Question

Jon is campaigning for the introduction of buffer zones around the large commercial farms in his community to manage the effects of chemical fertilizers. What will a buffer zone do?

a) allow the fertilizer to evaporate
b) dilute the fertilizer
c) deactivate the fertilizer
d) protect surface waters from fertilizer runoff
e) destroy the fertilizer

Answer 1

A buffer zone around large commercial farms is intended to protect surface waters from the harmful effects of fertilizer runoff by intercepting pollutants before they reach water bodies and contribute to eutrophication and 'dead zones'.

Step-by-step explanation:

Jon is campaigning for the introduction of buffer zones around the large commercial farms in his community to manage the effects of chemical fertilizers. A buffer zone will most effectively protect surface waters from fertilizer runoff. Buffer zones are areas of land maintained in permanent vegetation located between cultivated fields and water bodies, designed to intercept pollutants, soil, and agricultural runoff, containing nitrogen and phosphorus, before they enter water systems. Without such zones, excessive nutrient loads from fertilizer runoff can lead to the eutrophication of water bodies, resulting in an overgrowth of algae that can create 'dead zones' by depleting dissolved oxygen and harming aquatic life. The correct answer to the question is (d) protect surface waters from fertilizer runoff.

A buffer zone around large commercial farms can help manage the effects of chemical fertilizers by d) protecting surface waters from fertilizer runoff. When fertilizer is applied to farmland, it can be carried away by rainwater or irrigation and enter nearby bodies of water, causing eutrophication and dead zones. A buffer zone acts as a barrier, absorbing and filtering nutrients from the runoff before they reach surface waters.

Answer 2

It will allow the surface waters to be protected (choice D). By having an area in which crops can be planted but no fertilizer applied, it will make sure that there is at least some area in which the surface water is not being tainted by said fertilizer.