Structure and Function in Agroecosystem Design and Management

Structure and Function in Agroecosystem Design and Management presents an advanced discussion of the need to design agricultural systems that 1) increase reliance on biological interactions in agroecosystems as a means of decreasing dependence on the use of large quantities of agrochemicals and the consumption of fossil fuel energy and 2) continue to produce optimal crop yields. Written by international experts, this book discusses biological interactions, matter circulation, and disturbance operating within the agroecosystems in question. The book covers matter cycling and focuses on reducing practices that require the consumption of large quantities of agrochemicals and fossil fuels. The editors then explore the effects of environmental changes and how they will change the management of the next generation of agroecosystems. Is it possible to replace current technologies based on fossil energy with proper interactions operating between crops, livestock, and other organisms to enhance production? If the answer is yes, then modern agriculture can be transformed into an integrated system in which the use of complex biotic interactions is the key technology. Structure and Function in Agroecosystem Design and Management focuses on how can work when designed according to sound ecological practices, and provides the foundation to manage them in an ecologically efficient manner.