Books about Agroecosystems from Amazon.com

The Earth's climate is constantly changing. Some of the changes are progressive, while others fluctuate at various time scales. The El Nino-la Nina cycle is one such fluctuation that recurs every few years and has far-reaching impacts. It generally appears at least once per decade, but this may vary with our changing climate. The exact frequency, sequence, duration and intensity of El Nino's manifestations, as well as its effects and geographic distributions, are highly variable. The El Nino-la Nina cycle is particularly challenging to study due to its many interlinked phenomena that occur in various locations around the globe. These worldwide teleconnections are precisely what makes studying El Nino-la Nina so important.
Cynthia Rosenzweig and Daniel Hillel describe the current efforts to develop and apply a global-to-regional approach to climate-risk management. They explain how atmospheric and social scientists are cooperating with agricultural practitioners in various regions around the world to determine how farmers may benefit most from new climate predictions. Specifically, the emerging ability to predict the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle offers the potential to transform agricultural planning worldwide. Biophysical scientists are only now beginning to recognize the large-scale, globally distributed impacts of ENSO on the probabilities of seasonal precipitation and temperature regimes. Meanwhile, social scientists have been researching how to disseminate forecasts more effectively within rural communities. Consequently, as the quality of climatic predictions have improved, the dissemination and presentation of forecasts have become more effective as well. This book explores the growing understanding of the interconnectedness of climate predictions and productive agriculture for sustainable development, as well as methods and models used to study this relationship..
Price: $35.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

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..
Price: $83.18 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Agroecosystems in a Changing Climate considers the consequences of changes in the atmosphere and climate on the integrity, stability, and productivity of agroecosystems. The book adopts a novel approach by bringing together theoretical contributions from ecologists and the applied interpretations of agriculturalists. Drawing these two approaches together, the book provides the theoretical underpinning that guides scientists on what phenomena to look for, looking beyond first-order responses in the creation of sustainable agroecosystems. This unique approach provides an interpretation of ecological insights and general theory, and then relates them to agroecosystem performance.

Each section of the book combines general principles of response with an examination of the applied consequences. The authors cover the supply of resources necessary to sustain agriculture in the future and discuss the incidence of pests, weeds, diseases, and their control. They provide an understanding of how the population biology of organisms will change and the adaptations that might be possible. The book also explores plant breeding solutions and the capacity for adaptation that exists in plant populations. In addition to the full chapters, the book includes Special Example chapters that deal in more detail with specific issues.

Presenting a global perspective of climate change effects on agricultural production, Agroecosystems in a Changing Climate establishes connections between the immediate effects of change and the longer-term processes that will ultimately determine the consequences for agroecosystems and therefore the potential for adaptation..
Price: $92.80 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Ecologists, agronomists, and others who may question the validity of current models for determining sustainable growth of agroecosystems, need a new set of analytical tools that more effectively address the complex nature of related processes. Those who challenge traditional assumptions of optimization and static factors in agricultural modeling demand new methods beyond differential equations and traditional statistical tests.Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Agroecosystems explores alternative ways to study agricultural sustainability, presenting new approaches to organizing data and applying complex systems theory to actual cases. This innovative text recognizes the changing dynamics of the multiple processes and cross-relations within an environment, proposing a clearer analysis of agroecosystems than that which can be provided by rigid, reductionist methods.Main concepts, new vocabulary and narratives, and practical examples open the book, followed by technical chapters that provide a more detailed explanation of concepts. The final section of the book presents a tool kit based on these concepts, resulting in strong support of empirical observations that challenge traditional notions regarding the sustainability of farming systems, food systems, and agroecosystems..
Price: $99.69 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This book covers all aspects of the ecology of tropical earthworm communities and their effects on soil properties and plant growth. It examines the latest methods and technologies which facilitate their management for the maximum benefit to the farmer, and it includes work from leading experts in Europe, South and Central America, Africa, and Asia..
Price: $54.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Presenting a broad range of approaches to agroecosystem analysis, the text addresses specific ecological issues associated with agricultural production, and discusses key landscape relationships between agroecosystems, wildlife, and human disease. .
Price: $76.44 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Explore the latest research on biological control!

