Download or read book Livestock Production and the Functioning of Agricultural Ecosystems Volume I written by Gary S. Kleppel and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2021-08-24 with total page 131 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Air Emissions from Animal Feeding Operations written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2003-04-07 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Air Emissions from Animal Feeding Operations: Current Knowledge, Future Needs discusses the need for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to implement a new method for estimating the amount of ammonia, nitrous oxide, methane, and other pollutants emitted from livestock and poultry farms, and for determining how these emissions are dispersed in the atmosphere. The committee calls for the EPA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish a joint council to coordinate and oversee short - and long-term research to estimate emissions from animal feeding operations accurately and to develop mitigation strategies. Their recommendation was for the joint council to focus its efforts first on those pollutants that pose the greatest risk to the environment and public health.
Download or read book Livestock s Long Shadow written by Henning Steinfeld and published by Food & Agriculture Org.. This book was released on 2006 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The assessment builds on the work of the Livestock, Environment and Development (LEAD) Initiative"--Pref.
Download or read book Livestock in a Changing Landscape Volume 1 written by Henning Steinfeld and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2013-03-06 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The rapidly changing nature of animal production systems, especially increasing intensification and globalization, is playing out in complex ways around the world. Over the last century, livestock keeping evolved from a means of harnessing marginal resources to produce items for local consumption to a key component of global food chains. Livestock in a Changing Landscape offers a comprehensive examination of these important and far-reaching trends. The books are an outgrowth of a collaborative effort involving international nongovernmental organizations including the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO), the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the Swiss College of Agriculture (SHL), the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), and the Scientific Committee for Problems of the Environment (SCOPE). Volume 1 examines the forces shaping change in livestock production and management; the resulting impacts on landscapes, land use, and social systems; and potential policy and management responses. Volume 2 explores needs and draws experience from region-specific contexts and detailed case studies. The case studies describe how drivers and consequences of change play out in specific geographical areas, and how public and private responses are shaped and implemented. Together, the volumes present new, sustainable approaches to the challenges created by fundamental shifts in livestock management and production, and represent an essential resource for policy makers, industry managers, and academics involved with this issue.
Download or read book Managing Biodiversity in Agricultural Ecosystems written by Devra Ivy Jarvis and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2007 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes how farmers manage, maintain, and benefit from biodiversity in agricultural production systems. Includes the most recent research and developments in the maintenance of local diversity at the genetic, species, and ecosystem levels.
Download or read book Liberating People Planet and Religion written by Joerg Rieger and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2024-05-29 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is growing consensus that life on the planet is in peril if climate change continues at its current pace. At stake is not only the future of many species but of humanity itself. As an increasing number of ecological economists have emphasized, these problems will only be adequately addressed by re-examining economic systems from an ecological perspective, fundamentally calling into question assumptions of unlimited growth and the maximization of shareholder profit foundational to neoliberal capitalism. Religion and ecology scholars have also increasingly emphasized the ways climate change challenges assumed divides between nature and culture, religion and labor, economy and ecology, and calls for critical and constructive engagement with the religion, economy, and ecology nexus. Often, though, religious engagements with economy and ecology have placed emphasis on individual morality, action, and agency at the level of consumption patterns or have suggested mere modifications within existing economic paradigms. Contributors to this volume call into question the adequacy of this approach in light of the urgency of climate change which is always ever entwined with ongoing patterns of exploitation, oppression, and colonialism in current economic systems. Rather than tweaking a system of exploitation, for instance by emphasizing individual consumption or care for human and non-human victims, these authors articulate important opportunities for religious engagement, activism, resistance, and solidarity around issues of production and labor. Recalling that Marx linked agencies and labor of people as well as the other-than-human world, these authors aim to articulate a sense in which liberation of people and the planet are intertwined and can be accomplished only through collaboration for their common good. The basic intuition driving this volume is that while Christianity has by and large become the handmaiden of exploitative capitalism and empire, it might also reclaim latent theologies and religious practices that call into question the fundamental valuation of labor without recognition or rest, of extractive exploitation, and a “winner take all” praxis. In the process, Christianity might reclaim and reinvest in tenuous historical materializations of transformed ecological and economic relationships while economics might be re-informed by a valuation of the shared oikos as well as a just accounting of and renumeration for labor. Together they might serve the aim of the flourishing of all people and the planet.
