GREEN
ECOLOGY
GLOSSARY
WHEN IT COMES
TO ECOLOGY
MOST COUNTRIES
ARE NOT
UNDER
DEVELOPED
BUT ARE
MIS-DEVELOPED.
PLANTS FOR CLEAN AIR
ECO-CITIES, LIVING MACHINES
PERMACULTURE
PERMACULTURE ZONES
RIPARIAN
BUFFER ZONE
HYPORHEIC ZONES
FLOODPLAINS
XERISCAPE
AGRARIAN
AGRARIANISM
AGRICULTURE
ECO/GREEN ENTREPRENEUR
AGRIBUSINESS
ECO-TOURISM
GRANTS
ROOFTOP GARDENS
TERRAFORMING
BRICOLAGE/BRICOLEURS
BIOMES
TREE-FREE PAPER
SWITCHGRASS
HEMP
ACID-FREE PAPER
BIOINTENSIVE MINI-FARMING
AGRITOURISM
GARBOLOGY
DESERTIFICATION
AGROECOLOGY
AGROECOSYSTEM
ARBORICULTURE
SECTION 1
LIVING
PLANTS
WINNING
THE BATTLE
FOR CLEAN AIR
If members of your family suffer frequently
from sore throats and stuffy noses, they
may be reacting to something more serious than
allergies or the common cold. Indoor air-contaminants
from seemingly benign sources you see everyday,
such as gas stoves, furniture, drapes, insulation
and carpets can cause a variety of maladies
that includes respiratory irritation, dizziness,
headaches, skin rashes, nausea and vomiting.
The good news for homeowners and office workers is
a low-cost,attractive solution does exist. Research
studies conducted by the National Aeronautic
and Space Administration(NASA)show you may be able
to remedy the situation by placing living green
plants throughout homes or office locations.
Dr.B.C.Wolverton, who conducted the original research
and continues to study the effect of living plants on the
environment. such common plants as, gerbera daisy, bamboo
palm, spider plant, marginata, mass cane, spathiphyllum,
janet craig, and english ivy lead the field in effectively
reducing levels of a number of noxious gases found in
almost every home or office building.
According to Wolventon, only 8 to 15 well placed plants
will sighificanly improve the air quality in the average
home. For the health of your family it appears to be
a sound investment.
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SECTION 2
ECO-CITIES
LIVING
MACHINES
The blending of architecture, solar, wind, biological
and electronic technologies with housing, food production,
and waste utilization, within an ecological and cultural
context, will be the basis of creating a new design science
for the post-petroleum era.
Living machines represents a conceptual
variant on intelligent machines, and has
mostly been associated with water the
treatment systems that make use of the
natural bioremediation processes such as
wetlands to remove contaminants from sewage
and other waste water sources.
The earliest living machines were developed
and designed by John Todd and Nancy Jack Todd
of Ocean Arks International, beginning in the
1990s.
John and Nancy Jack Todd have been pioneering
techniques for treating waste water through
the use of contained ecosystems they call
Living Machines.
Their prototypes have proven that wastes of
all kinds can become safe and cost-effective
inputs for the production of:
food,
non-food crops,
fish.
Recently, they have begun to apply their
approach toward building the foundations
of what they believe will be a new era
of urban food production.
What is a
Living Machine?
A Living Machine is an advanced biofilter
that has been designed to treat blackwater
sewage.
What demarks the living machine is the fact
that it does the job of eliminating the human
threat to our lakes, streams and oceans, through
the purification of our raw sewage.
For most people,
the difference between:
whitewater,
greywater,
blackwater,
is unknown.
There are three things that make this
innovative idea in biofiltration and
wastewater management a real Living
Machine,
aesthetic appeal,
reliable performance,
high quality final effluent,
suitable for a variety
of reuse applications.
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EMERGING
PRECEPTS OF
BIOLOGICAL
DESIGN
PRECEPT 1:
The living world is the matrix for all design.
PRECEPT 2:
Design should follow,not oppose,the laws of life.
PRECEPT 3:
Biological equity must determine design.
PRECEPT 4:
Design must reflect bioregionality.
PRECEPT 5:
Projects should be based on renewable
energy sources.
PRECEPT 6:
Design should be sustainable through the
integration of living systems.
PRECEPT 7:
Design should be coevolutionary with
the natural world.
PRECEPT 8:
Building and design should help heal the planet.
PRECEPT 9:
Design should follow a sacred ecology.
BY:
Nancy Jack Todd and John Todd
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ECO-CITIES
LINKS:
In Context
http://www.context.org/
EnviroEducation
http://www.EnviroEducation.com
THE GREEN CENTER
http://www.fuzzylu.com/greencenter/index.htm
Living Designs Group
http://www.livingdesignsgroup.com/
NEW ALCHEMY
http://www.fuzzylu.com/greencenter/list.htm
Rainwater Harvesting Guide
http://www.rain-barrel.net/
OCEAN ARKS INTERNATIONAL
http://www.oceanarks.org/
WHOLE EARTH MAGAZINE
http://www.wholeearthmag.com
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SECTION 3
PERMACULTURE
A safe and sustainable, complete system.
This system is designed so that the
species composition, array and
organization of plants and animals are
the central factor.
BILL MOLLISON
Literally means permanent agriculture.
A model of biological divereity and
complementary agricultural practices.
Promotes a sustainable environment via
the interplay of natural ecosystems.
Intelligenlly combines the factors of
site location, recycling of by-products
from farming and forest activities,
species diversity and biological
succession.
Permaculture is a design system which
aims to create sustainable habitats by
following nature's patterns.
The word 'permaculture', coined by the
Australians Bill Mollison and David
Holmgren during the 1970s, is derived
as a contraction of permanent agriculture,
or permanent culture.
The idea of permaculture is considered
among the most significant innovations
developed by Australians in the century
since Australian federation.
However like "nature", the permaculture
concept evolves with time making its
definition difficult.
Today permaculture can best be described
as an ethical design system applicable to
food production and land use, as well as
community building.
