Environmental impacts of agriculture
Practice Flashcards
Flip to reveal answersDefine eutrophication.
Track your progress — Sign up free to save your progress and get smart review reminders based on spaced repetition.
All 10 Flashcards — Environmental impacts of agriculture
Sign up free to track progress and get spaced-repetition review schedules.
Question
Define eutrophication.
Answer
Eutrophication is nutrient enrichment of water bodies (often nitrates/phosphates) causing algal blooms and oxygen depletion.
💡 Hint
Nutrients → algae → low O2.
Question
Name two water impacts of agriculture.
Answer
Eutrophication and water scarcity (also salinization and pesticide contamination).
💡 Hint
Water impacts list.
Question
Explain how fertilizer runoff can reduce biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems.
Answer
Runoff adds nutrients → algal bloom → algae die and decompose → bacteria use oxygen → hypoxia/anoxia → fish and invertebrates die, reducing biodiversity.
💡 Hint
Cause-effect chain.
Question
Name two soil impacts of agriculture.
Answer
Erosion and nutrient depletion (also compaction and loss of organic matter).
💡 Hint
Soil impacts list.
Question
Give two soil impacts caused by agriculture.
Answer
Erosion from bare fields and compaction from heavy machinery (also nutrient depletion and loss of organic matter).
💡 Hint
Soil impacts.
Question
Why is habitat destruction strongly linked to agriculture?
Answer
Large areas are cleared for cropland and pasture, making agriculture a major driver of biodiversity loss.
💡 Hint
Land conversion.
Question
Which three gases are commonly associated with agriculture?
Answer
CO2, CH4, and N2O.
💡 Hint
The “big three”.
Question
What is monoculture and why can it reduce biodiversity?
Answer
Monoculture is growing a single crop species over a large area; it removes habitat diversity and simplifies food webs, reducing biodiversity.
💡 Hint
Single crop, simplified habitat.
Question
Name one greenhouse gas linked to agriculture and its source.
Answer
Methane from ruminant livestock, nitrous oxide from fertilized soils, or CO2 from machinery and land-use change.
💡 Hint
Match gas to source.
Question
Exam-style: what approach should you use for “impacts” questions?
Answer
Use clear cause-effect chains (activity → pollutant/process → ecosystem change → biodiversity/productivity impact).
💡 Hint
Chain thinking.
Read the notes
Full study notes for Environmental impacts of agriculture
Topic 5.2 hub
Agriculture and food
More from Topic 5.2
All flashcards in this topic
ESS exam skills
Paper structures & tips
Track your progress with spaced repetition
Sign up free — Aimnova tells you exactly which cards to review and when, so you remember everything before your IB exam.
Start Free