Agroecology: The Ecology of Sustainable Food Systems, Second Edition

by Gliessman; Stephen R.

• ISBN13: 9780849328459
• ISBN10: 0849328454
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-11-15
• Publisher: CRC Press

Summary

Providing the theoretical and conceptual framework for this continually evolving field, Agroecology: The Ecology of Sustainable Food Systems, Second Edition explores environmental factors and complexities affecting agricultural crops and animals. Completely revised, updated, and reworked, the second edition contains new data, new readings, new issues and case studies, and new options. It includes two completely new chapters, one on the role of livestock animals in agroecosystems and one on the cultural and community aspects of sustainable food systems.The author clearly delineates the importance of using an ecosystem framework for determining if a particular agricultural practice, input, or management decision contributes or detracts from sustainability. He explains how the framework provides the ecological basis for the functioning of the chosen management strategy over the long-term. He also examines system level interactions, stressing the need for understanding the emergent qualities of populations, communities, and ecosystems and their roles in sustainable agriculture. Using examples of farming systems in a broad array of ecological conditions, the book demonstrates how to use an ecosystem approach to design and manage agroecosystems for sustainability.

Table of Contents

Section I: Introduction to Agroecology
The Need for Sustainable Food Production Systems	3	(20)
The Agroecosystem Concept	23	(12)
Section II: Plants and Environmental Factors
The Plant	35	(8)
Light	43	(16)
Temperature	59	(14)
Humidity and Rainfall	73	(14)
Wind	87	(12)
Soil	99	(16)
Water in the Soil	115	(16)
Fire	131	(16)
Biotic Factors	147	(16)
The Environmental Complex	163	(8)
Section III: System-Level Interactions
The Population Ecology of Agroecosystems	171	(12)
Genetic Resources in Agroecosystems	183	(22)
Species Interactions in Crop Communities	205	(12)
Agroecosystem Diversity and Stability	217	(20)
Disturbance, Succession, and Agroecosystem Management	237	(18)
The Energetics of Agroecosystems	255	(14)
Animals in Agroecosystems	269	(20)
Section IV: The Transition to Sustainability
Converting to Ecologically Based Management	289	(10)
Indicators of Sustainability	299	(14)
Landscape Diversity and Agroecosystem Management	313	(14)
Culture, Community, and Sustainability	327	(14)
From Sustainable Agroecosystems to Sustainable Food Systems	341	(16)
References	357	(12)
Glossary	369	(6)
Index	375