It seeks the creation of productive and
sustainable ways of living by:
integrating ecology,
landscape,
organic gardening,
architecture,
agroforestry.
The focus is not on these elements themselves,
but rather on the relationships created among
them by the way they are placed together;
The whole becoming greater
than the sum of its parts.
Permaculture is also about careful and contemplative
observation of nature and natural systems, and of
recognizing universal patterns and principles, then
learning to apply these ‘ecological truisms’ to one’s
own circumstances.
Permaculture as a broad-based and holistic approach
that has many applications to all aspects of life.
At the heart of permaculture design and practice is
a fundamental set of ‘core values’ or ethics which
remain constant whatever a person's situation, whether
they are creating systems for town planning or trade;
whether the land they care for is only a windowbox or
an entire forest.
These 3 'ethics' are
often summarised as;
Earthcare:
Recognising that the Earth is the source of all life
and is possibly itself a living entity- see the Gaia
theory) and that we recognise and respect that the
Earth is our valuable home and we are a part of the
Earth, not apart from it.
Peoplecare:
Supporting and helping each other to change to ways
of living that are not harming ourselves or the
planet, and to develop healthy societies.
Fairshares:
or placing limits
to consumption,
Ensuring that the Earth's limited resources are
utilized in ways that are equitable and wise,
Observation,
Boundaries,
Resources,
Evaluation,
Design,
Implementation,
Maintenance.
Observation allows you to first see how the
site functions within itself, to gain an
understanding of its initial relationships.
Some people recommend a year long observation
of a site before anything is planted.
During this period all factors, such as lay
of the land, natural flora, can be brought
into the design. A year allows the site to
be observed through all seasons.
BOUNDARIES
Boundaries refer to physical ones as well as
to those your neighbours might place on you,
for example.
RESOURCES:
Resources would include the people involved,
funding, as well as what you can grow or
produce in the future.
EVALUATION:
Evaluation of the first three will then
allow you to prepare for the next three.
This is a careful phase of taking stock
of what you have at hand to work with.
DESIGN:
Design is always a creative and intensive
process, and you must stretch your ability
to see the possible future synergetic
relationships.
IMPLEMENTATION:
Implementation is literally the ground-breaking
part of the process when you carefully dig and
shape the site.
MAINTENANCE:
Maintenance is then required to keep your site
at a healthy optimum, making minor adjustments
as necessary. Good design will preclude the need
for any major adjustments.
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SECTION 3A
PERMACULTURE
ZONES
PERMACULTURE
ZONES
Permaculture zones classify three dimensional
areas according to the amount of human attention
needed to maintain the sustainable function of
each zone.
Zone 0
The house,
home centre.
Here permaculture principles would be applied in
terms of aiming to reduce energy and water needs,
harnessing natural resources such as sunlight,
and generally creating a harmonious sustainable
environment in which to live, work and relax.
Zone 1
Is the zone nearest to the house, the location for
those elements in the system that require frequent
attention, or that need to be visited often.
Zone 2
The vegetable garden, larger scale compost bins
and maybe bee hives.
Zone 3
Is the area where crops are grown, both for domestic
and trading purposes. Would include orchards. After
establishment, care and maintenance requirements are
fairly minimal providing mulches, etc. are used.
Watering or weed control is once a week or so.
Zone 4
Is semi-wild. Used for timber production from coppice
managed woodland and the placement of aquaculture ponds.
Zone 5
The wilderness. There is no human intervention here
apart from the observation of natural eco-systems
and cycles. Here is where we learn the most important
lessons of the first permaculture principle of working
with nature, not against it.
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PERMACULTURE
LINKS
PERMACULTURE
http://www.pix.2a/mbs/body/perma.htm
PERMACULTURE
http://www.permaculture.co.uk/erc/gard.htm
PERMACULTURE DRYLANDS
http://www.members.aol.com/pdrylands/pd1home.htm
PERMACULTURE GLOBAL ASISTANCE
http://www.peg.apc.org
PERMACULTURE INTERNATIONAL
http://www.NOR.COM
permaculture links
http://www.metalab.unc.edu/london/permaculture.html
PERMACULTURE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
http://www.permaculture.org
PERMACULTURE RESOURCES
http://www.permaculture-institute.org/resources.html
PERMACULTURE ACTIVIST
http://www.permacultureactivist.net
PERMACULTURE PLANTS
http://www.permacultureplants.com
ENVIROLINK
http://envirolink.org/
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
http://iisd1.iisd.ca/
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SECTION 4
RIPARIAN
BUFFER ZONES
HYPORHEIC ZONES
FLOODPLAIN
RIPARIAN
Riparian Forest Buffers are natural or
re-established streamside forests made
up of tree, shrub, and grass plantings.
They buffer non-point source pollution
of waterways from adjacent land, reduce
bank erosion, protect aquatic environments,
enhance wildlife, and increase
biodiversity.
RIPARIAN ZONE:
Riparian zone is the interface between land
and a flowing surface water body.
They are typically characterized by hydrophilic
vegetation and are often subject to flooding.
Riparian zones are significant in ecology,
environmental management and civil engineering
due to their role in soil conservation, their
biodiversity and the influence they have on
aquatic ecosystems.
Riparian zones occur in
many forms including:
Grassland,
Woodland,
Wetland,
non-vegetative.
In some regions the terms:
riparian woodland,
riparian forest,
riparian buffer zone,
riparian strip,
are used to characterize
a riparian zone.
Riparian zones may be natural or engineered
for soil stabilization or restoration. These
zones are important natural biofilters,
protecting aquatic environments from excessive
sedimentation, polluted surface runoff and
erosion.
They supply shelter and food for many aquatic
animals and shade that is an important part of
stream temperature regulation.
When riparian zones are damaged by construction,
agriculture or silvaculture, biological restoration
can take place, usually by human intervention in
erosion control and revegetation.
If the area adjacent to a watercourse has standing
water or saturated soil for as long as a season, it
is normally termed a wetland due to its hydric soil
characteristics.
