Simulate Sustainable Resource Management

In this virtual lab, you will use a computer model. The model will let you see how conventional agriculture affects the environment. Then you will explore how conservation tactics can reduce those effects. You will also use the model to observe the effects of different combinations of resource-management practices and compare how sustainable they are.

Tips and Tricks

Pay close attention to the x-axis and y-axis labels when you are reading the graphs.

Procedure and Data Part 1: Simulate Conventional Agriculture

Read the information on page 2 of this activity. Then, follow the procedure on page 3 to model conventional agriculture using the Resource Use and Conservation Virtual Lab. Use the following tables to record the data you collect. (6 points)

Year	Land usage (cropland)	Land usage (forest)	Land usage (grassland and wetland)	Population
0
210

Year	Freshwater consumption (Water debt)	CO and CO2 concentration	Pesticide concentration	Fertilizer concentration	Soil erosion
0
210

Year	Biodiversity	Human disease (cancer)	Human disease (respiratory ailments)
0
210

Part 2: Simulate Sustainable Agriculture

Read the information on page 4 of this activity. Then, follow the procedure on page 5 of the activity to model sustainable agriculture using the Resource Use and Conservation Virtual Lab. Use the following tables to record the data you collect. (13 points)

Conservation tactic	Cropland usage (210 years)	Biodiversity (number of species after 210 years)	Year simulation ended
Recycle runoff.
Use drip irrigation.
Rotate crops.
Use cover crops and no-till farming.
Plant high-yield crop varieties.
Improve food-storage facilities.

Conservation tactic	Freshwater consumption (Water debt)	Pesticide concentration	Fertilizer concentration	Soil erosion
Recycle runoff.
Use drip irrigation.
Rotate crops.
Use cover crops and no-till farming.
Plant high-yield crop varieties.
Improve food-storage facilities.

Conservation tactic 1	Conservation tactic 2	Cropland usage (year simulation ended)	Biodiversity (number of species at year simulation ended)	Year simulation ended
Use drip irrigation.	Use cover crops and no-till farming.
Rotate crops.	Plant high-yield crop varieties.
Plant high-yield crop varieties.	Improve food-storage facilities.

Analyze Data and Draw Conclusions Part 1: Simulate Conventional Agriculture (16 points)

1. As the simulation ran, what visual changes in the ecosystem did you observe? (1 point)

2. What do you think caused the percentage of land used to grow crops to increase over time? (1 point)

3. What land was converted into cropland? What do you think were some of the effects of this conversion? (2 points)

4. Why do you think soil erosion increased over time? How do you think the increase in soil erosion affected the ecosystem? (2 points)

5. Why do you think the water debt increased and the water table fell? (1 point)

6. What forms of pollution appeared in the environment? Where do you think these pollutants came from? (2 points)

7. Why do you think current conventional agricultural practices are linked with increased rates of respiratory ailments and cancer? (1 point)

8. The simulation ended after most of the land in the ecosystem turned to desert. Why do you think this desertification happened? (1 point)

9. How were the potential negative effects of technology shown in the simulation? (3 points)

10. How did biodiversity change over time? Why do you think this happened? (2 points)

Analyze Data and Draw Conclusions Part 2: Simulate Sustainable Agriculture (15 points)

1. What were the main effects of recycling runoff, rotating crops, and using cover crops and no-till farming? Why do you think they had these effects? (2 points)

2. How did drip irrigation affect the ecosystem? How does this practice make farming more sustainable? (2 points)

3. Which conservation tactics helped decrease soil erosion the most? Why do you think these practices were effective? (2 points)

4. Which conservation tactics helped increase the amount of time the simulation ran? Why do you think they had this effect? (2 points)

5. Which combination of two conservation tactics allowed the simulation to run the longest? How long did the simulation run under these conditions? (2 points)

6. How would adding integrated pest management (IPM) as a conservation tactic be likely to change the simulation? (2 points)

7. Some of the conservation tactics did not change the biodiversity or cropland usage in the model ecosystem. Does this result mean that these practices are not useful in making farming more sustainable? Why or why not? (1 point)

8. Did using conservation tactics make agriculture sustainable? How could adding in the effects of human population and consumption affect the sustainability? (2 points)

