Ecology in Agriculture
An ecological viewpoint of agriculture focuses on describing the relationship between organisms and their biotic and abiotic environments and on understanding the biological processes that control the distribution, behavior, and fitness of individuals; the interactions between organisms; and the flow of materials and energy through the agricultural ecosystem. The intent of this book is to illustrate how the fundamental principles of ecology operate in agricultural settings and how they can be applied to solve practical problems in crop production and environmental management. In the past few years, agricultural research has moved toward an increasing emphasis on long-term sustainability of food and fiber production, environmental quality, and ways to promote ecosystem health. These are complex topics. Such new research approaches require a scope broader than the traditional agronomic approach of maximizing yields with efficient use of resource inputs. Ecological principles and methodologies have been helpful in addressing these issues. It has been necessary, however, to bridge a long-standing gap between the two disciplines of ecology and agronomy to find practical solutions to such agricultural problems as minimizing inputs of limited resources, decreasing pesticide application by exploiting biological mechanisms of pest reduction, and mitigating long-term changes in soil and environmental degradation. Ecological processes in agricultural settings can be examined at several hierarchical levels. Autecology concerns the relationships of organisms to their environment and the processes that regulate water and nutrient use, productivity, and crop yield. Community ecology is the study of interactions between organisms, including processes such as parasitism, predation, and competition involving crop plants and populations of pathogens, insect pests, and weeds. Systems ecology encompasses a broader scope of interactions and considers how biotic and abiotic processes control the flow and availability of carbon and nutrients in the ecosystem as a whole.
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