Download or read book Agriculture Livestock Production and Aquaculture written by Arvind Kumar and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-04-28 with total page 345 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This two-volume set discusses recent approaches and technological innovations for sustainable agriculture in smallholder farming systems impacted by climate change. The systems covered include crop-based agricultural production, as well as aquaculture and livestock production as related systems using similar techniques to combat food security issues brought about by climate change and resource overuse. The chapters detail innovations involving crop diversification, soil resilience management, geoinformatics and land suitability monitoring for smart farming, information technology in livestock production, and nutrient resource management in fishery aquaculture. Researchers, practitioners and industries will be able to use this information to implement socially and economically sustainable practices to achieve food security in impoverished areas vulnerable to climate change, while also learning about the rapid evolution in information technology that is applicable for and available to small holder farmers. Volume 1 focuses on current innovations in agricultural and livestock practices in response to climate change. It covers the technological challenges, approaches and mitigation strategies encountered by both scholars and practitioners working in livestock and agricultural production systems impacted by climate change.
Download or read book Climate Change and Agricultural Ecosystems written by Krishna Kumar Choudhary and published by Woodhead Publishing. This book was released on 2019-05-04 with total page 482 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Climate Change and Agricultural Ecosystems explains the causative factors of climate change related to agriculture, soil and plants, and discusses the relevant resulting mitigation process. Agricultural ecosystems include factors from the surrounding areas where agriculture experiences direct or indirect interaction with the plants, animals, and microbes present. Changes in climatic conditions influence all the factors of agricultural ecosystems, which can potentially adversely affect their productivity. This book summarizes the different aspects of vulnerability, adaptation, and amelioration of climate change in respect to plants, crops, soil, and microbes for the sustainability of the agricultural sector and, ultimately, food security for the future. It also focuses on the utilization of information technology for the sustainability of the agricultural sector along with the capacity and adaptability of agricultural societies under climate change. Climate Change and Agricultural Ecosystems incorporates both theoretical and practical aspects, and serves as base line information for future research. This book is a valuable resource for those working in environmental sciences, soil sciences, agricultural microbiology, plant pathology, and agronomy. Covers the role of chemicals fertilizers, environmental deposition, and xenobiotics in climate change Discusses the impact of climate change on plants, soil, microflora, and agricultural ecosystems Explores the mitigation of climate change by sustainable methods Presents the role of computational modelling in climate change mitigation
Download or read book Grassland Productivity and Ecosystem Services written by Gilles Lemaire and published by CABI. This book was released on 2011 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Grassland ecosystems are deeply affected by human activities and need appropriate management to optimise trade-offs between ecosystem functions and services. Until now they have mainly been analysed as agro-ecosystems for animal production but this book looks beyond the role of grassland as a feeding ground, and evaluates other important processes such as carbon sequestration in soils, greenhouse gas regulation and biodiversity protection. This authoritative volume expertly highlights the need for an immediate balance between agriculture and ecological management for sustainability in the futu.
Download or read book Grasslands of the World written by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and published by Food & Agriculture Org.. This book was released on 2005 with total page 548 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book brings together information on the contrasting characteristics, condition, present use and problems of the world's main natural grasslands. Since grassland is commercialized through the grazing animal, particular attention is paid to the livestock production systems associated with each main type. Grazing resources are more than simply edible herbage: many other factors have to be taken into account, notably water in all areas, and shelter in winter-cold climates. Seasonality of forage supply is a characteristic of almost all grazing lands, so the strategies for dealing with lean seasons are described. The main problems of each type are mentioned and possible strategies for their sustainable management discussed - taking into account their multiple functions, not only livestock production. The book is primarily aimed at agricultural scientists, educationalists, extensionists and decision-makers with interests in responsible use of extensive grasslands.