Every population of animals, including humans needs food to survive. Unlike other living things, humans grow or raise most of their food on farms. During the mid-1900s, new technologies changed the way people farmed. Farmers began relying on motorized tractors and farm machinery to do their work more quickly and easily. They used synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to increase the amount of food they could grow. ivlany farmers turned to monoculture. New ways of storing food also let farmers store some crops for months or years. Meanwhile, improved shipping methods allowed people to get food from all overthe world. Because of the continued use of these methods in conventional agricultural food is readily available and cheap throughout the year for most Americans. However. these technologies also have high environmental costs. Explore the activity to learn why conventional agriculture is not sustainable. ( Pesticides Wasted water Monocultures Inte > When pesticides are used. their residue remains on the produce. veruse of pesticides is a great danger to human health. Pesticides have been linked to both nerve and hormonal disorders, as well as birth defects. cancen and other diseases. .... When pesticides are used, their residue remains on the produce. Overuse of pesticides is a great danger to human health. Pesticides have been linked to both nerve and hormonal disorders, as well as birth defects, cancer, and other diseases. Pesticides can also lead to loss of species, including key species such as bees. This decreases biodiversity. Pesticides pollute both soil and water, and their overuse is increasingly leading to pesticide resistance. This results in increased demand for different types of pesticides. Wasteful water application, leaky irrigation systems, and cultivation of water-intensive crops can alter the water cycle by drawing water from the ground, lakes, and rivers and redistributing it. This can lead to reduced river flow, decreased water quality, or a drop in the water table. In addition, overirrigated soil can become waterlogged. This damages the soil and increases the chance of erosion. As freshwater resources become scarcer because of drought and overuse, questions of water rights and access will become more important. Many modern farms plant only a single type of crop throughout hundreds of acres. This practice increases efficiency and thus profit. However, monoculture severely decreases an ecosystem's biodiversity. It also greatly increases the risk of crop failure due to diseases and parasites. A pest species can spread rapidly throughout uninterrupted plantings of a single crop that lacks resistance to the pest. Currently, the world is growing fewer crop varieties than ever before. This trend increases the risk of widespread crop failure and reduces the world's food security.Wasted water Monocultures Intensive farming > Intensive farming helps produce cheap and abundant food, but the environmental cost is high. This system typically involves the continuous planting of a monoculture on a piece of land. Soil nutrients become depleted and pollutants build up, eventually making the land unusable. Desertification takes place when the land can no longer support plant growth. Without plants, the remaining soil easily erodes. High-density livestock farming is another type of intensive farming. Concentrated animal farms produce large amounts of meat, milk, and eggs but require many external inputs. The risks include disease transmission from livestock to humans and the overuse of antibiotics in livestock.Virtual Lab Procedure: Conventional Agriculture Conventional agriculture uses large amounts of land to grow and raise food. Forests and other ecosystems are destroyed and turned into fields. Fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste get picked up by runoff. When that runoff flows into nearby bodies of water, it causes water pollution. Soil erosion also increases the water's turbidity. And farming activities release carbon dioxide and methane gases, which contribute to climate change. You can use the Resource Use and Conservation Virtual Lab to model these environmental effects. Click here for instructions. Record your data in Part 1 of your lab worksheet. Simulation Graphs Resource * None 160 200 090 809 1030 Year Select a resource to view available settings.Virtuol Lob Procedure: Conventionol Agriculture 'I. In the Ftesource drop~down menu; select "Agricultural Land." 2. Make sure the population growth is set to "Ayerage." Turn on the pollution detector. Run the simulation. 3. Open each pollution alert {i} that appears in the animation. Make a prediction about what caused each form of pollution. 4. Go to the Graphs tah. Select "Land Usage" for the first graph and "Human Population" for the second graph. Use your lab worksheet to record the approximate percentages of the ecosystem's land used as cropland. forest. and grassland and wetland at years D and 210 (when the simulation ended}. Also record the approximate human populations at years i] and 210. (Note: Some of the graphs will show data that extend past year 210. Be sure to record the correct number.} 5. Now use the selection of graphs to record the following data for years i] and 21D: freshwater consumption [water debt]; CO and CUE concentration; pesticide concentration; fertilizer concentration; soil erosion; biodiversity; and human disease. 