Some of the important functions of riparian zones are:
Dissipate stream energy:
Meandering curves of a river, combined with vegetation
and root systems dissipate stream energy, resulting in
less soil erosion and a reduction in flood damage.
Trap sediment:
Reduce suspended sediments creates less turbid water and
replenishes soils and build stream banks.
Filter pollutants from surface runoff and enhance water
quality.
Provide wildlife habitat, increase biodiversity and
forage for wildlife and livestock.
Provide wildlife corridors: enable aquatic and reparian
organisms to move along river systems avoiding isolated
communities.
Provide native landscape irrigation by extending seasonal
or perennial flows of water.
Recharge aquifers (supply groundwater).
The assortment of riparian zone trees varies from those of
wetlands and typically consists of plants that either are
emergent aquatic plants, or herbs, trees and shrubs that
thrive in proximity to water.
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RIPARIAN
LINKS
CONNECTICUT RIVER
JOINT COMMISSION
http://www.crjc.org/
CROP INFO
http://www.cropinfo.net/
COWS AND FISH
http://www.cowsandfish.org/
NATIONAL AGROFORESTRY CENTER
http://www.unl.edu/nac/index.html/
NATIONAL INTERAGENCY
FIRE CENTER
http://www.nifc.gov/
NORTH AMERICAN NATIVE
FISH ASSOCIATION
http://www.nanfa.org/
RIPARIAN INSTITUTE
http://www.riparianinstitute.org/
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SECTION 4A
BUFFER
ZONES
A buffer zone is an undeveloped
area directly adjacent to a body
of water. Buffers can be comprised
of existing plants on the site and/or
new plantings. Buffer zones include
aquatic plants in shallow water,
moisture-loving plants along the shore,
and upland plants in dry soils.
The primary purposes of
buffer zones are to:
Reduce runoff by increasing stormwater
infiltration into soil. Less runoff means
less nutrients and other pollutants entering
the water, these excess nutrients are the
primary cause of algal blooms and increased
aquatic plant growth.
-Stabilize soils with plant root systems.
-Reduce shore line erosion due to wave action.
-Purify water with aquatic vegetation.
-Improve wildlife and fish habitat by
providing food, shelter, and shade.
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BUFFER
ZONES
LINKS
BEYOND INTRACTABILITY
http://www.beyondintractability.org/
CONSERVATION ECONOMY
http://www.conservationeconomy.net/
THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI
RIVER CONSERVATION COMMITTEE
http://www.lmrcc.org/
THE STORMWATER MANAGER'S
RESOURCE CENTER
http://www.stormwatercenter.net/
THE WILDLANDS PROJECT
http://www.twp.org/
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SECTION 4B
HYPORHEIC
ZONES
Hyporheic zones are areas where the water
in a stream diverges from the main channel
into sediments below the stream, gravel bars
next to the stream or organic debris dams in
the middle of the stream.
DENITRIFICATION
Denitrification is an anaerobic microbial
process that converts nitrate (NO3-), a
cause of eutrophication in salt waters,
into nitrogen (N) gas.
Hyporheic zones can be important sites for
denitrification if they contain enough organic
matter and support enough microbial activity
(that consumes oxygen) to allow for anaerobic
conditions to develop.
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HYPORHEIC
ZONES
LINKS
AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION
http://www.agu.org/
BALTIMORE ECOSYSTEM STUDY
http://www.beslter.org/
INGENTACONNECT
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
http://www.nsf.gov/
NORTH AMERICAN
BENTHOLOGICAL SOCIETY
http://www.benthos.org/
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SECTION 4C
FLOODPLAINS
FLOODPLAINS
An area of wetlands that can
absorb large amounts of water
when it rains and rivers rise,
so they provide water control.
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FLOODPLAINS
LINKS
CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC
http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/
CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
http://www.cangeo.ca/
THE FLOODPLAINS
MANAGEMENT WEB SITE
http://www.floodplain.org/
MARQUETTE COUNTY COMMUNITY
INFORMATION SYSTEM
http://www.mqtinfo.org/
SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF URBAN
RIVERS AND FLOODPLAINS
http://www.smuf-project.info/
WISE USE OF FLOODPLAINS
http://www.floodplains.org.uk/
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SECTION 5
XERISCAPE
Xeriscape landscapes are defined as
"quality landscaping that conserves
water and protects the environment."
There are seven principles associated
with Xeriscape landscap.
XERISCAPE PRINCIPLES
1. Planning and Design
2. Soil Improvement
3. Appropriate Plant Selection
4. Practical Turf Areas
5. Efficient Irrigation
6. Use of Mulches
7. Appropriate Maintenance
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XERISCAPE
LINKS
AMERICAN WATER
WORKS ASSOCIATION
http://www.waterwiser.org/
GREEN BUILDER
http://www.greenbuilder.com/
THE WATERWISE GARDEN
http://www.thewaterwisegarden.com/
WENDY WOODING
http://www.wendywooding.com/
XERISCAPE
http://www.xeriscape.org/
XERISCAPE COUNCIL
OF NEW MEXICO
http://www.xeriscapenm.com/
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SECTION 6
AGRARIAN
AGRARIAN:
Of the land, relating to science,
of the land or the management
of land.
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SECTION 6B
AGRARIANISM
AGRARIANISM:
Agrarianism by the following basic tenets:
Cultivation of the soil provides direct
contact with nature;
through the contact with nature the
agrarian is blessed with a closer
relationship to God.
Farming has
within it
a positive
spiritual good;
the farmer acquires
the virtues of:
"honor,
manliness,
self-reliance,
courage,
moral integrity,
hospitality"
and follows the example
of God when creating
order out of chaos.
The farmer "has a sense of identity,
a sense of historical and religious
tradition, a feeling of belonging to
a concrete family, place, and region,
which are psychologically and the
culturally beneficial.
" The harmony of this life checks the
encroachments of a fragmented, alienated
modern society which has grown to inhuman
scale.
In contrast, farming offers total independence
and self-sufficiency. It has a solid, stable
position in the world order. But urban life,
capitalism, and technology destroy our
independence and dignity while fostering vice
and weakness within us.