Download or read book Agroecology written by Konrad Martin and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-03-12 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book represents an interdisciplinary approach to the relevant aspects of agricultural production related to the interactions between natural processes, human activities and the environment. It provides condensed and comprehensive knowledge on the functions of various agroecosystems at the field, landscape and global scale. Understanding and integrating complex ecological processes into field production, land management and food systems is essential in order to deal with the challenges of modern crop and livestock production: the need for food security for the growing human population, and the necessity to combat the detrimental effects of food production on the environment. The book provides the scientific basis required by students and scientists involved in the development of sustainable agroecosystems and contributes to a range of disciplines including Agriculture, Biology, Geography, Landscape Ecology, Organic Farming, Biological Control, and Global Change Ecology.
Download or read book The Role of Livestock in Agricultural Development written by Regina Birner and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-12-07 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First published in 1999, this study aims to develop a theoretical framework for the analysis of livestock farming systems and their conditions of change. The framework should be generally applicable in developing countries and make it possible to analyse livestock farming in different agro-ecological regions. Secondly, Regina Birner applies the framework to a case study in Sri Lanka, the ecological conditions and agrarian structure of which is an excellent setting for studying the diverse factors influencing the action and change of livestock farming. Thirdly, Birner contributes to improving the planning basis for livestock developing policies in developing countries.
Download or read book Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function written by Ernst-Detlef Schulze and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 527 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The biota of the earth is being altered at an unprecedented rate. We are witnessing wholesale exchanges of organisms among geographic areas that were once totally biologically isolated. We are seeing massive changes in landscape use that are creating even more abundant succes sional patches, reductions in population sizes, and in the worst cases, losses of species. There are many reasons for concern about these trends. One is that we unfortunately do not know in detail the conse quences of these massive alterations in terms of how the biosphere as a whole operates or even, for that matter, the functioning of localized ecosystems. We do know that the biosphere interacts strongly with the atmospheric composition, contributing to potential climate change. We also know that changes in vegetative cover greatly influence the hydrology and biochemistry ofa site or region. Our knowledge is weak in important details, however. How are the many services that ecosystems provide to humanity altered by modifications of ecosystem composition? Stated in another way, what is the role of individual species in ecosystem function? We are observing the selective as well as wholesale alteration in the composition of ecosystems. Do these alterations matter in respect to how ecosystems operate and provide services? This book represents the initial probing of this central ques tion. It will be followed by other volumes in this series examining in depth the functional role of biodiversity in various ecosystems of the world.
Download or read book Managing Healthy Livestock Production and Consumption written by Nadia El-Hage Scialabba and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2021-12-02 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Managing Healthy Livestock Production and Consumption is a highly interdisciplinary resource based on scientific and empirical evidence. It is illustrated with best practices of low-input livestock systems from different continents and offers predictive modelling alternatives for a more resilient future. By addressing gaps of knowledge and presenting scientific perspective studies of livestock’s impact on the environment and the global food supply up to 2050, this book is useful for those advocating for sustainable food systems. Existing evidence of the effects of livestock production on food quality and nutrition is reviewed. Livestock production and consumption is a highly diverse topic where current publications only include/focus a single aspect of the issues, for example, greenhouse gas emissions or health impacts, leading to unilateral decisions such as refraining from meat consumption. However, animals are necessary to soil fertility and ecosystems balance and a more realistic resource is necessary for researchers, scientists, and policy makers. This book clarifies perceptions by presenting sound scientific evidence across livestock landscapes for the scientific community to better appreciate the ecological web of life and the social web of community related to livestock production. An edited work written by globally diverse scientists and practitioners, including field workers, technicians, and policy makers, this is a valuable resource for researchers, teachers, and development agents working in the area of sustainable livestock production and consumption of animal source foods. National, international organizations, policy makers, and donors interested in sustainable development of the livestock sector will also find the information here practical and applicable. Describes the public-health impacts of sustainable diets and livestock products Presents the impacts of livestock production on the environment and food supply Explores future scenarios (up to 2050) of low input livestock systems Includes current case studies of low input livestock systems that offer potential for scaling-up and replication for sustainable livestock futures
