Sustainable Farming

1. Sustainable Farming How can we manipulate an ecosystem without destroying it ? Starter: Why are the following problems for maintaining a closed loop ecosystem? Harvesting crops. Growing fields of 1 species of crop. Grazing animals.

2. describe how human activity can unbalance natural ecosystems • name and outline examples of unsustainable activities • propose solutions that allow natural resources to be used sustainably

3. Sustainable Fishing Problem: Fish stocks of some species are falling. Task: make a list of ways we can try to make sure we do not over fish. What might are the potential problems with enforcing your ideas.

4. Idea: have fishing quotas / bans Problems. • Boats overfish and dump the dead fish back into the sea to get on quota. • Boats move to unprotected waters. • Politicians want to preserve jobs so allow more fishing than recommended.

5. Idea: ban fishing for certain fish Problems.

6. Idea: have fish farms Problems: not sustainable (linear system).

7. Intensive Agriculture California grows 80% of the worlds Almonds. It is a linear system that removes the almonds meaning Farmers have to fertilise the soil.

8. Eutrophication

10. eutrophication • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-zncNp-X-E • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGqZsSuG7ao

11. Complete the cut and stick exercise. Use it to help you answer the following questions. • Describe in detail how fertilisers from a field can kill the life in a pond. (6 marks) • Which chemical in the fertilisers is the main contributor to eutrophication. Why? • How could farmers fertilise their soils without the use of chemicals?

12. Desertification Think – Pair- Share Describe what you think desertification is.

13. Task • Complete the card sort to work out the order of events in desertification. • Use this to answer the following question. Explain the process of desertification outlining the possible causes and the impacts on the ecosystem.

14. Possible Effects Possible Causes Possible Solutions exposure & erosion of soil by wind & rain reduced moisture in the atmosphere (less transpiration) education & consultation with local populations soil compaction planting legumes to increase soil fertility exposure & erosion of soil by wind & rain burning vegetation overgrazing increased poverty tree planting to make wind breaks & provide fuel wood loss of vegetation increased poverty reduced biodiversity climate change death of livestock climate change (reduced rainfall) Improved livestock marketing terracing of slopes to stop run off rise in human population vehicle tracks evaporation followed by salinisation national & international political discussions & negotiations digging moisture traps (hollows) Increase in land conflicts grazing control or rotational grazing Increase in tribal conflicts cutting trees for fuel wood sand dunes forming on valuable land trampling of vegetation by large animal herds

15. Task • Describe the possible solutions for desertification and what their limitations might be.

16. Plenary Eutrophication or Desertification? Eutrophication Desertification Both

17. Plenary Caused by excess nutrients Eutrophication Desertification Both

18. Plenary Can be caused by farming/cultivation Eutrophication Desertification Both

19. Plenary Produces an area with low biodiversity Eutrophication Desertification Both

20. Plenary Produces an area with low biodiversity Eutrophication Desertification Both

21. Plenary Can be prevented by sustainable farming Eutrophication Desertification Both