Description
Book SynopsisGlobal attention to biodiversity has expanded in the past decade. Agricultural biodiversity is the most important part of biodiversity for human survival, yet has been neglected as a topic. This book provides a broad review of current thinking on agrobiodiversity - what it is, how it is conserved, and how it can be better utilized in sustainable farming. It brings together contributions from a wide geographical and disciplinary background. Emphasis is placed on functional interactions between components of agrobiodiversity in a range of farming systems, illustrated by many case studies. The book relates the evolution of agrobiodiversity and its successful management to the broader environment and to the growing need to conserve biodiversity in productive agricultural systems. It is essential reading for ecologists, biologists and agricultural scientists.
Table of Contents1: Why agrobiodiversity? 2: The origins of agrobiodiversity in agriculture 3: The nature and role of crop biodiversity 4: Biodiversity in domesticated animals 5: The regulation and functional significance of soil biodiversity in agroecosystems 6: Pathogen biodiversity: its nature, characterization and consequences 7: Insect biodiversity in agroecosystems: function, value and optimization 8: Determinants of agrobiodiversity in the agricultural landscape 9: Traditional management of agrobiodiversity 10: Does plant breeding lead to a loss of genetic diversity? 11: The effects of pest management on biodiversity in agroecosystems 12: The effects of alternative tillage systems on biodiversity in agroecosystems 13: Seed management systems and effects on diversity 14: Conservation of agrobiodiversity 15: A conceptual framework for valuing on-farm genetic resources 16: Regulatory issues 17: Agrobiodiversity and natural biodiversity: some parallels 18: Optimizing biodiversity for productive agriculture
