AP Environmental Science: Unit 5 Land and Water Use Test Review

Tragedy of the Commons

• Common resources available for all humans (e.g., oceans, atmosphere, rangelands)
• Exploited at unsustainable rates for profit, leading to depletion
• Examples include overfishing, dead zones in oceans (e.g., Gulf of Mexico near Louisiana due to fertilizer use)
• Groundwater depletion through overdrafting

Water Resources

• Ogallala Aquifer: Largest aquifer in the U.S., heavily overdrafted
• Only a small percentage of Earth's water is accessible freshwater
• Confined vs. Unconfined Aquifers: Overdrafting leads to subsidence and saltwater intrusion

Types of Irrigation

• Furrow, Flood, Spray, Drip irrigation
• Drip irrigation minimizes evaporation and salinization

Agricultural Impacts

• Tillage: Leads to erosion and loss of topsoil
  • Solutions: Cover crops to prevent erosion
• Desertification: Caused by nutrient depletion and overgrazing
• Salinization: Salt buildup from irrigation inhibits plant growth
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Reduces pesticide use through crop rotation, natural predators, GMOs

Mining

• Key Terms
  • Ore, Reserves, Overburden, Spoils, Tailings
• Impacts: Land disruption, habitat loss, water pollution, erosion
  • Examples: Strip mining, open-pit mining

Fishing Impacts

• Bycatch: Unintentional catch of non-target species
• Fishery Collapse: Population decline by more than 90%
• Solutions: Regulations, community management, marine reserves, aquaculture

Deforestation and Forest Management

• Benefits of Forests: Prevent erosion, improve water infiltration, carbon sinks
• Drawbacks of Deforestation: Soil degradation, increased carbon emissions, runoff
• Fire Management: Controlled burns vs. fire suppression
• Logging Practices: Clear-cutting vs. selective cutting

Rangeland Management

• Overgrazing: Leads to desertification and erosion
• Solutions: Stream protection, supplemental feeding, rotational grazing

Urbanization

• Impervious Surfaces: Increased runoff, flooding, pollution
• Eutrophication: Runoff causes nutrient overload in waterways

Meat Production

• Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)
  • High-density animal farming
  • Issues: Antibiotic resistance, waste management, ethical concerns

Use this guide to review key concepts and prepare for your test on Unit 5 Land and Water Use. Good luck!