5. Answer the questions about conventional agriculture in your lab worksheet. Today, many farmers are using science and technology to make agriculture more sustainable. They know that farming can harm the environment, and they want to use practices that reduce its negative effects. Sustainable agriculture aims to feed a growing population without damaging the ecosystem or threatening people's health. Sustainable agriculture can mean using a wide range of methods to meet an area's food needs. At the same time, it aims to keep the ecosystem's soil healthy and its water clean, as well as preserving biodiversity. Explore the activity to learn about some examples. Crop rotation No-till farming Reducing inputs Inte > Growing the same crop year after year depletes the soil of the nutrients used by that crop. Also, diseases or pests particular to Root crops that Vegetables that that crop can build up in the area. absorb few nutrients absorb many nutrients Using crop rotation helps keep the soil healthy. Each new crop replenishes nutrients that were Legumes that increase nitrogen absorbed from the soil by previous crops. Crop rotation also decreases the chances of a particular disease or pest becoming a major issue. This diagram shows an example of a simple crop-rotation system.Today, many farmers are using science and technology to make agriculture more sustainable. They know that farming can harm the environment, and they want to use practices that reduce its negative effects. Sustainable agriculture aims to feed a growing population without damaging the ecosystem or threatening people's health. Sustainable agriculture can mean using a wide range of methods to meet an area's food needs. At the same time, it aims to keep the ecosystem's soil healthy and its water clean, as well as preserving biodiversity. Explore the activity to learn about some examples. Crop rotation No-till farming Reducing inputs Inte > The tractor in the photo is tilling a field, which involves breaking up and overturning topsoil. Tilling often results in a great deal of soil erosion. The weight of the tractor also compacts the soil, which disturbs the earthworms and microorganisms that help build and maintain topsoil. Because of the damage done by tilling, most farms in the United States use no- till farming methods. They use special equipment to plant seeds without disturbing the soil, greatly reducing soil erosion. Water, fertilizers, and pesticides are external inputs used to grow crops. So are fossil fuels, because they are used by farm machinery and the vehicles that transport food. The increased use of external inputs means that more food is produced. But negative environmental effects also increase, and so does damage to people's health. Reduced-input faming uses new technologies and better management to decrease the need for external inputs. For example, crop rotation reduces the use of both fertilizers and pesticides. Using runoff-recycling systems reduces water usage. So does using drip irrigation, such as the system shown here. Integrated pest management (IPM) is one way to reduce the external inputs needed on a farm. Most farmers try to simply kill or remove pests. But IPM involves looking at the environment and creating conditions that are unfavorable to those pests. One example of IPM is using ladybird beetles, or ladybugs, instead of pesticides to control aphids. IPM also means thinking about whether a pest and the damage it causes can be tolerated. IPM can involve more time and management than conventional agriculture. However, it can also improve environmental and public health.Virtual Lab Procedure: Sustainable Agriculture When trying to make agriculture more sustainable, there is no single solution that works everywhere. One method might make agriculture more sustainable in some areas, while a different tactic might work better in others. Sometimes a combination of two or more methods is the best solution. You can use the Resource Use and Conservation Virtual Lab to model the effects of sustainable agriculture on a simplified ecosystem. Click here for instructions. Record your data in Part 2 of your lab worksheet. Simulation Graphs Resource * None 180 200 Year Select a resource to view available settings.Virtual Lab Procedure: Sustainable Agriculture 1. In the Resource drop-down menu, select "Agricultural Land." 2. Enable conservation tactics. and turn on the pollution detector. Hypethesize about which censervatien tactic[s} will lead to the most sustainability. 3. Choose one conservation tactic at a time. and run the simulation using that tactic. Make sure to note the circumstances that lead to pollution alerts. 4. Go to the Graphs tab. Select "Land Usage" fer the first graph and "Biodiversity" fer the second graph. Use your lab worksheet to record the approximate percentage of cropland usage and number of species after 21D years. 5. New use the selection of graphs to record the following data for year 21D: freshwater consumption [water debt}, pesticide concentration, fertilizer concentration. and soil erosion. 6. Repeat Steps 3 5 to examine the effects of each conservation tactic. Te'. Simulate agricultural management practices that can help maximize sustainability and biodiversity. Cheese twe conservation tactics at a time. For each combination, record the number efyears it takes the simulation to end and the cropland usage and biodiversity at the end efthe simulation. Try at least three combinations. Find the combination that results in the longest running simulation. 8. Answer the questions about sustainable conventional agriculture in your lab we rksheet. 9. Turn in your completed lab worksheet to your teacher