Agroecosystem Sustainability Developing Practical Strategies

About this book

Agroecologists from around the world share their experiences in the analysis and development of indicators of agricultural sustainability in Agroecosystem Sustainability: Developing Practical Strategies. The authors build on the resource-conserving aspects of traditional, local, and small-scale agriculture while at the same time drawing on modern ecological knowledge and methods. They define the relationship between agroecology and sustainable development.

Leading researchers present case studies that attempt to determine 1) if a particular agricultural practice, input, or management decision is sustainable, and 2) what is the ecological basis for the functioning of the chosen management strategy over the long term. They discuss common findings, define the future role of agroecology, and explore strategies for helping farmers make the transition to sustainable farming systems.

Preserving the productivity of agricultural land over the long term requires sustainable food production. Agroecosystem Sustainability: Developing Practical Strategies covers topics that range from management practices specific to a particular region to more global efforts to develop sets of indicators of sustainability. It links social and ecological indicators of sustainability. From this foundation we can move towards the social and economic changes that promote sustainability in all sectors of the food system.

Contents

INCREASING SUSTAINABILITY. Ecological Foundations for Sustainability. Strategies for Increasing Sustainability in Mediterranean Cropping Systems with Self-Reseeding Annual Legumes. Manipulating Plant Biodiversity to Enhance Biological Control of Insect Pests: A Case Study of a Northern California Organic Vineyard. An Assessment of Tropical Homegardens as Examples of Sustainable Local Agroforestry Systems. Improving Agroecosystem Sustainability Using Organic (Plant-Based) Mulch. ASSESSING SUSTAINABILITY. Nitrogen and the Sustainable Village. Nematode Communities as Ecological Indicators of Agricultural Ecosystems. COMBINING SOCIAL AND ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS OF SUSTAINABILITY. Assessing Agricultural Sustainability Using the Six-Pillar Model: Iran as a Case Study. Coevolutionary Agroecology: A Policy- Oriented Analysis of Socioenvironmental Dynamics, with Special Reference to Forest Margins in North Lampung, Indonesia. Operationalizing the Concept of Sustainability in Agriculture: Characterizing Agroecosystems on a Multi-Criteria, Multiple-Scale Performance Space.

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