Agroecology: Agroecosystems and Sustainability

The study of ecological processes that are applied to agricultural production is referred to as agroecology. The basic unit of study in agroecology is an agroecosystem. The study of living and non-living components that are involved in that unit as well as their interactions is also conducted within this domain. A variety of agroecosystems are studied under agroecology. Some of the system properties of agroecosystems that are studied in this field are sustainability, stability, productivity and equitability. It is a multidisciplinary field which includes various sciences such as ecology, agronomy, economics, sociology and many others. Agroecology uses these sciences in order to understand the elements of ecosystem such as plant-insect interactions and soil properties. It also uses social sciences to understand the effects of farming practices on rural communities, economic constraints to developing the production methods and the cultural factors which determine the farming practices. This book contains some path-breaking studies in the field of agroecology. While understanding the long-term perspectives of the topics, it makes an effort in highlighting their impact as a modern tool for the growth of the discipline. This book is a vital tool for all researching and studying this field.