Knowra Environmental impact of agriculture Environmental impact of agriculture Environmental impact of agriculture comprises changes farming causes to land, water, soil, biodiversity, and climate through food and fiber production.
Land-use change : The conversion or modification of natural land cover by human activities. Clearing or converting habitats for fields and pasture is a major pathway of agricultural impact.
Conservation agriculture : A farming approach built around minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, and crop diversification. Its soil-management practices aim to limit erosion and improve soil condition.
Biodiversity loss : A decline in the variety of life across genes, species, and ecosystems. Habitat conversion, pollution, and intensive management can reduce agricultural and wild biodiversity.
Sustainable agriculture : Agriculture designed to maintain production while conserving natural resources and supporting social and economic well-being. It describes the goal of limiting the harms catalogued on this page.
Nitrogen cycle : The movement of nitrogen through the atmosphere, organisms, soils, and waters. Fertilizer and manure add reactive nitrogen, disrupting natural cycling and creating pollution.
Agroforestry : Land-use systems that deliberately combine trees with crops or livestock. Integrating trees can support biodiversity, store carbon, and reduce erosion.
Eutrophication : Excess nutrient enrichment of water that promotes algal growth and can deplete oxygen. Nitrogen and phosphorus from farms can trigger harmful changes in lakes and coastal waters.
Life-cycle assessment : A method for estimating environmental impacts across a product’s life cycle. It can compare food products while accounting for impacts beyond the farm gate.
Soil erosion : The removal of topsoil by water, wind, or other forces. Tillage, bare ground, and grazing can accelerate the loss of fertile agricultural soil.
Precision agriculture : Farm management that uses detailed data and technology to tailor inputs and operations spatially. Targeted fertilizer and water use can reduce waste and pollution.
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