Books in Crop ecology

Agricultural Ecology and Environment

1st Edition
December 2, 2012
B.R. Stinner + 2 more
English
eBook
9 7 8 0 4 4 4 5 9 7 9 5 3

The increased use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in crop production has adversely affected both the environment and the agricultural economy. Not only has it led to environmental pollution, but also the increasing costs of chemical inputs and the low prices received for agricultural products have contributed to economic unprofitability and instability.The International Symposium on Agricultural Ecology and Environment was organised in order to discuss ways of achieving the goals of economically and environmentally sustainable agriculture. It is apparent that a truly multidisciplinary effort is required and for this reason the meeting was attended by authors from many different disciplines and geographical locations. Although their papers reflect a wide diversity of agroecosystem types and examples, several common themes emerge: the increased importance of biotic control of ecosystem processes in lower input systems; the key role of soil organic matter in stabilizing nutrient cycling; the importance of agricultural landscape diversity and complexity; the importance of studying ecological processes in natural and agricultural ecosystems; the critical need to integrate socio-economic and ecological approaches.

Biotic Diversity in Agroecosystems

1st Edition
December 2, 2012
D. Pimentel + 1 more
English
eBook
9 7 8 0 4 4 4 5 9 6 7 6 5

The preservation of biodiversity is a high priority among biologists, ecologists and environmentalists. The impact that human activities have on biodiversity is clear; however, few studies have focused on the importance of biodiversity to natural and agricultural ecosystems. In fact, many natural species are essential to sustainable agricultural programs. A new school of thought is appreciating the ecological principles and benefits that diversity of natural biota have for humans and the environment. Landscape ecology and agroecology can play a major role in protecting the environment and conserving biological diversity. The practical opportunities for improving the sustainability of agriculture and making it more environmentally sound were discussed at the Symposium on Agroecology and Conservation Issues, from which 22 papers were collected for this volume. Strategies for increasing biodiversity in agricultural landscapes are provided alongside discussion that agriculture will continue to spread into forests, to meet the growing need for food. Although humans recognize the value of crop and livestock species, few really appreciate the fact that agriculture and forestry cannot function in a productive sustainable way when significant numbers of species in natural biota are lost.

Agriculture and the Environment

1st Edition
December 2, 2012
C.A. Edwards + 3 more
English
eBook
9 7 8 0 4 4 4 5 9 6 8 7 1

Until the 1980s, global increases in food production exceeded the concomitant growth of human populations. However, progressively agriculture is becoming unable to meet the world-wide per capita needs for food. Unless there is major international cooperation in addressing the problems associated with population control, it is predicted that the global human population will reach more than 14 billion by the year 2050, with provision of adequate food, fuel and space for such an increased population unachievable.These problems are accentuated by factors such as world-wide reductions in soil fertility, the accelerating degradation of land that is suitable for food production through soil erosion, the world-wide trend for migration of human populations from rural habitats to cities and extremely rapid rates of global deforestation.Possib... solutions to global sustainability in agriculture and natural resources must involve an integration of ecological, sociological, cultural, and economic considerations, as well as mandated international and national policies. This publication outlines these problems and attempts to seek solutions.

Ecology in Agriculture

1st Edition
August 28, 1997
Louise E. Jackson + 1 more
English
Hardback
9 7 8 0 1 2 3 7 8 2 6 0 1
eBook
9 7 8 0 0 8 0 5 3 0 6 8 0

Agricultural crops are prominent features of an increasing number of variously perturbed ecosystems and the landscapes occupied by these ecosystems. Yet the ecology of agricultural-dominat... landscapes is only now receiving the scientific attention it has long deserved. This attention has been stimulated by the realization that all agriculture must become sustainable year after year while leaving nearby ecosystems unaffected. Ecology in Agriculture focuses exclusively on the ecology of agricultural ecosystems. The book is divided into four major sections. An introduction establishes the unique ties between agricultural and ecological sciences. The second section describes the community ecology of these sorts of ecosystems, while the final section focuses on the processes that operate throughout these agricultural landscapes.

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Books in Crop ecology

Agricultural Ecology and Environment

Biotic Diversity in Agroecosystems

Agriculture and the Environment

Ecology in Agriculture