ENVS 1126 Study Guide - Final Guide: Field Corn, Bioaccumulation, Drug Resistance
Document Summary
Combining chemical treatment and ecological control to manage pests is known as integrated pest management. Herbicides would be most useful in combating weeds that infect our agricultural fields. Insecticides would be most useful in combating mosquitoes that spread malaria. Chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides, such as ddt, are noteworthy because of their persistence in the environment. Ddt saved millions of lives by controlling disease-causing insects. A pesticide biomagnifies in the food chain as follows: plankton yellow perch double-crested cormorant. Bioaccumulation refers to the accumulation of small amounts of a substance within an individual organism. Biomagnification refers to the compounding of accumulation through a food chain. Ddt is still used today in many parts of africa to help control malaria. The evolution of pesticide resistance, resurgence, and secondary-pest outbreaks are only some of the problems that result from reliance on pesticides, creating a never-ending pesticide treadmill requiring new pest-fighting strategies. Pesticide exposure has been clearly linked to cancer, neurological disorders, and infertility.