The agricultural community can provide checks
and balances against the imbalances of modern
society by its fellowship of labor and the
cooperation with other agrarians, while obeying
the rhythms of nature.
The agrarian community is the model society
for mankind.
Agrarianism is not identical with the back to the
earth movement, but it can be helpful to think of
it in those terms.
The agrarian philosophy is not to get people to
reject progress, but rather to concentrate on
the fundamental goods of the earth, communities
of more limited economic and political scale
than in modern society, and on simple living
even when this shift involves questioning the
"progressive" character of some recent social
and economic developments.
Thus agrarianism is not industrial farming,
with its specialization on products and
industrial scale.
An agrarian society is one that is based on
agriculture as its prime means for support
and sustenance.
The society acknowledges other means of
livelihood and work habits but stresses on
agriculture and farming, and was the main
form of socio-economic organisation for most
of recorded human history.
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SECTION 6B
AGRICULTURE
AGRICULTURE
Agriculture:
a term which encompasses farming
is the art, science or practice
of producing food, feed, fiber
and many other desired goods by
the systematic raising of plants
and animals.
Agri is from Latin ager ("a field"),
and culture is from Latin cultura,
meaning "cultivation",
in the strict sense of tillage of
the soil.
Thus a literal reading of the English
word yields tillage of the soil of a
field.
In actual usage, Agriculture denotes
a broad array of activities essential
to food and material production, and
including all techniques for raising
and processing livestock,no less than
those essential to crop planting and
harvesting.
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AGRARIAN
LINKS
AGRARIAN CAPITAL
http://www.agrariancapital.com/
THE AGRARIAN FOUNDATION
http://www.theagrarianfoundation.com/
THE AGRARIAN MARKETING CORPORATION
http://www.agrarianmarketing.com/
THE AGRARIAN RESEARCH
AND MANAGEMENT COMPANT
http://www.agrarian.org/
INGENTA CONNECT
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/
THE NEW AGRARIAN
http://www.newagrarian.com/
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SECTION 7
ECO
ENTREPRENEUR
ECO
Prefix of or for ecology
or the environment.
GREEN
Supporting or working for a
pollution-free environment,
or best use of natural resources.
ENTREPRENEUR
Person who organizes and manages
a business or industrial undertaking.
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ECO
ENTREPRENEUR
LINKS
BUSINESS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
http://www.bsdglobal.com/
THE CRAFTS REPORT
http://www.craftsreport.com/
THE DIRT CHEAP BUILDER
http://www.dirtcheapbuilder.com/
ENERGY OUTREACH CENTER
http://www.eoc.org/
ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS NETWORK
http://www.enn.com/
EVOLVING ECO-ENTREPRENEURS
http://www.ecoentrepreneur.org/
GREEN BUSINESS
http://www.greenbusiness.net/
GREEN BUSINESS LETTER
http://www.greenbizletter.com/
GREENLEAF PUBLISHING
http://www.greenleaf-publishing.com/
READY MADE MAGAZINE
http://www.readymademag.com/
UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS
http://www.ucsusa.org/
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SECTION 8
AGRIBUSINESS
AGRIBUSINESS:
The business of producing, processing
and distributing farm products, especially
as in the case of large corporations.
In agriculture, agribusiness is a
generic term that refers to the
various businesses involved in food
production, including:
farming,
seed supply,
agrichemicals,
farm machinery,
wholesale and distribution,
processing, marketing,
retail sales.
The term has two distinctly different
connotations depending on context.
Within the agriculture industry,
agribusiness is widely used simply as
a convenient portmanteau of agriculture
and business, referring to the range of
activities and disciplines encompassed
by modern food production.
There are academic degrees in and departments
of agribusiness, agribusiness trade associations,
agribusiness publications, and so forth, worldwide.
Here, the term is only descriptive, and is
synonymous in the broadest sense with food
industry.
Among critics of large-scale, industrialized,
vertically-integrated food production, the
term agribusiness is used as a negative,
synonymous with corporate farming.
As such, it is often contrasted with family
farm.
Some negative connotation is also derived
from the negative associations of "business"
and "corporation" from critics of capitalism
or corporate excess.
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AGRIBUSINESS
LINKS
AGRIBUSINESS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA
http://www.agribusiness.asn.au/
THE AGRIBUSINESS COUNCIL
http://www.agribusinesscouncil.org/
AGRIBUSINESS ONLINE
http://www.agribusinessonline.com/
AGRIBIZ
http://www.agribiz.com/
AGRIWATCH
http://www.agriwatch.com/
BTG PLC
http://www.btgplc.com/
CARE 2
http://www.care2.com/
COLLECTIVE DATA
http://www.collectivedata.com/
ECOMALL
http://www.ecomall.com/
INTERNATIONAL FOOD AND AGRIBUSINESS
MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION
http://www.ifama.org/
INSTITUT FUR AGRIBUSINESS
http://www.agribusiness.de/
NATIONAL AGRI-MARKETING ASSOCIATION
http://www.nama.org/
PLANT-IT 2020
http://www.plantit2020.org/
PRODUCTS FOR A BETTER WORLD
http://www.betterworld.com/
RABO AGSERVICES
http://www.raboagservices.com/
UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS
http://www.ucsusa.org/
UNITED AGRIBUSINESS LEAGUE
http://www.ual.org/
YOUR TRADE PUBLICATION
http://www.yourtradepubs.com/
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SECTION 9
ECO-TOURISM
ECO-TOURISM:
Tourism attracted to an area by the
area's interesting, endangered, and/or
exotic ecology. Ecotourism is the main
source of income for some parts of the
rain forests.
Ecotourism means ecological tourism, where
ecological has both environmental and social
connotations.
It is defined both as a concept-tourism movement
and as a tourism (specifically sustainable tourism)
section.
Born in its current form in the late 1980's,
Ecotourism came of age in 2002, when the United
Nations celebrated the "International Year of
Ecotourism".
The International Ecotourism Society defines
ecotourism as "responsible travel to natural
areas that conserves the environment and
improves the well-being of local people".
