Agriculture Ecology and Environment (Book with DVD)

Agricultural ecology is the study of agricultural ecosystems and their components as they function within themselves and in the context of the landscapes that contain them. Application of this knowledge can lead to development of more sustainable agricultural ecosystems in harmony with their larger ecosystem and ecoregion. Agriculture ecology means growing food in diverse systems that are 100% organic (chemical free) and which do not use monocultures. They build and maintain soil fertility through maintaining the right mix of plant species (including nitrogen  xers) on the land all year round and make more use of multifunctional trees and other perennial plants. Any fertilizers or sprays are made from plant materials, such as compost teas, etc. It is natural-system-based farming. Agricultural crops are prominent features of an increasing number of variously perturbed ecosystems and the landscapes occupied by these ecosystems. Yet the ecology of agricultural-dominated landscapes is only now receiving the public attention it has long deserved. This attention has been stimulated by the realization that all agriculture must become sustainable year after year while leaving nearby ecosystems unaffected.