Does our lack of vision threaten the viability of the reconstruction of disturbed ecosystems?

1995 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis A. Saunders
Keyword(s):  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Community Action ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Legislative Action ◽  
Sustainable Agricultural Practices ◽  
Ecologically Sustainable

There is widespread acceptance that in the extensive wheat-sheep zone of Australia, development for agriculture and associated changes to ecological processes have resulted in major problems of loss of species, land degradation and potential decreases in agricultural productivity. Present agricultural practices are not sustainable. There has been a range of responses to these changes, from community action through Landcare and revegetation projects, to legislative action. Unfortunately, these responses and the actions that follow, are usually carried out without any long-term context or any clear understanding of what we want our agricultural landscapes to look like in 150?200 years. While phrases such as "achieve the conservation of biological diversity through the adoption of ecologically sustainable agricultural practices" are being widely used, they will never become reality without the development of a vision of what we as a society want these landscapes to look like and how we want them to function. As a matter of urgency, we should develop a collective vision for the future of our agricultural landscapes and use that vision to provide the framework to integrate conservation of the biota with management for agricultural production, while addressing the environmental problems we face now or which may arise as we adapt management to changing environmental conditions.

scholarly journals Distribution of the Traditional Agricultural Landscape Types Reflecting Geological Substrate and Slope Processes in the Kysuce Region

2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 339-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mária Barančoková ◽  
Peter Barančok
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Landscape Types ◽  
Sustainable Agricultural Practices ◽  
Geological Substrate

Abstract Traditional agricultural landscapes (TAL) are landscapes in which primarily traditional sustainable agricultural practices are currently carried out and where biological diversity is conserved thereby. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the extension of traditional landscape structures and their relationship to geological substrate and slope processes (landslides). The evaluation was concentrated on two types of TAL (extended to Kysuce region): TAL with dispersed settlements (subtype 1a and b) and TAL of arable-land, grasslands and pastures (subtype 4a and b). Localities with typical dispersed settlements of subtype 1a mostly occur on Zlin formation and cover 707.9 ha. On the deluvial formation, this type extends to 531.8 ha and on the Solaň formation, to 403.6 ha. The active landslides are mostly represented in the TAL of subtype 4a (cadastral areas of Čadca and Oščadnica villages), of subtype 4b (cadastral areas of Riečnica and Svrčinovec villages) and of subtype 1a (cadastral area of Svrčinovec village). The largest representation of potential landslides is on the subtype 4a, subtype 1a and subtype 4b.

scholarly journals The Role of Citizen Science in Sustainable Agriculture

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10375
Author(s):  
Khaldoon A. Mourad ◽  
Seyyed Hasan Hosseini ◽  
Helen Avery
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Agriculture ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
Target Groups ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Farming Communities ◽  
Sustainable Agricultural Practices

Farmers know much more than we think, and they are keen to improve their knowledge in order to improve their farms and increase their income. On the other hand, decision-makers, organizations, and researchers are increasing their use of citizen volunteers to strengthen their outcomes, enhance project implementation, and approach ecosystem sustainability. This paper assesses the role of citizen science relating to agricultural practices and covers citizen science literature on agriculture and farmers’ participation during the period 2007–2019. The literature was examined for the role of citizen science in supporting sustainable agriculture activities, pointing to opportunities, challenges, and recommendations. The study identified the following gaps: insufficient attention to (1) long-term capacity building and dialogue between academics and farming communities; (2) developing countries in the global South and smallholders; (3) agriculture trading and marketing; (4) the rationales of selecting target groups; (5) contributing to accelerated sustainability transitions. The main aim of the research projects reviewed in this study tended to focus on the research outcomes from an academic perspective, not sustainable solutions in practice or sustainability in general. More research is needed to address these gaps and to widen the benefits of citizen science in sustainable agricultural practices.

scholarly journals Amphibians of northwestern Buenos Aires province, Argentina: checklist, range extensions and comments on conservation

Check List ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1998 ◽  
Author(s):  
María G. Agostini ◽  
Pablo E. Saibene ◽  
Ignacio Roesler ◽  
David Bilenca
Keyword(s):  
Buenos Aires ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Buenos Aires Province ◽  
Annotated List ◽  
Native Grasslands ◽  
Extant Species ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Conservation Actions

Northwestern Buenos Aires province is located within the Pampas region of Argentina. Agricultural practices have extensively modified native grasslands in a relatively short period, leaving no intact pristine areas. Based on data collected between 2006 and 2015 at 153 ponds in agricultural landscapes, we compiled an annotated list of the amphibians of northwestern Buenos Aires province. We report 13 extant species of amphibians, which represent 43% of the known amphibian diversity in Buenos Aires province, and extend the ranges of three species. Three species found only in herpetological collections extend the list to 16 species. Our study is the first long-term survey of amphibians conducted in this part of Argentina and provides valuable information for future conservation actions across agricultural landscapes.