However, this is a vibrant, new movement and
there are various definitions.
Eco-tourism
focuses on:
Local cultures,
Wilderness adventures,
Volunteering,
Personal growth,
and learning new ways to live
on our vulnerable planet.
It is typically defined as
travel to destinations where:
Flora,
Fauna,
Cultural heritage,
are the primary attractions.
Responsible ecotourism includes programs that
minimize the adverse effects of traditional
tourism on the natural environment, and
enhance the cultural integrity of local
people.
Therefore, in addition to evaluating environmental
and cultural factors, initiatives by hospitality
providers to promote:
Recycling,
Energy efficiency,
Water re-use,
and the creation of economic opportunities
for local communities are an integral part
of ecotourism.
Ideally, true ecotourism should
satisfy several criteria, such as:
Conservation (and justification for conservation)
of biological diversity and cultural diversity,
through ecosystems protection.
Promotion of sustainable use of biodiversity,
by providing jobs to local populations.
Sharing of socio-economic benefits with local
communities and indigenous people by having
their informed consent and participation in the
management of ecotourism enterprises.
Increase of environmental & cultural knowledge.
Minimisation of tourism's own environmental
impact.
Affordability and lack of waste in the form
of luxury.
Local culture, flora and fauna being the
main attractions.
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ECO-TOURISM
LINKS
CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL
http://www.conservation.org/
EARTH FOOT'S
http://www.earthfoot.org/
ECOTOUR DIRECTORY
http://www.ecotourdirectory.com/
ECOTOUR EXPEDITIONS
http://www.naturetours.com/
ECO-TRAVEL
http://www.ecotravel.org.uk/
ECOTRAVEL CENTER
http://www.ecotour.org/
THE INTERNATIONAL ECOTOURISM SOCIETY
http://www.ecotourism.org/
MANACA
http://www.manaca.com/
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SECTION 10
ECOLOGICAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
GRANTS
ECOLOGICAL,
ENVIRONMENTAL,
GRANTS
Grants, gift of land, funds given by a
person, group or the government for
research, or studies. Most of these
funds are given to educational or
small projects. The request for
these funds should have document-
ation to answer as many questions
as possible. The do-it-yourselfer
or the professional grant writter
will find form available.
Grants for retrofits rebates,
energy efficiency assessments. Add
support for green projects, causes,
sustainability and opportunities
for those concerned with the work
of change for good.
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ECOLOGICAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
GRANTS
LINKS
BIONEER
http://www.bioneers.org/
CENTER FOR ECOLITERACY
http://www.ecoliteracy.org/
CITY GREEN
http://www.citygreen.ca/
ECO-PROS
http://www.eco-pros.com/
ENVIRON
http://www.environ.org.uk/
FRIENDS OF ECOLOGICAL RESERVES
http://www.ecoreserves.bc.ca/
THE GREEN ROUNDTABLE
http://www.greenroundtable.org/
NORTH AMERICA COMMISSION FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION
http://www.cec.org/
OFF-GRID
http://www.off-grid.net/
THE SCHOOL FUNDING CENTER
http://www.schoolfundingcenter.com/
SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS
http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/
ECOLOGIA
http://www.ecologia.org/
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SECTION 11
ROOFTOP
GARDENS
ROOFTOP GARDENS
A unique microclimate, which can be
practical, as a floor garden and/or
a container garden with small ponds.
GREEN ROOFTOP
GREEN ZONE
Any sort of area or space on top
of a human-built structure.
REASON FOR ROOFTOP GARDENS
1. Green space in the city.
2. More food at hand.
3. Cleaner air.
4. Use of rain water.
5. Bird, and butterfly habitat.
6. Insulation of roofs.
7. Adds to over all design
and look of area roofs.
8. Jobs and training.
ROOFTOP
GARDENS
LINKS
ALTERNATIVES FOR A
DIFFERENT WORLD
http://www.alternatives,ca/
CITY FARMER
http://www.cityfarmer.org/
ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
AND CONSTRUCTION
http://www.edcmag.com/
GREEN ROOFS
http://www.greenroofs.com/
ROOF MEADOW
http://www.roofmeadow.com/
UNCOMMON PLANTS
http://www.uncommonplants.com/
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SECTION 12
TERRAFORMING
TERRAFORMING
LITERALLY-EARTH SHAPING,
The process of modifying a planet,
moon, or other space body to a more
habitable atmosphere, temperature,
or ecology. A type of planetary
engineering, a new science.
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TERRAFORMING
LINKS
ASTROBIOLOGY
http://www.astrobiology.com/
DEBIAN
http://www.debian.org/
RED COLONY
http://www.redcolony.com/
THE TERRAFORM INFORMATION PAGES
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~mfogg/index.htm
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SECTION 13
BRICOLAGE
BRICOLEURS
BRICOLAGE
A mixture of theory, research, and
practicality. The science of found
objects. It does not attempt to build
from scratch, but takes what exits and
works with it to transform it to what
is useful or needed.
BY: CLAUDE LEVI-STRAUSS
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BRICOLAGE
BRICOLEURS
LINKS
ALCHEMY SITE
http://www.alchemysite.com/
BRICOLEUR
http://www.bricoleur.org/
BRICOLEURS ZINNEKE
http://www.bricoleurs.be/
CHIEF BLOGGING OFFICER
http://www.chiefbloggingofficer.com/
CYNTHIA KORZEKWA
http://www.cynthiakorzekwa.org/
JOURNAL OF HYPERLINKED ORGANIZATIONS
http://www.hyperorg.com/
SATURATION
http://www.saturation.org/
USDLA JOURNAL
http://www.usdla.org/
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SECTION 14
BIOMES
BIOMES
The types of habitat is described by
their vegetation. There is a need to
take the biome into account when you
are considering environmental problems
because different biomes pose different
problems for their inhabitants.
Biomes are named by their plant life
because plants are the ultimate source
of all food. Therefore the plants that
grow in an area determines what other
organisms can also live there.
