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Unit 1: Basic Ecological Concepts and Principles Related to Agricultural Systems

Take-home Message for Agroecosystem Managers

Location and related climatic factors (e.g., soil type, temperature ranges, amount and distribution of rainfall, length of growing season) place limits on what kind of agriculture can be practiced in particular regions. Humans can modify those constraints to some extent—for example with irrigation or by constructing drainage systems—but there are costs associated with those kinds of changes. To enhance agricultural sustainability, agroecosystem managers recognize and work within their environmental limitations, and at the same time take advantage of technological advances to address ecosystem constraints and gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. Many of the practices discussed in Unit 2 of this course are directed toward balancing these goals.