The role of connectivity in Australian conservation

2004 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 266 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. E. Soulé ◽  
B. G. Mackey ◽  
H. F. Recher ◽  
J. E. Williams ◽  
J. C. Z. Woinarski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Ecological Resilience ◽  
Landscape Permeability ◽  
Conservation Assessment ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Trophic Relations ◽  
Scientific Framework

The existing system of nature reserves in Australia is inadequate for the long-term conservation and restoration of native biological diversity because it fails to accommodate, among other elements, large scale and long-term ecological processes and change, including physical and biotic transport in the landscape. This paper is an overview of the connectivity elements that inform a scientific framework for significantly improving the prospects for the long-term conservation of Australia's biodiversity. The framework forms the basis for the WildCountry programme. This programme has identified connectivity at landscape, regional and continental scales as a critical component of an effective conservation system. Seven categories of ecological phenomena are reviewed that require landscape permeability and that must be considered when planning for the maintenance of biological diversity and ecological resilience in Australia: (1) trophic relations at regional scales; (2) animal migration, dispersal, and other large scale movements of individuals and propagules; (3) fire and other forms of disturbance at regional scales; (4) climate variability in space and time and human forced rapid climate change; (5) hydroecological relations and flows at all scales; (6) coastal zone fluxes of organisms, matter, and energy; and, (7) spatially-dependent evolutionary processes at all scales. Finally, we mention eight cross-cutting themes that further illuminate the interactions and implications of the seven connectivity-related phenomena for conservation assessment, planning, research, and management, and we suggest how the results might be applied by analysts, planners, scientists, and community conservationists.

The farmer as conservationist

2003 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 206-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Badgley
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Habitat Degradation ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Land Area ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Dominant Form ◽  
Species Lists

AbstractAgricultural landscapes are essential for preserving biodiversity, even though agricultural activities are the leading cause of habitat degradation worldwide. About half of the Earth's productive land area is farmed or grazed, whereas only about 6% of the total land area is protected for native species and ecosystems. The ecological services of healthy ecosystems are fundamental to agriculture, and these services depend upon a large number of species interacting with each other and with inorganic nutrient cycles. Likewise, the quality of ecosystems between reserves is critical to the persistence of species and ecological processes within reserves. Thus, conservation-oriented farming methods are critically important for both agriculture and biodiversity. Three examples illustrate agricultural practices that benefit the farmers, the local ecosystem and the landscape: (1) In Minnesota, rotational grazing, evaluated by the collaborative research of farmers and scientists, improved soil, pasture and stream quality, and boosted the confidence of the farmers in developing more sustainable grazing practices. (2) Predator-friendly ranching in Montana, in which nonlethal methods are used to protect livestock from depredation by native predators, benefited the ranchers with premium prices for wool and meat. The persistence of native predators, many of which have been on endangered species lists for years, benefited the regional ecosystem. (3) Shade-grown coffee in Latin America, in which coffee shrubs grow under an intact forest canopy, often looks and behaves ecologically like native forest and may house high levels of native biodiversity. This system benefited farmers, as long as they received a price premium for shade-grown coffee. The economic viability of these conservation-oriented practices depends upon farmers receiving price premiums for their products and by society rewarding fanners for their practices. A vision of ecological farming as the dominant form of agriculture is presented, with benefits at the scale of the farm, the landscape and society.

scholarly journals Local Notions of Alternative Practices: Organic Food Movements in Bangkok, Thailand and Chennai, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1952
Author(s):  
Judith Bopp
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Food Movements ◽  
Long Term Observation ◽  
The Right ◽  
Alternative Practices ◽  
Sustainable Agricultural Practices ◽  
Western Perspective

I argue that the common discourses on alternative practices often entail a Western perspective and are sometimes treated as new paths of thinking. This also applies to alternative food practices such as organic farming. Based on empirical research on organic food movements in Bangkok and Chennai, I suggest two examples of alternative practices that have become naturally incorporated in daily routines. Through qualitative expert interviews, long-term observation, and action research, the study reveals that in these movements, urbanites advocate for the right to healthy foods and solidarity with rural farmers, and that farmers employ local sustainable farming methods, including careful resource management and agricultural diversity. Stakeholder engagement is long-term and embraces a spiritual-cultural tone of alternativeness. Based on my findings from my case studies, I propose the following two recommendations. First, the alternative practice discourse needs to open up to the existing plurality of perspectives—openness may prevent the alternative practice discourse from overlooking notable sources of inspiration from societies that inherently perform a diversity of sustainable agricultural practices. Second, continuity, local sustainability notions, and mindfulness need to be included as criteria in the debate. The incorporation of these three themes represented by my two case studies may enrich the discourse through a more local, Global South perspective on alternativeness, and advance its conceptualization.

scholarly journals Utah's Vegetable Growers: Assessing Sustainable Agriculture

1997 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 445-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Drost ◽  
Gilbert Long ◽  
Kimberlee Hales
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Agriculture ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Vegetable Farmers ◽  
Farmer Groups ◽  
Two Indices ◽  
Sustainable Agricultural Practices

Without a clear understanding of individual farms and farming practice, progression toward more sustainable vegetable production cannot occur. Seventy randomly selected vegetable farmers in Utah were surveyed by telephone and mail to gather baseline data on their agricultural practices. The Utah vegetable farmers profile generated by this survey included a measure of each respondent's attitude toward sustainable agricultural practices and his or her interest in further cooperation with research and extension. A farming index to measure practices used and a perceptual index measuring farmer's views regarding sustainable practices were developed, pilot tested, and refined during the project. Although the perceptual index did not serve as a proxy for actual farm practice, it identified farmers who had an appreciation for sustainable agriculture. Together with the farming index, we now have detailed information on actual farm practices for a variety of different vegetable farmer groups. The use of these two indices will help measure the effectiveness of future research and extension efforts as farmers progress toward more sustainable vegetable production.

