Soil Health and Intensification of Agroecosystems

__Soil Health and Intensification of Agroecosystems__ examines the climate, environmental, and human effects on agroecosystems and how the existing paradigms must be revised in order to establish sustainable production. The increased demand for food and fuel exerts tremendous stress on all aspects of natural resources and the environment to satisfy an ever increasing world population, which includes the use of agriculture products for energy and other uses in addition to human and animal food. The book presents options for ecological systems that mimic the natural diversity of the ecosystem and can have significant effect as the world faces a rapidly changing and volatile climate. The book explores the introduction of sustainable agroecosystems that promote biodiversity, sustain soil health, and enhance food production as ways to help mitigate some of these adverse effects. New agroecosystems will help define a resilient system that can potentially absorb some of the extreme shifts in climate. Changing the existing cropping system paradigm to utilize natural system attributes by promoting biodiversity within production agricultural systems, such as the integration of polycultures, will also enhance ecological resiliency and will likely increase carbon sequestration. Content: Front-matter,Copyright,List of Contributors,PrefaceEntitled to full textChapter 1 - Fundamentals and Functions of Soil Environment, Pages 1-23, Mahdi M. Al-Kaisi, Rattan Lal, Kenneth R. Olson, Birl Lowery Chapter 2 - Climate Variability Effects on Agriculture Land Use and Soil Services, Pages 25-50, Jerry L. Hatfield, Christian Dold Chapter 3 - Soil Health Concerns Facing Dryland Agroecosystems, Pages 51-77, Bobby A. Stewart Chapter 4 - Conservation Agriculture Systems to Mitigate Climate Variability Effects on Soil Health, Pages 79-107, Mahdi M. Al-Kaisi, Rattan Lal Chapter 5 - Conventional Agricultural Production Systems and Soil Functions, Pages 109-125, Francisco J. Arriaga, Jose Guzman, Birl Lowery Chapter 6 - Integration of Annual and Perennial Cover Crops for Improving Soil Health, Pages 127-150, Abbey Wick, Marisol Berti, Yvonne Lawley, Mark Liebig Chapter 7 - Perennial-Based Agricultural Systems and Livestock Impact on Soil and Ecological Services, Pages 151-171, John Hendrickson, Matt Sanderson Chapter 8 - Intensified Agroecosystems and Their Effects on Soil Biodiversity and Soil Functions, Pages 173-193, Mathew E. Dornbush, Adam C. von Haden Chapter 9 - Intensified Agroecosystems and Changes in Soil Carbon Dynamics, Pages 195-214, Abdullah Alhameid, Colin Tobin, Amadou Maiga, Sandeep Kumar, Shannon Osborne, Thomas Schumacher Chapter 10 - Agroecosystem Net Primary Productivity and Carbon Footprint, Pages 215-229, Jose Guzman, Mohammad H. Golabi Chapter 11 - Nutrient Cycling and Soil Biology in Row Crop Systems under Intensive Tillage, Pages 231-255, Yucheng Feng, Kipling S. Balkcom Chapter 12 - Row-Crop Production Practices Effects on Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Pages 257-275, Jane M.-F. Johnson, Virginia L. Jin, Caroline Colnenne-David, Catherine E. Stewart, Claudia Pozzi Jantalia, Zhengqin Xiong Chapter 13 - Low-Input and Intensified Crop Production Systems Effects on Soil Health and Environment, Pages 277-303, Sharon L. Weyers, Greta Gramig Chapter 14 - Agroforestry Practices and Soil Ecosystem Services, Pages 305-333, Ranjith P. Udawatta, Clark J. Gantzer, Shibu Jose Chapter 15 - Targeted Use of Perennial Grass Biomass Crops in and Around Annual Crop Production Fields to Improve Soil Health, Pages 335-352, Randall D. Jackson Chapter 16 - Biotechnology Impacts on Soil and Environmental Services, Pages 353-375, Robert J. Kremer Further Reading, Pages 377-378 Glossary, Pages 379-385 Index, Pages 387-400

Soil Health and Intensification of Agroecosystems examines the climate, environmental, and human effects on agroecosystems and how the existing paradigms must be revised in order to establish sustainable production. The increased demand for food and fuel exerts tremendous stress on all aspects of natural resources and the environment to satisfy an ever increasing world population, which includes the use of agriculture products for energy and other uses in addition to human and animal food.

