Managing Biodiversity in Agricultural Ecosystems takes a look at how
farmers manage, maintain, and benefit from biodiversity in agricultural
production systems. The volume includes the most recent research and
developments in the maintenance of local diversity at the genetic,
species, and ecosystem levels. Chapters cover the assessment and farmer
management practices for crop, livestock, aquatic, and associated
diversity (such as pollinators and soil microorganisms) in agricultural
ecosystems; examine the potential role of diversity in minimizing pest
and disease pressures; and present studies that exemplify the potential
nutritional, ecosystem service, and financial values of this diversity
under changing economic and environmental conditions. The volume
contains perspectives that combine the thinking of social and biological
scientists.
Inappropriate or excessive use of inputs can cause damage to
biodiversity within agricultural ecosystems and compromise future
productivity. This book features numerous case studies that show how
farmers have used alternative approaches to manage biodiversity to
enhance the stability, resilience, and productivity of their farms,
pointing the way toward improved biodiversity on a global scale. As
custodians of the world's agricultural biodiversity, farmers are fully
invested in ways to create, sustain, and assist in the evolution and
adaptation of a variety of plant and animal species. Thus this text is
mandatory reading for conservationists, environmentalists, botanists,
zoologists, geneticists, and anyone interested in the health of our
ecosystem.