BIOME FACTORS
Climate determines what grows where.
Temperature and precipitation are the
climate factors that determine the
type of plants that can grow in an
area. The higher the rainfall and
temperature, the more plants and
the larger the plants an area can
support in an area.
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SECTION 15
TREE-FREE
PAPER
Tree Free Paper
From its invention, until very recently,
paper was made from many plant fibers.
That changed when the wood pulping
process was invented in the 19th
century, not because wood produced
a superior product, but because it
solved the problem of scarce raw
materials.
Wood pulping process uses toxic
chemicals, acids or chlorine in
manufacturing. Not so with plants
as hemp, kenfa, straw, rice, rye,
wheat, cotton remnants, flax,
daphne cannabine,(known as
lokta), sugarcane, banana
stalk fiber, and some grasses.
These are crop that grow to
harvest size in 1 to 4 years,
not the 15 to 20 years that a
tree takes.
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SECTION 15A
SWITCHGRASS
SWITCHGRASS
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum),
also called Tall Panic Grass, a warm-season
plant (C4 carbon fixation) and is one of the
dominant species of the central North America
tallgrass prairie. Switchgrass can be found in
remnant prairies, along roadsides, pastures or
as an ornamental in gardens. Other common
names for this grass include Wobsqua grass,
lowland switchgrass, blackbent, tall
prairiegrass, wild redtop, and thatchgrass.
Two switchgrass plants per square foot the first
year ensures a successful bioenergy crop harvest
in subsequent years.
Switchgrass is a native prairie grass long used
for conservation plantings and cattle feed in the
United States. Interest in switchgrass ethanol
has intensified recently as the federal government
gains confidence in its potential as a bioenergy
crop because of its wide adaptability and high
yields on marginal lands. The northern Plains
region was chosen first because the economics
seemed most favorable there. Farmers can expect
switchgrass yields to be high enough there to
produce 100 to 400 gallons of ethanol per acre
with current varieties.
Switchgrass can be converted to ethanol just as
cornstalks can. It also can be burned to produce
electricity. Growing switchgrass for ethanol could
bring new industries to rural areas.
Switchgrass is a native prairie grass of the United
States. Its natural range includes the eastern and
central U.S. Switchgrass can grow to more than 6 feet,
so it is a very productive grass, and does not need as
much fertilizer as many other crops. It can be harvested
with the same equipment used to harvest hay.
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SECTION 15B
HEMP
HEMP
“Hemp/industrial hemp” and “marijuana”
are two distinct varieties of the same plant
species.
“Hemp”
is a fiber crop.
“Marijuana”
is a drug crop.
However, these definitions have become
confused in the last 60 years. Recently,
a movement has begun to distinguish the
terms again.
It is important to understand the history
of the usage of these terms in order to
eliminate the confusion.
Hemp has been grown for at least the last
12,000 years for fiber (textiles and paper)
and food. It has been effectively prohibited
in the United States since the 1950s.
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both
grew hemp. Ben Franklin owned a mill that made
hemp paper. Jefferson drafted the Declaration
of Independence on hemp paper.
When US sources of "Manila hemp" (not true hemp)
was cut off by the Japanese in WWII, the US Army
and US Department of Agriculture promoted the
"Hemp for Victory" campaign to grow hemp in the
United States.
Because of its importance for sails (the word
"canvass" is rooted in "cannabis") and rope for
ships, hemp was a required crop in the American
colonies.
Which of these two resources produce more paper:
hemp plants or trees?
Hemp wins this one quite easily. For a field 1
square km big (about 256 acres), hemp produces
4 times more paper than trees using a field the
exact same size. Even more surprising is that it
takes 80 times longer for trees to grow (20 years
compared to 3 months for hemp).
Only hydrogen and water is needed to make
hemp paper, nothing that could hurt the
ecosystem. Tree paper needs chlorine and
strong acids to hold the fibers together.
All this mess goes in the water we drink
every day. Hemp fibers are large enough to
hold together for a longtime, while resisting
to moisture and wear.
Interesting fact:
The first bible was written on an hemp parchment.
Wood paper can be recycled about 3 times but
hemp paper can be recycled up to 8 times! Hemp
is the only non-wood source for paper that can
cover world wide production.
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HEMP
LINKS
GLOBAL HEMP
http://www.globalhemp.com/
GLOBAL HEMP
http://www.hemp.co.uk/
THE HEMP FILES
http://www.hempfiles.com/
HEMP FLAX
http://www.hempflax.com/
HEMP INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION
http://www.thehia.org/
THE HEMP REPORT
http://www.hempreport.com/
INDUSTRIAL HEMP
http://www.industrialhemp.net/
MARIJUANA HEMP
CANNABIS MAGAZINE
http://www.marijuana-kemp.com/
MARIHEMP
http://www.marihemp.com/
NATURAL HEMPASIS
http://www.hemphasis.com/
NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL
HEMP COUNCIL
http://www.naihc.org/
OLD GROWTH FREE
http://www.oldgrowthfree.com/
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TREE-FREE
PAPER
LINKS
CARE 2
http://www.care2.com/
CONSERVATREE WEB
http://www.conservatree.com/
ECOMALL
http://www.ecomall.com/
FIBER FUTURES
http://www.fiberfutures.org/
IN CONTEXT
http://www.context.org/
RAINFOREST WEB
http://www.rainforestweb.org/
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SECTION 16
ACID
FREE
PAPER
ACID-FREE PAPER
Acid-free paper is paper that has a neutral
or basic pH (7 or greater), although paper
having a pH between 6 and 7 is often also
considered acid-free. During production,
it is treated with a mild base to neutralize
the natural acids occurring in wood pulp,
and it may also be buffered to prevent the
formation of additional acids (as may be
develop from the application of sizing).
Acid-free paper is often used in books and
other paper products intended to last for a
long time. Paper that has not had its acidity
neutralized (such as newsprint) quickly
yellows and deteriorates.
