.
wind and moving water
b.
Photosynthesis
c.
earthquakes
d.
volcanoes
e.
excess heat
22. Salt buildup may
a.
increase crop growth
b.
increase yields
c.
eventually kill weeds
d.
eventually make the land unproductive
e.
initially decrease yield, but later increase yield
23. Which of the following can lead to desertification?
a.
conservation tillage
b.
severe and prolonged drought
c.
crop rotation
d.
polyculture farming
e.
terraced crop arrangements
24. Which of the following best describes how the process of irrigation can lead to salinization of soils?
a.
Water associated with irrigation flows from uphill. The salts that were in the soil uphill
end up being brought to the lower elevations.
b.
Water associated with irrigation contains small amounts of dissolved salts. Evaporation
leaves behind increasing concentrations of these salts.
c.
Irrigation water contains salts. Evaporation allows the salts to be lifted away, reducing the
levels of salts in the soil.
d.
Irrigation water is treated with dissolved salts to promote plant growth. Over time the
plants become saturated with salts and do not need this macronutrient.
e.
Irrigation is primarily accomplished through the use of abundant sea water, which contains
high concentrations of salts.
25. How many units of energy are required to produce one unit of grain-fed beef?
a.
One
b.
10
c.
15
d.
25
e.
35
26. Which one of the following items is a major disadvantage of animal feed lots?
a.
Less land is required to feed the animals.
b.
Use of antibiotics can increase genetic resistance to microbes in humans.
c.
Soil erosion is reduced.
d.
Overgrazing is reduced.
e.
Biodiversity is protected.
27. Killing wild predators is an example of a(n) ______________problem caused by industrialized food
production.
a.
biodiversity loss
b.
soil
c.
human health
d.
air pollution
e.
water
28. The amount of irrigated land used to produce food crops has increased since 1950. It can also be said
that:
a.
The amount of irrigated land per person has increased since 1950.
b.
The amount of irrigated land per person has decreased since 1950.
c.
The amount of irrigated land per person has stayed the same since 1950.
d.
The amount of irrigated land per person for this time period is not known.
e.
The amount of irrigated land per person has increased in some areas and decreased in
others.
29. Strains of genetically modified food crops can hybridize with wild crop varieties when
a.
The process is carefully controlled in an agricultural lab.
b.
Pollen blows from the genetically modified crop and spreads among wild varieties.
c.
Pollen is transferred by the farmer from one crop to the other.
d.
It is not possible for a genetically modified plant to hybridize with a wild species.
e.
More than one of these answers is correct
30. According to pesticide proponents, pesticides
a.
work fast
b.
increase profit for farmers
c.
save lives and work fast
d.
increase food supplies and profit for farmers
e.
work fast, increase profit, save lives, and increase food supplies
31. The world’s 30,000 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.
Are at the bottom of the food chain in agricultural settings and so provide important food
for birds that control caterpillar populations.
32. Since 1945, approximately ____ species of insects and rodents have developed resistance to one or
more insecticides.
a.
50
b.
500
c.
1,000
d.
2,000
e.
5,000
33. The Environmental Working Group estimates that you could reduce your pesticide intake by up to
90% by eating only 100% organic
a.
tomatoes and lettuce
b.
lettuce, imported grapes, sweet bell peppers, peaches, apples and celery
c.
nectarines, cherries, strawberries, spinach, pears and potatoes
d.
choices a and b are both correct
e.
choices b and c are both correct
34. Which of the following approaches would be the least beneficial in trying to reduce insect damage?
a.
rotating crops
b.
genetic engineering of crops
c.
planting monocultures
d.
bringing in natural enemies
e.
planting polycultures
35. Biological control of pests
a.
costs more money than pesticides to use
b.
is toxic to use
c.
is fast-acting
d.
is not toxic to use
e.
has never been very effective
36. A pheromone is
a.
a new form of chemical insecticide awaiting approval by FIFRA
b.
a strong herbicide
c.
a species-specific chemical sex attractant
d.
a bloodstream chemical that controls an organism’s growth and development
e.
a safe, natural pesticide
37. Which of the following statements is a weakness of using pheromones?
a.
They are costly and time-consuming to produce.
b.
They are more effective in the juvenile stage than the adult stage.
c.
Insects develop resistance to pheromones.
d.
