Intensive agriculture and environment

question 1

UK butterfly drop shocks scientists

One fact caught the attention of British scientists this week: this summer, there was a brutal drop in the number of butterflies. The information comes from the Big Butterfly Count, a British research organization [...] The peacock butterfly, for example, suffered a 42% reduction in its population compared to last year.

“Shock and mystery” were the words used by the scientists at Butterfly Conservation. Among the possible reasons for this decrease in the number of butterflies are the irregularity of the last year's seasons, in addition to the impacts of intensive agriculture and pesticide use.

Available in: http://www.oeco.org.br/blogs/salada-verde/queda-no-numero-de-borboletas-no-reino-unido-choca-cientistas/ - 10/21/2016 - adapted

Regarding intensive agriculture, evaluate the following propositions:

I) It is a typical agrosystem of developed countries and, when present in underdeveloped countries, in general, the production is destined for export.

II) The techniques and inputs used in intensive agriculture are innocuous to the environment, since the technologies used in this modality are focused on sustainability.

III) Intensive agriculture is a production system characterized by the intensive use of new techniques and technologies to increase agricultural productivity.

IV) Intensive agriculture has promoted a revolution in increasing productivity and reducing the time to obtain results in agricultural production.

Check the correct alternative:

a) F, V, V, V

b) V, V, F, V

c) F, V, F, V

d) V, F, V, V

e) V, F, V, F

question 2

“Genetic pollution, loss of biodiversity, the emergence of herbicide resistant weeds, the increased use of pesticides and loss of natural soil fertility are the main environmental risks”. What technology used in intensive agriculture can cause the damage mentioned above?

a) irrigation of cultivated land.

b) terracing and drainage techniques.

c) use of agricultural inputs such as pesticides.

d) indiscriminate use of fertilizers.

e) use of Genetically Modified Organisms.

More questions

Learn everything about folklore, its definition, main characteristics and examples, such as the legends of the pink dolphin, the saci and the curupira.

German idealism was a philosophical movement, initiated by Immanuel Kant, who tried to rescue in philosophy the search for the ideal transcendent thought and its relations with the thinking subject. The philosophy of German idealism has certain prerogatives that make it unique and revolutionary, and it still has important echoes today. Want to understand German idealism? Click here and watch our video lesson.