Calcium carbonate is used as a pigment and
as a buffer in paper coatings. It is probably
the most common additive to buffer the paper
at about pH = 8. It should be pointed out
that for the preservation of photographs for
archival purposes 10-20 years that "acid free"
paper is still not good enough. In these cases
pure "cotton rag" fiber is used to make the
paper, which has a pH = 7 approximately.
1. Acid free - a term used for materials
that have a pH value of 7.1 or higher.
2. pH scale - this is a scale that uses
numbers from 0 to 14 to measure the
amount of acidity in paper, photo-
graphs, stickers etc. 0 to 6.9 is
considered acidic. Numbers 7.1 to
14 measure alkalinity.
3. pH neutral - pH level of 7.0 is
considered neutral.
4. Acid migration - This term refers
to the transfer of acidity from one
source to another through physical
contact or acidic vapors. This
really does happen. A photo that
shares the same page as a newspaper
clipping is not safe even if they
are not touching.
5. Lignin - this is an organic bonding
material found in wood fiber. Lignin is
acidic and causes paper and photographs
to deteriorate.
6. Buffered paper - this refers to papers
that contain an alkaline reserve of calcium
carbonate (or an equivalent) of at least 2%.
Calcium carbonate is a colorless or white
alkaline chemical that is used to inhibit
the formation and migration of acids.
Buffered papers are important because
they slow down deterioration, but they
are not totally immune from it.
7. Fugitive Dyes - these are pigments or dyes that
are used to color some papers that bleed when
wet or even in humid climates. To check your
paper for fugitive dyes, wash a scrap piece
under the tap and watch for color in the sink.
Let it dry on a piece of white paper and look
for color that might pass off onto the white
paper under it.
8. De-acidification - This refers to treatments that
neutralize the acids in paper by applying a mild
alkaline solution. A warning though it does not
reverse damage caused by acids before the
treatment was applied.
9. Archival Quality - this is a term indicating that
something is chemically stable and has a stronger
resistance to adverse environmental conditions.
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SECTION 17
BIOINTENSIVE
MINI-FARMING
SMALL FARMING
SQUARE FOOT FARMING
What Is Biointensive?
Nature prefers to grow plants together intensively.
Nature likes life everywhere. Thus when we have an
open area without plants in it, weeds and other
plants magically appear.
This is the way trees, grains, herbs, flowers and
vegetables grow when left to themselves. It is part
of the biological life process.
Biointensive Mini-Farming is a way of growing crops
and soil simultaneously, with a resulting production
of healthy, nutritious food for people, and the
production of healthy soil for your garden.
Biointensive Mini-Farming is a healthy, sustainable
system; made up of four individual techniques that
work in unison. Using only one of these techniques,
double-digging for instance, will only give you
limited and generally unsustainble success.
The four mutually enhancing techniques of
Sustainable Biointesive Mini-Farming are:
Double-Digging:
Composting:
Intensive Spacing:
Companion Planting:
Biointensive mini-farming techniques make it
possible to grow food using 99 percent less
energy in all forms:
human
mechanical,
66 percent to 88 percent less water,
50 percent to 100 percent less fertilizer,
compared to commercial agriculture. They
also produce two to six times more food
and build the soil.
The Biointensive Method:
The basics of this whole-system approach
can be summarized as follows:
Most life in nature occurs at
the interface of:
soil,
water,
air,
sun.
Biointensive soil preparation practices create
growing beds with more surface area to maximize
the effect of nature's life processes.
Double-Digging:
Double-dug beds, with soil loosened to a depth
of 24 inches, aerate the soil, facilitate root
growth, and improve water retention.
Composting:
The health and vigor of the soil are maintained
through the use of compost.
Intensive Spacing:
Close seeding spacing is used to protect the soil
microorganisms, reduce water loss, and maximize
yields.
Companion Planting:
Companion planting facilitates the optimal use of
nutrients, light and water, encourages beneficial
insects and creates a vibrant mini-ecosystem within
the garden.
The use of open-pollinated seeds helps to preserve
genetic diversity and enables gardeners to develop
their own acclimatized cultivars.
A focus on the production of calories for the gardener
and carbon for the soil ensures that both the gardener
and the soil will be adequately fed and that the farm
will be sustainable.
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AGROFORESTRY
PERMACULTURE
An ecosystem design approach that aims to broaden and
strengthen local resources and encourage farmers to grow
food and plant forests for community use. Harvests the
rainwater rather than relying on ground water.
BACK TO TOP
PERMACULTURE
PERMACULTURE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
http://www.permaculture.org
Traditional Chinese
organic wet-rice agriculture:
Makes use of blue-green algae to maintain the fertility
of rice-growing soil. Produces good yields of nutrition
and calories per unit of caloric input.
No-till methods:
A natural farming system that minimizes human intervention
by planting seeds directly into the stubble of previous
crops. Produces excellent yields of healthy crops.
Natural rainfall methods:
Growing food using only rainfall for irrigation; requires
understanding the local climate, the varieties suited to it,
and techniques to optimize use of rainfall.
Traditional systems:
From various parts of the world that make use of local
varieties and a thorough understanding of local conditions
to produce crops using local resources.
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SECTION 18
AGRITOURISM
AGRITOURISM:
Agritourism is a style of vacation in
which hospitality is offered on farms.
This may include the opportunity to assist
with farming tasks during the visit.
Agritourism is often practiced in wine
growing regions, as in Italy, France
and Spain.
In America, Agritourism is wide-spread
and includes any farm open to the public
at least part of the year.
Tourists can pick fruits and vegetables,
ride horses, taste honey, learn about wine,
shop in gift shops and farm stands for local
and regional produce or hand-crafted gifts,
and much more.
Each farm generally offers a unique and
memorable experience suitable for the
entire family.
Agritourism is being developed as a valuable
component of a business model to support many
agricultural entities when the farm products
they produce are no longer economically
competitive otherwise.
To help promote the single agritourism operations,
farms get together and form festivals or tours.
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SECTION 19
GARBOLOGY
GARBOLOGY
Garbology is the study
of refuse and trash.
Garbology' means "study of a society or
culture by examining what it discards".
