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Author: Mario Giampietro
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 9780849310676
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 474
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Book Description
Ecologists, agronomists, and others who may question the validity of current models for determining sustainable growth of agroecosystems, need a new set of analytical tools that more effectively address the complex nature of related processes. Those who challenge traditional assumptions of optimization and static factors in agricultural modeling demand new methods beyond differential equations and traditional statistical tests. Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Agroecosystems explores alternative ways to study agricultural sustainability, presenting new approaches to organizing data and applying complex systems theory to actual cases. This innovative text recognizes the changing dynamics of the multiple processes and cross-relations within an environment, proposing a clearer analysis of agroecosystems than that which can be provided by rigid, reductionist methods. Main concepts, new vocabulary and narratives, and practical examples open the book, followed by technical chapters that provide a more detailed explanation of concepts. The final section of the book presents a tool kit based on these concepts, resulting in strong support of empirical observations that challenge traditional notions regarding the sustainability of farming systems, food systems, and agroecosystems.
Author: Mario Giampietro
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 9780849310676
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 474
Get Book Here
Book Description
Ecologists, agronomists, and others who may question the validity of current models for determining sustainable growth of agroecosystems, need a new set of analytical tools that more effectively address the complex nature of related processes. Those who challenge traditional assumptions of optimization and static factors in agricultural modeling demand new methods beyond differential equations and traditional statistical tests. Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Agroecosystems explores alternative ways to study agricultural sustainability, presenting new approaches to organizing data and applying complex systems theory to actual cases. This innovative text recognizes the changing dynamics of the multiple processes and cross-relations within an environment, proposing a clearer analysis of agroecosystems than that which can be provided by rigid, reductionist methods. Main concepts, new vocabulary and narratives, and practical examples open the book, followed by technical chapters that provide a more detailed explanation of concepts. The final section of the book presents a tool kit based on these concepts, resulting in strong support of empirical observations that challenge traditional notions regarding the sustainability of farming systems, food systems, and agroecosystems.
Author: D.S. Rothman
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 0203971000
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 374
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Book Description
A collection of papers prepared for the European Forum on Integrated Environmental Assessment's (EFIEA) Policy Workshop on Scaling Issues in Integrated Assessment, held from 12-19 July 2000.
Author: World Bank
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 0821386840
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 685
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Book Description
Managing the ability of agriculture to meet rising global demand and to respond to the changes and opportunities will require good policy, sustained investments, and innovation - not business as usual. Investments in public Research and Development, extension, education, and their links with one another have elicited high returns and pro-poor growth, but these investments alone will not elicit innovation at the pace or on the scale required by the intensifying and proliferating challenges confronting agriculture. Experience indicates that aside from a strong capacity in Research and Development, the ability to innovate is often related to collective action, coordination, the exchange of knowledge among diverse actors, the incentives and resources available to form partnerships and develop businesses, and conditions that make it possible for farmers or entrepreneurs to use the innovations. While consensus is developing about what is meant by 'innovation' and 'innovation system', no detailed blueprint exists for making agricultural innovation happen at a given time, in a given place, for a given result. The AIS approach that looks at these multiple conditions and relationships that promote innovation in agriculture, has however moved from a concept to a sub-discipline with principles of analysis and action. AIS investments must be specific to the context, responding to the stage of development in a particular country and agricultural sector, especially the AIS. This sourcebook contributes to identifying, designing, and implementing the investments, approaches, and complementary interventions that appear most likely to strengthen AIS and to promote agricultural innovation and equitable growth. It emphasizes the lessons learned, benefits and impacts, implementation issues, and prospects for replicating or expanding successful practices. The information in this sourcebook derives from approaches that have been tested at different scales in different contexts. It reflects the experiences and evolving understanding of numerous individuals and organizations concerned with agricultural innovation, including the World Bank. This information is targeted to the key operational staff in international and regional development agencies and national governments who design and implement lending projects and to the practitioners who design thematic programs and technical assistance packages. The sourcebook can also be an important resource for the research community and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).
