“Scientific reports indicate that modern farming methods have overused the natural resource base.” Explain the statement with five examples.
Answers
Overuse of resource base
Explanation:
Agriculture is important for us because it is the process of producing food, fibre and raising animals. It has evolved since ancient times, now technology plays an important role in agriculture also, with the advancement of technology and new machines we have managed to increase farmers efficiency and reduce amount of land, alter and energy required for it, Modern agriculture is also known as intensive farming or agribusiness.
Although the new machines and technology have helped us to be efficient at agriculture it has affected the natural resources adversely. Soil erosion, Contamination of ground water, Water logging and salinity, destruction of food chains, decline in biodiversity are some adverse effects of utilization of modern techniques in agriculture.
- Destruction of food chain- the pesticides used in agriculture not only kills pests but also kills the beneficial spices. Most pesticides are non biodegradable and hence affects the food chain.
- Water logging and Salinity- Artificial and non artificail fertilizers used to reduce the salinity of water sources used in agriculture flows to fresh water system and causes increase in the number of phytoplankton, phytoplankton decreases the amount of dissolved oxygen in water hence affecting the growth of various organisms in lakes and ponds.
- Excessive use of water for irrigation leads to removal of top soil. The top layer of the soil is nutrient rich, its removal affects the productivity.
- Earlier farmers there were many varieties of a single crop were available as per the need of climatic conditions but now we have become dependent on few varieties as we can create the favourable conditions required for the crops, due to this the varieties of crops have declined.
- Genetically Modified crops are the cause of various diseases in humans