Download or read book The Farm as Natural Habitat written by Dana L. Jackson and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2002-04 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Farm as Natural Habitat is a vital new contribution to the debate about agriculture and its impacts on the land. Arising from the conviction that the agricultural landscape as a whole could be restored to a healthy diversity, the book challenges the notion that the dominant agricultural landscape -- bereft of its original vegetation and wildlife and despoiled by chemical runoff -- is inevitable if we are to feed ourselves. Contributors bring together insights and practices from the fields of conservation biology, sustainable agriculture, and environmental restoration to link agriculture and biodiversity, farming and nature, in celebrating a unique alternative to conventional agriculture.Rejecting the idea that "ecological sacrifice zones" are a necessary part of feeding a hungry world, the book offers compelling examples of an alternative agriculture that can produce not only healthful food, but fully functioning ecosystems and abundant populations of native species. Contributors include Collin Bode, George Boody, Brian DeVore, Arthur (Tex) Hawkins, Buddy Huffaker, Rhonda Janke, Richard Jefferson, Nick Jordan, Cheryl Miller, Heather Robertson, Carol Shennan, Judith Soule, Beth Waterhouse, and others.The Farm as Natural Habitat is both hopeful and visionary, grounded in real examples, and guided by a commitment to healthy land and thriving communities. It is the first book to offer a viable approach to addressing the challenges of protecting and restoring biodiversity on private agricultural land and is essential reading for anyone concerned with issues of land or biodiversity conservation, farming and agriculture, ecological restoration, or the health of rural communities and landscapes.
Download or read book Livestock farming systems written by R. Rubino and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2023-08-28 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Livestock farming increasingly means much more than just food production and product quality is no longer simply synonymous with food safety and the provision of energy and protein nutrients. This book examines the variety of reasons for this shift in thinking and provides a basis for a new approach to livestock farming systems. The topical issues for product quality based on local resources are addressed from a variety of angles, including genomics, land use, the consumer preference and human nutrition. The book focuses on the following topics, using examples from all over the world: the current change in views and values on quality of animal products; the specificity of traditional dairy and meat products and the technology of processing; the role of local breeds and traditional livestock farming systems in today’s society; the search for local avenues for sustainable development of livestock farming systems. The book serves as a reference point for scientists, practitioners in the livestock industry, teachers and students in animal sciences, national and international institutions and policy-makers. It is of interest to all those who wish to gain an overview of the current challenges in the establishment of priorities and the search for operational solutions for animal production development, while at the same time considering the benefit to consumers, the environment and local economies.
Download or read book Agroecology written by Stephen R. Gliessman and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2007 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Providing the theoretical and conceptual framework for this continually evolving field, Agroecology: The Ecology of Sustainable Food Systems, Second Edition explores environmental factors and complexities affecting agricultural crops and animals. Completely revised, updated, and reworked, the second edition contains new data, new readings, new issues and case studies, and new options. It includes two completely new chapters, one on the role of livestock animals in agroecosystems and one on the cultural and community aspects of sustainable food systems. The author clearly delineates the importance of using an ecosystem framework for determining if a particular agricultural practice, input, or management decision contributes or detracts from sustainability. He explains how the framework provides the ecological basis for the functioning of the chosen management strategy over the long-term. He also examines system level interactions, stressing the need for understanding the emergent qualities of populations, communities, and ecosystems and their roles in sustainable agriculture. Using examples of farming systems in a broad array of ecological conditions, the book demonstrates how to use an ecosystem approach to design and manage agroecosystems for sustainability.