Antique garbology is often called archaeology
as fossilized or otherwise time-modified trash
is quite often the only remnant of ancient
populations that can be found.
For those who left no buildings, no writing,
no tombs, no trade goods, no pottery, etc, it
is likely to be the only possible source of
information.
In addition, ancient garbage sometimes contains
information available in no other way -- food
remains, pollen traces (of then local plants),
broken tools, etc.
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GARBOLOGY
LINKS
Archaeology News
http://www.archaeologynews.org/
Biocrawler
http://www.biocrawler.com/
Garbology
http://www.garbology.com/
MSW Management
http://www.gradingandexcavation.com/
Treehugger
http://www.treehugger.com/
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GARBOLOGIST
GARBOLOGIST:
The study of a society or culture
by examining or analyzing its refuse.
There are many people that use the
information about our trash, (solid
waste) to learn about our impact on
earth.
SOURCE
REDUCTION:
Source reduction and recycling are
the keys to waste management.
Source reduction involves reducing the
amount and toxicity of waste produced
and subsequently discarded.
RECYCLING:
Recycling is a system of collecting,
processing, and remanufacturing
materials into new products.
Once these recycled materials have
been purchased by consumers, the
recycling loop is closed.
Garbologist Dr. William Rathje is
one of the strong proponent of
source reduction.
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GARBOLOGIST
LINKS
EarthWays Center
http://www.earthwayshome.org/
Global Recycling Network
http://www.grn.com/
Recycler's Exchange
http://www.recycle.net/
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SECTION 20
DESERTIFICATION
DESERTIFICATION:
The world's great deserts were formed
by natural processes interacting over
long intervals of time.
During most of these times, deserts
have grown and shrunk independent of
human activities.
Paleodeserts, large sand seas now
inactive because they are stabilized
by vegetation, extend well beyond the
present margins of core deserts, such
as the Sahara.
In some regions, deserts are separated
sharply from the surrounding, less arid
areas by mountains and other contrasting
landforms that reflect basic structural
differences in the regional geology.
In other areas, desert fringes form a
gradual transition from a dry to a more
humid environment, making it more difficult
to define the desert border.
These transition zones have very fragile,
delicately balanced ecosystems. Desert
fringes often are a mosaic of microclimates.
Small hollows support vegetation that picks
up heat from the hot winds and protects the
land from the prevailing winds.
After rainfall the vegetated areas are
distinctly cooler than the surroundings. In
these marginal areas, human activity may
stress the ecosystem beyond its tolerance
limit, resulting in degradation of the land.
By pounding the soil with their hooves,
livestock compact the substrate, increase the
proportion of fine material, and reduce the
percolation rate of the soil, thus encouraging
erosion by wind and water.
Grazing and the collection of firewood reduces
or eliminates plants that help to bind the soil.
Soils can be ruined easily in areas where
seasonal rainfall is unreliable. Cutting
down forests and trees, over-cultivation
of the soil and over-grazing can all
contribute to desertification. In poorer
countries, farmers often know what needs
to be done, but they and their families
live so near to starvation that they cannot
even afford to buy what they need to keep
their families healthy, let alone attempt
to solve their problems.
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DESERTIFICATION
LINKS
CIESIN
http://www.ciesin.org/
Desertification Information
Network of China
http://www.din.net.cn/
Desertification.net
http://www.desertification.net/
Eden Foundation
http://www.eden-foundation.org/
IISD
http://www.iisd.ca/
Lovearth.net
http://www.lovearth.net/
United Nations Convention
to Combat Desertification
http://www.unccd.entico.com/
United Nations Convention to
Combat Desertification
http://www.unccd.int/
Young People's Trust for
the Environment Competitions
http://www.yptenc.org.uk/
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SECTION 21
AGROECOLOGY
AGROECOLOGY
Agroecology is the science of applying
ecological concepts and principles to
the design, development, and management
of sustainable agricultural systems.
Agroecology is the science of sustainable
agriculture; the methods of agroecology
have as their goal achieving sustainability
of agricultural systems balanced in all
spheres.
This includes:
Socio-economic,
Ecological,
Environmental.
While farming methods vary,
traditional manipulated
"agroecosystems" generally
differ from the natural
ecosystems in six ways:
maintenance at an early
successional state,
monoculture,crops generally
planted in rows,
simplification of biodiversity,
plough which exposes soil
to erosion,
use of genetically modified
organisms,
artificially selected crops,
meanwhile agroecology tends
to minimize the human impact.
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SECTION 21A
AGROECOSYSTEM
An agroecosystem is a key
idea in agroecology,
they are defined as "semi-domesticated
ecosystems that fall on a gradient
between ecosystems that have experienced
minimal human impact, and those under
maximum human control, like cities."
Thus agroecosystems are generally defined
as novel ecosystems that produce food via
farming under human guidance.
At its most narrow, agroecology refers to
the study of purely ecological phenomena
within the crop field, such as:
predator/prey relations,
crop/weed competition.
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SECTION 22
ARBORICULTURE
Arboriculture is the selection, planting and
care of individual trees, and the study of how
they grow and respond to cultural practices and
the environment.
The purpose is generally to manage trees, usually
in a garden or urban setting, for:
Plant health,
Longevity,
Pest,
Pathogen resistance,
Risk management,
Maximum return on investment,
Ornamental,
Aesthetic reasons.
In this, it needs to be distinguished from forestry,
which is the commercial production and use of timber
and other forest products from plantations and forests.
Arboriculture can be considered to have a similar
relationship to forestry as gardening has to
agriculture.
ARBORIST:
An arborist (or tree surgeon) is a professional who
manages and maintains trees (generally in an urban
environment).
This can include:
Planting,
Pruning,
Structural support,
Treatment of disease,
Insect,
Abiotic disorders,
Lightning protection,
Tree removal.
It also can include planning, consulting, report
writing and even legal testimony. Because trees
provide many benefits to the landscape and to
people, but they are also very large, heavy, and
complex organisms, they require monitoring and
care to ensure survival and safety in the human
landscape.
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