Agroecology: The Ecology of Sustainable Food Systems, Third Edition

386 Pages·2014·12.611 MB·English

by  Gliessman, Stephen R

Agriculture G
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Third Edition
Agroecology
The Ecology of Sustainable
Food Systems T h i r d E d i t i o n
Praise for the Second Edition:
“It is clear, insightful, well illustrated, and referenced, and the 21 chapters contain
many useful case studies. It deserves to be in every library, and is a pleasure to read.
This is a valuable manual, and vital for all concerned with learning and teaching in
Agroecology
agricultural courses. It deserves to be widely used.”
—Jules Pretty OBE, Experimental Agriculture, Vol. 43 (4), 2007
A
“The author clearly is an authority in the field of agroecology and teaches on the
subject. ... Agronomists and biologists, as well as general scholars and people interest-
g
ed in sustainability as an attitude or life style will learn about how to put principles into
(cropping and whole food chain) practice. All in all: a good read!”
—Patrick Van Damme, University of Gent, Economic Botany, 63 (4), 2009 r
From the Foreword: o
T h e E c o l o g y o f S u s t a i n a b l e
“Gliessman is about science, purpose, and moral action. Here, he has painstakingly,
joyously, fully, and generously laid out his understanding from a lifetime of effort on e
these fronts. Flip the page. It is now your turn to take this on.”
F o o d Sy s t e m s
—Ricardo J. Salvador, Director and Senior Scientist, Food and Environment c
Program, Union of Concerned Scientists, Washington, DC
o
See What’s New in the Third Edition:
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• Chapters on animal production and social change in food systems
• Updated case studies, references, websites, and new research
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• Emphasis on how climate change impacts agriculture
• Greater focus on health issues related to food
g
Written by an expert with more than 40 years of experience, Agroecology: The
Ecology of Sustainable Food Systems, Third Edition provides the essential y Stephen R. Gliessman
foundation for understanding sustainability in all of its components: agricultural,
ecological, economic, social, cultural, and even political. It presents a case for
food system change and why the current industrial model is not sustainable. It
begins with a strong ecological foundation for farming practices and ends with all
of us thinking about the critical importance of transitioning to a new paradigm for
food and agriculture, and what this means for our future.
Third
K14240
Edition

T h i r d E d i t i o n
Agroecologyyy
The Ecology of Sust ainable
Food Systems

T h i r d E d i t i o n
Agroecologyyy
The Ecology of Sust ainable
Food Systems
Stephen R. Gliessman
Professor Emeritus of Agroecology
University of California
Santa Cruz
Eric W. Engles, PhD
With
Technical editing by Eric W. Engles
Boca Raton London New York
CRC Press is an imprint of the
Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
Cover photo: An aerial photo of the Jimenez Family farm near AguaBuena, Coto Brus, Costa Rica, showing the integration of agriculture into a tropical
forest landscape. The photo was taken during an autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) remote sensing scan. Dana Nadwodny was operating the
UAV and Jonathan Dandois was assisting. They were working out of Dr. Erle Ellis’ Laboratory for Anthropogenic Landscape Ecology at the University of
Maryland, Baltimore, on his NSF funded Ecosynth project. The photo is one of more than 1300 frames taken to create a composite scan of the landscape
in which the farm is located, and was taken on July/08/13. Photo copyright Dana Nadwodny. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
CRC Press
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© 2015 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business
No claim to original U.S. Government works
Version Date: 20141125
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4987-2846-1 (eBook - PDF)
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This book is dedicated to Alf and Ruth Heller, for believing in agroecology,
encouraging community, and fostering positive change at every opportunity

Contents
Foreword ......................................................................................................................................................................................ix
Preface..........................................................................................................................................................................................xi
Author .........................................................................................................................................................................................xv
Recommendations for Using This Textbook ............................................................................................................................xvii
Section i introduction to Agroecology
Chapter 1 Case for Fundamental Change in Agriculture ........................................................................................................3
Chapter 2 Agroecology and the Agroecosystem Concept .....................................................................................................21
Section ii Plants and Abiotic Factors of the environment
Chapter 3 The Plant ...............................................................................................................................................................35
Chapter 4 Light ......................................................................................................................................................................43
Chapter 5 Temperature ...........................................................................................................................................................55
Chapter 6 Humidity and Rainfall ..........................................................................................................................................67
Chapter 7 Wind ......................................................................................................................................................................79
Chapter 8 Soil.........................................................................................................................................................................89
Chapter 9 Water in the Soil ..................................................................................................................................................105
Chapter 10 Fire .......................................................................................................................................................................117
Section iii A More complete Autecological Perspective
Chapter 11 Biotic Factors ........................................................................................................................................................131
Chapter 12 The Environmental Complex ...............................................................................................................................143
Chapter 13 Heterotrophic Organisms ....................................................................................................................................149
vii
viii Contents
Section iV System-Level interactions
Chapter 14 Population Ecology of Agroecosystems ...............................................................................................................161
Chapter 15 Genetic Resources in Agroecosystems ................................................................................................................173
Chapter 16 Species Interactions in Crop Communities ..........................................................................................................191
Chapter 17 Agroecosystem Diversity ....................................................................................................................................203
Chapter 18 Disturbance, Succession, and Agroecosystem Management ..............................................................................221
Chapter 19 Animals in Agroecosystems ...............................................................................................................................237
Chapter 20 Energetics of Agroecosystems ............................................................................................................................253
Chapter 21 Landscape Diversity ............................................................................................................................................265
Section V the transition to Sustainability
Chapter 22 Converting to Ecologically Based Management .................................................................................................277
Chapter 23 Indicators of Sustainability .................................................................................................................................287
Section Vi Bringing about a Sustainable World Food System
Chapter 24 Agriculture, Society, and Agroecology ...............................................................................................................301
Chapter 25 Community and Culture in the Remaking of the Food System ...........................................................................315
Chapter 26 From Sustainable Agroecosystems to a Sustainable Food System .....................................................................335
Glossary ...................................................................................................................................................................................345
References .................................................................................................................................................................................351