Author: Todd S. Rosenstock
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319297945
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 217
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Book Description
This book provides standards and guidelines for quantifying greenhouse gas emissions and removals in smallholder agricultural systems and comparing options for climate change mitigation based on emission reductions and livelihood trade-offs. Globally, agriculture is directly responsible for about 11% of annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and induces an additional 17% through land use change, mostly in developing countries. Farms in the developing countries of sub-Saharan Africa and Asia are predominately managed by smallholders, with 80% of land holdings smaller than ten hectares. However, little to no information exists on greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation potentials in smallholder agriculture. Greenhouse gas measurements in agriculture are expensive, time consuming, and error prone, challenges only exacerbated by the heterogeneity of smallholder systems and landscapes. Concerns over methodological rigor, measurement costs, and the diversity of approaches, coupled with the demand for robust information suggest it is germane for the scientific community to establish standards of measurements for quantifying GHG emissions from smallholder agriculture. Standard guidelines for use by scientists, development organizations will help generate reliable data on emissions baselines and allow rigorous comparisons of mitigation options. The guidelines described in this book, developed by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS) and partners, are intended to inform anyone conducting field measurements of agricultural greenhouse gas sources and sinks, especially to develop IPCC Tier 2 emission factors or to compare mitigation options in smallholder systems.
Author: Jules N. Pretty
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136529276
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 292
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Book Description
Continued population growth, rapidly changing consumption patterns and the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation are driving limited resources of food, energy, water and materials towards critical thresholds worldwide. These pressures are likely to be substantial across Africa, where countries will have to find innovative ways to boost crop and livestock production to avoid becoming more reliant on imports and food aid. Sustainable agricultural intensification - producing more output from the same area of land while reducing the negative environmental impacts - represents a solution for millions of African farmers. This volume presents the lessons learned from 40 sustainable agricultural intensification programmes in 20 countries across Africa, commissioned as part of the UK Government's Foresight project. Through detailed case studies, the authors of each chapter examine how to develop productive and sustainable agricultural systems and how to scale up these systems to reach many more millions of people in the future. Themes covered include crop improvements, agroforestry and soil conservation, conservation agriculture, integrated pest management, horticulture, livestock and fodder crops, aquaculture, and novel policies and partnerships.
Author: Marc F.P. Bierkens
Publisher: Peterson's
ISBN: 9780792363392
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 204
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Book Description
Environmental studies typically involve the combination of dynamic models with data sources at various spatial and temporal scales. Also, the scale of the model output is rarely in tune with the scale at which decision-makers require answers or implement environmental measures. Consequently, the question has been raised how to obtain results at the appropriate scale. Models, usually developed at the scale of a research project, have to be applied to larger areas (extrapolation), with incomplete data coverage (interpolation) and to different supports (upscaling and downscaling) to facilitate studies for decision-makers. This book gives an overview of the various problems involved, and focuses on a description of upscaling and downscaling methods that are known to exist. Furthermore, this book is the first in its kind in that it contains a decision support system that advises the practitioner on which upscaling or downscaling method to use in his specific context. This book is meant for an audience of MSc- and PhD-students, applied researchers and practitioners in soil science, hydrology, (agro) ecology, agronomy and the environmental sciences in general.
Author: John A. Dixon
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
ISBN: 9789251046272
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 424
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Book Description
A joint FAO and World Bank study which shows how the farming systems approach can be used to identify priorities for the reduction of hunger and poverty in the main farming systems of the six major developing regions of the world.
Author:
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO)
ISBN: 9789251084854
Category : Agricultural industries
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Book Description
The Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture Systems (SAFA) Guidelines were developed for assessing the impact of food and agriculture operations on the environment and people. The guiding vision of SAFA is that food and agriculture systems worldwide are characterized by all four dimensions of sustainability: good governance, environmental integrity, economic resilience and social well-being.
Author: Claudia R. Binder
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 110847179X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 523
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Book Description
Provides guidelines for assessing the sustainability of urban systems including theory, methods and case studies.
Author: Ralf Seppelt
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 352730732X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 310
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Book Description
Here, the author provides professionals in environmental research and management with the information they need with respect to computer modeling: An understanding of the mathematical fundamentals and the choice of the optimal approach and corresponding software for their particular task. Numerous illustrations, flowcharts and graphs, partly in color, as well as worked examples help in comprehending complex mathematical tasks and their solutions without the use of confusing mathematical formalism. Case studies form various fields of environmental research, such as landscape ecology, environmental assessment, population ecology, hydrology, and agroecology, facilitate the application of simulation models to the solution of real-world problems. Contains a detailed summary of currently available software tools and the application in spatially explicit simulation based on geographic information systems. The worked examples and case studies cover a broad range of environmental systems and processes, adopting such modern mathematical methodology as partial differential equations, fuzzy logic, hybrid Petri nets, and optimum control theory. The result is a unique presentation of applications for high standards modeling and simulation methodologies in the interdisciplinary fields of environmental research.