Increasing Productivity Of Vegetables Through Front-line Demonstrations

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. S. Suman
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Rainfed Condition ◽  
Percent Increase ◽  
Recommended Practices ◽  
High Yielding Varieties ◽  
Climate Parameter ◽  
Sustainable Agricultural Practices ◽  
The Relationship

The highest yield (420 kg/ha) was recorded in the year 2011-12. In Front-Line Demonstration, it was 27.27 percent more over the farmers practice (320 kg/ha), however, the lowest yield (350 kg/ha) was recorded in the year 2010-11 under Front-Line Demonstration and 310 kg/ha in farmers' practice. Increase in the yield (27.27%) under Front-Line Demonstration over farmers practice was obtained during the year 2011-12. The variation in the percent increase in the yield was found due to variation in agro climate parameter under rainfed condition. Under sustainable agricultural practices, with this study it is concluded that the Front- LineDemonstration programme was effective in changing attitude, skill and knowledge of improved / recommended practices of High Yielding Varieties of peas included adoption. This also improved the relationship between farmers and scientist and built confidence between them.

Increasing the Productivity and Profitability of Paddy through Front Line Demonstrations in Irrigated Agro Ecosystem of Kaymore Platue and Satpura Hills

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
DHANANJAI SINGH ◽  
A.K. PATEL ◽  
S.K. SINGH ◽  
M.S. BAGHEL
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Cost Ratio ◽  
Scientific Practices ◽  
Economic Returns ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Yield Increase ◽  
Benefit Cost Ratio ◽  
Sustainable Agricultural Practices ◽  
Improved Technology

Krishi Vigyan Kendra laid down Front Line Demonstration in the year 2010-11 and 2011-12 introducing new, high yielding and scented variety “Pusa Sugandha-3” and applying scientific practices in their cultivation. The FLDs were carried out in village “Dainiha” of Sidhi district in supervision of KVK scientist. The productivity and economic returns of paddy in improved technologies were calculated and compared with the corresponding farmer's practices (local check). Improved practices recorded higher yield as compared to farmer's practices. The improved technology recorded higher yield of 30.83 q/ha and 32.65 q/ha in the year 2010-11 and 2011-12, respectively than 22.13 and 24.21 q/ha. The average yield increase was observed 37.15 per cent. In spite of increase in yield of paddy, technology gap, extension gap and technology index existed. The improved technology gave higher gross return (37020 and 39180 Rs./ha), net return (16820 and 18920 Rs./ha) with higher benefit cost ratio (1.83 and 1.93) as compared to farmer's practices. The variation in per cent increase in the yield was found due to the poor management practices, lack of knowledge and poor socio economic condition. Under sustainable agricultural practices, with this study it is concluded that the FLDs programmes were effective in changing attitude, skill and knowledge of improved package and practices of HYV of paddy adoption.

scholarly journals Effect of ecological and conventional managements on soil enzymatic activities in coffee agroecosystems

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 420-428
Author(s):  
Johana Juliet Caballero Vanegas ◽  
Karen Bibiana Mejía Zambrano ◽  
Lizeth Manuela Avellaneda-Torres
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Enzymatic Activities ◽  
Acid And Alkaline Phosphatase ◽  
Dry Seasons ◽  
Synthetic Fertilizers ◽  
Coffee Agroecosystems ◽  
Alkaline And Acid Phosphatase

ABSTRACT Understanding the impacts of agricultural practices on soil quality indicators, such as enzymatic activities, is of great importance, in order to advance in their diagnosis and sustainable management. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of ecological and conventional agricultural managements on enzymatic activities of a soil under coffee agroecosystems. The enzymatic activities were associated with the biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen (urease and protease), phosphorus (acid and alkaline phosphatase) and carbon (β-glucosidase), during the rainy and dry seasons. Physical-chemical soil proprieties were also assessed and related to resilience scores linked to the climatic variability reported for the areas under study. The activities of urease, alkaline and acid phosphatase and ß-glucosidase were statistically higher in ecological agroecosystems than in conventional ones. This may be attributed to the greater application of organic waste in the ecological environment, as well as to the absence of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, which allow better conditions for the microbial activity. The resilience scores to the climate variability that showed the highest correlations with the assessed enzymatic activities were: the farmers' knowledge on soil microorganisms, non-use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers and non-dependence on external supplies. It was concluded that the enzymatic activities are modified by the management systems, being specifically favored by the ecological management. This agroecosystem, in the long term, ensures an efficient use of the soil resources, with a lower degradation and contamination.

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