The book presents options for ecological systems that mimic the natural diversity of the ecosystem and can have significant effect as the world faces a rapidly changing and volatile climate. The book explores the introduction of sustainable agroecosystems that promote biodiversity, sustain soil health, and enhance food production as ways to help mitigate some of these adverse effects.

New agroecosystems will help define a resilient system that can potentially absorb some of the extreme shifts in climate. Changing the existing cropping system paradigm to utilize natural system attributes by promoting biodiversity within production agricultural systems, such as the integration of polycultures, will also enhance ecological resiliency and will likely increase carbon sequestration.

• Focuses on the intensification and integration of agroecosystem and soil resiliency by presenting suggested modifications of the current cropping system paradigm
• Examines climate, environment, and human effects on agroecosystems
• Explores in depth the wide range of intercalated soil and plant interactions as they influence soil sustainability and, in particular, soil quality
• Presents options for ecological systems that mimic the natural diversity of the ecosystem and can have significant effect as the world faces a rapidly changing and volatile climate

Front Cover -- Soil Health and Intensification of Agroecosystems -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- List of Contributors -- Preface -- 1 Fundamentals and Functions of Soil Environment -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 Soil Properties and Interrelationships -- 1.2.1 Soil Physical Environment -- 1.2.2 Components of the Total Soil-Water Potential -- 1.2.3 Water Movement and Governing Forces -- 1.2.4 Soil Structure and Water Pathways -- 1.2.5 Soil Temperature -- 1.2.6 Soil Aggregate Formation and Structure -- 1.3 Soil Biological Environment -- 1.3.1 Soil-Plant Relationship -- 1.3.2 Soil-Root Interface and Nutrient Cycling -- 1.3.2.1 Nitrogen cycle -- 1.3.2.2 Carbon Cycle -- 1.3.2.3 Water cycle -- 1.3.3 Soil Environment and Microbial Diversity -- 1.4 Soil Chemical Environment -- 1.4.1 Soil Nutrient Capacity and Supply -- 1.4.2 Nutrient Cycling -- 1.4.3 Nutrient Pathways and Mechanisms -- 1.5 Conclusions -- References -- 2 Climate Variability Effects on Agriculture Land Use and Soil Services -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Climate Variables and Temporal Trends -- 2.2.1 Temperature -- 2.2.2 Precipitation -- 2.2.3 Extreme Events in Precipitation -- 2.2.4 Meteorological Variables (Solar Radiation, Wind, Humidity) -- 2.3 Patterns of Agriculture Land Use -- 2.3.1 Crop Distribution and Agroclimatology -- 2.3.1.1 Temperature effects -- 2.3.1.2 Precipitation effects -- 2.3.2 Interaction Between Climate Change and Soil Productivity -- 2.4 Role of Soil Services in Mitigating Effects of Climate Variability -- 2.5 Implications of Soil Health to Offset Climate Variability -- 2.6 Conclusions -- References -- 3 Soil Health Concerns Facing Dryland Agroecosystems -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Soil Health in Dryland Agroecosystems -- 3.2.1 Difficulty of Enhancing Soil Health in Areas with Increasing Temperatures and Decreasing Precipitation Soil Health and Intensification of Agroecosystems examines the climate, environmental, and human effects on agroecosystems and how the existing paradigms must be revised in order to establish sustainable production. The increased demand for food and fuel exerts tremendous stress on all aspects of natural resources and the environment to satisfy an ever increasing world population, which includes the use of agriculture products for energy and other uses in addition to human and animal food. The book presents options for ecological systems that mimic the natural diversity of the ecosystem and can have significant effect as the world faces a rapidly changing and volatile climate. The book explores the introduction of sustainable agroecosystems that promote biodiversity, sustain soil health, and enhance food production as ways to help mitigate some of these adverse effects. New agroecosystems will help define a resilient system that can potentially absorb some of the extreme shifts in climate. Changing the existing cropping system paradigm to utilize natural system attributes by promoting biodiversity within production agricultural systems, such as the integration of polycultures, will also enhance ecological resiliency and will likely increase carbon sequestration.-- Source other than Library of Congress