Completely updated for 2003, this new edition examines methods for making agricultural systems less susceptible to insect pests. Containing new findings and reports of strategies, Biodiversity and Pest Management in Agroecosystems, Second Edition will show you how pests can be managed by enhancing beneficial biodiversity using agroecological diversification methods.

Biodiversity and Pest Management in Agroecosystems, Second Edition provides you with an essential overview of the role of biodiversity in agriculture and then gets specific, with new and updated information on:

the agroecology of pest management

plant diversity and pest outbreaks within agroecosystems

diversification strategies for pest management

how sustainable farming systems are designed

You'll also explore:

the role of plant diversity on the biology of beneficial insects

insect regulation in diverse agroecosystems

manipulation of plant diversity in agroecosystems

ecological and socioeconomic implications

The fact is, many modern agroecosystems are unstable as a consequence of constant human intervention in crop systems which ignore ecological principles. With case studies on a variety of crops and pests, Biodiversity and Pest Management in Agroecosystems, Second Edition explores entomological aspects of agriculture and analyzes the ecological basis for the maintenance of biodiversity. It will familiarize you with the theory and practice of enhancing biological pest control in agricultural systems by managing vegetational diversity via multiple cropping, cover cropping, rotations, and other spatial and temporal designs. With studies on intercropping, cover cropping, weed management, and crop-field border vegetation manipulation, this book covers the effects of these diverse systems on pest population density and the mechanisms underlying pest reduction in polycultures. Make it a part of your reference/teaching collection today!.
Price: $79.85 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Leading scientists look beyond the simple production paradigm and present a more holistic approach aimed at ensuring sustainability through understanding the biological, ecological, economic, and social dimensions of agroecosystems. Detailed analyses include multidimensional thinking, multifunctional economic analysis, whole-farm planning, agricultural conservation at the landscape scale, agroecosystem functions that benefit society, and ecological morality. Farmers, researchers, teachers, students, and policymakers will appreciate the diverse examples included, as well as the study questions and glossary.

Also available:

Designing Crops for Added Value - ISBN 089118144X
Warm-Season (C4) Grasses - ISBN 0891181563
Soybeans: Improvement, Production, and Uses, Third Edition - ISBN 0891181547.
Price: $84.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Sustainable agriculture is a key concept for scientists, researchers, and agricultural engineers alike.
This book focuses on the FAM- project (FAM Munich Research Network on Agroecosystems) of the 1990s as a means to assessing, forecasting, and evaluating changes in the agroecosystems that are necessary for agricultural sustainability. The management of two separate management systems: an organic and an integrated farming system are described to provide an interdisciplinary approach Changes of matter fluxes in soils, changes of trace gas fluxes from soils, precision farming in a small scale heterogen landscape, influence of management changes on flora and fauna, as well as the development of agroecosystem models, the assessment of soil variability and the changes in nutrient status are important aspects of this book.

* Contains detailed results and insight of a long-time project on agricultural sustainability
* Provides an interdisciplinary approach for comprehensive understanding by scientists and researcher of soil, plants, agriculture, and environment
* Includes an international perspective.
Price: $66.50 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Landscape Ecology and Agroecosystems examines the important landscape/agroecosystem relationship in a series of chapters written by leading experts in the field. Topics covered include the role of natural vegetation in biological diversity, the importance of landscape ecology, landscape ecological patterns and agricultural transport, ecological aspects of agricultural production, weed management in agroecosystems, reforestation, and birds in agroecosystems. The book will benefit anyone interested in landscape ecology, agroecology, sustainable agriculture, soil conservation and management, soil and crop science, entomology, and weed science..
Price: $64.83 [Notify me when price goes down.]