Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #50488 in Books
• Published on: 2006-11-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 408 pages

Review
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 agricultural courses.  It deserves to be widely used.
— Jules Pretty OBE in Cambridge University Press Vol. 43, 2007

…… very clearly and thoroughly educates the reader in the principles of ecology, while making the case that to approach sustainability, agriculture must be ecologically based. … equally valuable to agriculture students whose course of study follows more conventional dogma; graduate students in rural sociology and agricultural economics; and those planning careers dealing with food security, community development, and agricultural policy issues.
-- J.C. Mayne, USDA Southern SARE program, University of Georgia, American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, Vol. 15

…… very clearly and thoroughly educates the reader in the principles of ecology, while making the case that to approach sustainability, agriculture must be ecologically based. … equally valuable to agriculture students whose course of study follows more conventional dogma; graduate students in rural sociology and agricultural economics; and those planning careers dealing with food security, community development, and agricultural policy issues.
-- J.C. Mayne, USDA Southern SARE program, University of Georgia, American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, Vol. 15

Customer Reviews

BEST BOOK ON AGROECOLOGY
I highly recommend the Book Agroecology by Steve Gliessman. It reflects indepth knowledge of agricultural issues of today food production systems. Those of us interested in challenging thoughts and ideas to achieve sustainability must look at the contributions of this book. Some chapters demand basic knowledge of Ecology while other chapters demand higher level of ecology and Biology. The book provides examples from different parts of the world (tropical and temperate zones) so that it should be very useful to agronomists, and agroecologists from countries other than the US. As an agroecologist I highly recommend this book. I find it very useful to teach Agroecology and Ecology, in both agricultural schools and Biology students.

EASY TO READ: and
so most text books are really dificult to fallow. NOT THIS ONE. it's easy to read the chapters, at about 10 pages of easy to to read print with a high degree of readability. This book is about CONCEPTS. it's just that simple not real indepth. i think the first comment should drop out of college because if he can't read this book, he just wont make it in the real world.

This book is taking concepts about our enviroment and using them in our agricultural production. however he spends alot of time talking about mexico, which has some huge enviromental hinderances. This book isn't indepth, not technical it's just an "idealistic" way of production.

The class i had the book in was about the ecology of agriculture with an emphasis on recognizing sustanible systems.

This Book Could Save You a Bundle on Prescription Sleep Medication
I agree with the "No Doz" reviewer. Agroecology need charismatic promotion, not a plow-speed lecture on soil chemistry. This book, likes its author, should be put to pasture.