Terms : Hide Images
| 311138957 | Bioaccumulation | The selective absorption and concentration of molecules by cells | |
| 311138958 | Biomagnification | Increase in concentration of certain stable chemicals (for example heavy metals or fat-soluble pesticides) in successively higher trophic levels of a food chain or web. | |
| 311138959 | Acute effects | Sudden severe effects | |
| 311138960 | Carcinogens | Substances that cause cancer | |
| 311138961 | Allergens | Substances that activate the immune system | |
| 311138962 | Chronic effects | Long-lasting results of exposure to a toxin; can be a permanent change caused by a single, acute exposure or a continuous, low-level exposure | |
| 311138963 | Emergent disease | A new disease or one that has been absent for at least 20 years. | |
| 311138964 | Sick building syndrome | Headaches, allergies, chronic fatigue and other symptoms caused by poorly vented indoor air contaminated by pathogens or toxins | |
| 311138965 | Synergism | An interaction in which one substance exacerbates the effects of another. The sum of the interaction is greater than the parts. | |
| 311138966 | Teratogen | Chemicals or other factor that specifically cause abnormalities during embryonic growth and development | |
| 311138967 | Endocrine disrupters | Chemicals that disrupt normal hormone functions | |
| 311138968 | Mutagen | Agents, such as chemicals or radiation, that damage or alter genetic material in cells | |
| 311138969 | Neurotoxin | Toxic substances, such as lead or mercury, that specifically poison nerve cells | |
| 311138970 | Pathogen | An organism that produces disease in a host organism, disease being an alteration of one or more metabolic functions in response to the presence of the organism. | |
| 311138971 | reduced tillage systems | Systems such as minimum till, conserve-till, and no-till, that preserves soil, saves energy and water, and increase crop yield. | |
| 311138972 | Agroecology | Practices that use the Principles of Ecology to show how we can live more harmoniously with the land while still producing the food and the fiber we need | |
| 311138973 | sustainable agriculture | An ecologically sound, economically viable, socially just, and humane agricultural system. | |
| 311138974 | Transgenic organisms | An alternative term used to describe genetically modified organisms. | |
| 311138975 | GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) | Organisms whose genetic code has been altered by artificial means such as interspecies gene transfers. | |
| 311138976 | Mulch | Protective ground cover, including both natural products and syntheticc materials that protect the soil, save water, and prevent weed growth. | |
| 311138977 | Locavore | Person who eats locally grown, seasonal food. | |
| 311138978 | cover crop | Plants such as rye, alfalfa or clover that can be planted immediately after harvest to hold, protect, and amend the soil. | |
| 311138979 | Biofuels | Fuels such as ethanol, methanol, or vegetatable oils from crops. | |
| 311138980 | Desertification | Conversion of productive lands to deserts | |
| 311138981 | streambank erosion | Washing away of soil from banks of streams and rivers. | |
| 311138982 | CSA (Community-supported Agriculture) | A program in which you can make an annual or monthly contribution to a local farm in return for weekly deliveries of a "share" of whatever the farm produces. | |
| 311138983 | Salinization | A process in which mineral salts accumulate in the soil, killing plants; occurs when soils in dry climates are irrigated profusely. | |
| 311138984 | gully erosion | Removal of layers of soil, creating channels or ravines too large to be removed by normal tillage operations. | |
| 311138985 | rill erosion | The removing of thin layers of soil as little rivulets of running water gather and cut small channels in the soil. | |
| 311138986 | sheet erosion | Peeling off thin layers of soil from the land surface; accomplished primarily by wind and water. | |
| 311138987 | green revolution | Dramatically increased agricutural production brought by "miracle" strains of grain; usually requires high inputs of water, plant nutrients, and pesticides. | |
| 311138988 | Subsoil | A layer of soil beneath the top soil that has a lower organic content and higher concentrations if fine mineral particles; often contains soluble compounds and clay particles carried down by percolating water | |
| 311138989 | Topsoil | The first true layer of soil; layer in which organic material is mixed with the mineral particles. | |
| 311138990 | Arable | Farmable lands | |
| 311138991 | E horizon | Zone of leaching where dissolved or suspended materials move downward. | |
| 311138992 | C horizon | Horizon of parent material comprised of partially broken down inorganic minerals. | |
| 311138993 | B horizon | Horizon where there is an accumulation of iron, aluminum, humic compounds, and clay leached down from the A and E horizons. | |
| 311138994 | A horizon | Topsoil; Mineral particles mixed with organic material. Can range from several meters thick under virgin prairie to almost nothing in dry deserts. | |
| 311138995 | soil horizons | Horizontal layers that reveal a soil's history, characteristics, and usefulness. | |
| 311138996 | soil texture pyramid | Diagram showing matrix of percent sand, silt, clay; used to determine soil composition. | |
| 311138997 | Humus | Sticky, brown, insoluble residue from the bodies of dead plants and animals; gives soil its structure, coating mineral particles and holding them together; serves as a major source of plant nutrients. | |
| 311138998 | Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) | Facilities in which large numbers of animals spend most or all of their life in confinement. | |
| 311138999 | FAO | UN Food and Agricultural Organization; purpose is to improve nutrition and eliminate hunger by coordinating the efforts of governments in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. | |
| 311139000 | Aquaculture | Growing aquatic species in net pens or tanks. | |
| 311139001 | Bycatch | The part of a fishing vessel's catch that consists of fish and other ocean life forms that it was not targeting and cannot use. | |
| 311139002 | Anemia | Low levels of hemoglobin due to iron deficiency or lack of red blood cells. | |
| 311139003 | Malnourishment | A nutritional imbalance caused by lack of specific dietary components or inability to absorb or utilize essential nutrients. | |
| 311139004 | Fumigants | Toxic gases such as methyl bromine that are used to kill pests. | |
| 311139005 | Biological controls | Use of natural predators, pathogens, or competitors to regulate pest populations. | |
| 311139006 | Fungicides | A chemical that kills fungi. | |
| 311139007 | Herbicides | A chemical that kills plants. | |
| 311139008 | Chlorinated hydrocarbons | Hyrdrocarbon molecules to which chlorine atoms are attached. | |
| 311139009 | Pesticide | Any chemical that kills, controls, drives away, or modifies the behavior of a pest. | |
| 311139010 | Insecticides | A chemical that kills insects. | |
| 311139011 | Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) | Chemical compounds that persist in the environment and retain biological activity for long times. | |
| 311139012 | Pesticide treadmill | A need for constantly increasing doses or new pesticides to prevent pest resurgence. | |
| 311139013 | Natural organic pesticides | "Botanicals" or organic compounds naturally occurring in plants, animals or microbes that serve as pesticides. | |
| 311139014 | Pest resurgence | Rebound of pest populations due to acquired resistance to chemicals and nonspecific destruction of natural predators and competitors by broad scale pesticides. | |
| 311139015 | Integrated pest management (IPM) | An ecologically based pest-control strategy that relies on natural mortality factors, such as natural enemies, weather, cultural control methods, and carefully applied doses of pesticides. | |
| 311139016 | Microbial agents | Beneficial microbes (bacteria, fungi) that can be used to suppress or control pests. |