They are biologically magnified in nontarget species.
e.
They only work in large amounts.
38. A hormone is
a.
a new form of chemical insecticide awaiting approval by FIFRA
b.
a strong herbicide
c.
a species-specific chemical sex attractant
d.
a chemical that controls an organism’s growth and development
e.
a strong pesticide
39. Integrated pest management ____ than pesticides.
a.
requires more expert knowledge about individual pest-crop situations
b.
is faster acting
c.
requires more fertilizer and irrigation
d.
is more expensive
e.
requires more labor
40. An integrated pest management program attempts to
a.
increase inputs of fertilizer and irrigation water
b.
reduce crop damage to an economically tolerable level
c.
increase pesticide use
d.
decrease yields and increase costs
e.
increase the development of disease-resistant pests
41. Switching to integrated pest management in the United States
a.
will be easy to do because it is very simple
b.
is hindered by government subsidies for using chemicals and by opposition from chemical
manufacturers
c.
is difficult because it only works for a few pests
d.
is strongly opposed by environmentalists
e.
is easy to accomplish but is opposed by organic farmers
42. Perhaps the most important thing about Rachel Carson’s investigative work on the environmental
effects of pesticides, and her publication “Silent Spring,” is
a.
the number of errors in the book
b.
her failure to include a discussion about Integrated Pest Management
c.
that it laid the groundwork for later, more serious work
d.
that many historians consider her work to be an important contribution to the modern
environmental movement emerging in the United States
e.
that it is a remarkable book considering it was written by a person without any scientific
training
43. The sale and use of pesticides in the United States is regulated by which agencies?
a.
FDA, EPA, and USDA
b.
USDA, FDA, and ATF
c.
CIA, FDA, and USDA
d.
FBI, FDA, and EPA
e.
EPA, ATF, and FBI
44. In the United States, the use of synthetic pesticides has increased 10-fold between 1942 and 1997. For
the same time period, the crop loss to insects has
a.
declined by 10%
b.
increased by 2%
c.
almost doubled from 10% to 13%
d.
stayed at exactly the same percentage
e.
declined by 50%
45. The National Academy of Sciences has estimated that 98% of the potential risk of developing cancer
from pesticide residue on food grown in the U.S. could be eliminated if
a.
the entire industrialized agriculture business switched to integrated pest management
b.
genetically modified foods were grown exclusively
c.
pheromone traps were used more effectively to capture pests
d.
EPA standards for pre-1972 pesticides were as strict as standards for later pesticides
e.
the government banned just one of the worst pesticides from use
46. All of the following are true about subsidies for food production except
a.
Subsidies in developed countries average $571,000 per minute.
b.
Milk production quadrupled in New Zealand after farm subsidies were ended.
c.
Food prices in developed countries are kept artificially low.
d.
Developing countries also receive large amounts of subsidies for growing food.
e.
Some analysts recommend replacing traditional subsidies with subsidies that promote
sustainable agricultural practices.
47. Government subsidies to fishing fleets
a.
promote overfishing
b.
promote the reduction of aquatic biodiversity
c.
promote overfishing and reduction of aquatic biodiversity
d.
reduce the use of bottom-trawling harvests
e.
are currently less than $100,000 per year
48. Topsoil in the United States is eroding about ____ times faster than it can form.
a.
2
b.
4
c.
8
d.
17
e.
22
49. Which of the following is central to most of the efforts to conserve topsoil?
a.
an emphasis on agricultural practices that enhance monocultures
b.
annual crop rotations
c.
keeping the soil covered by vegetation
d.
preventing insect pests from destroying valuable crops
e.
conversion of croplands into pasturelands or feedlots
50. Conservation tillage
a.
increases labor costs
b.
increases erosion
c.
increases energy consumption
d.
accelerates water loss from the soil
e.
decreases erosion
51. In alley cropping:
a.
Crops are planted between hedgerows of trees or shrubs that are used for fruits or
fuelwood.
b.
Terraces are built to prevent swift water runoff.
c.
Plowing runs across slopes.
d.
Special tillers are used so the topsoil is not disturbed.
e.
A row of crops alternates in strips with another row of crops.
52. Which of the following is not one of the three major types of organic fertilizer?
a.
green manure
b.
sewage sludge
c.
compost
d.
animal manure
e.
All of these are major types of organic fertilizers.