References

Miguel A. Altieri, Division of Insect Biology, University of California, Berkeley. Modern Agriculture: Ecological impacts and the possibilities for truly sustainable farming. Agroecology in Action website: http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/~agroeco3/modern_agriculture.html.

Badgley, Catherine. 2003. "The farmer as conservationist." American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, December 2003, vol.18, no. 4, pp. 206-212(7). Summary: Agricultural landscapes are essential for preserving biodiversity, even though agricultural activities are the leading cause of habitat degradation worldwide. Conservation-oriented farming methods are critically important for both agriculture and biodiversity. Three examples illustrate agricultural practices that benefit the farmers, the local ecosystem and the landscape: (1) In Minnesota, rotational grazing, evaluated by the collaborative research of farmers and scientists, improved soil, pasture and stream quality, and boosted the confidence of the farmers in developing more sustainable grazing practices. (2) Predator-friendly ranching in Montana, in which nonlethal methods are used to protect livestock from depredation by native predators, benefited the ranchers with premium prices for wool and meat. The persistence of native predators, many of which have been on endangered species lists for years, benefited the regional ecosystem. (3) Shade-grown coffee in Latin America, in which coffee shrubs grow under an intact forest canopy, often looks and behaves ecologically like native forest and may house high levels of native biodiversity. This system benefited farmers, as long as they received a price premium for shade-grown coffee. The economic viability of these conservation-oriented practices depends upon farmers receiving price premiums for their products and by society rewarding farmers for their practices. A vision of ecological farming as the dominant form of agriculture is presented, with benefits at the scale of the farm, the landscape and society.

Delate, Katherine. 2002. "Using an agroecological approach to farming systems research. HortTechnology, July/Sept. 12(3): 345-354. Summary: We have adopted a systems theory approach at Iowa State University to address the gap in understanding about organic farming systems. In cooperation with the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, ISU developed long-term agroecological research (LTAR) projects in four distinct agroecological zones in Iowa.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2003. Biodiversity and the Ecosystem Approach in Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, 2003. Sixteen case studies of organic agriculture systems from 10 countries demonstrate the importance of biodiversity conservation and support the use of traditional methods and new innovations that incorporate this goal into production systems. Outlines the ecosystems approach which stresses the connectedness of natural and social systems. From proceedings of an October, 2002 meeting in Rome of the commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. 312 pages. US $36. Contact World Bank Info Shop, 1818 H Street, NW - MSN J1-100, Washington D.C. 20433; phone (202) 458-4500; fax (202) 458-4500; email developmentgateway@worldbank.org; Web site http://www.worldbankinfoshop.org.

Los Huertos, Marc, Lowell Gentry, Carol Shennan. 2003. "Land Use and Water Quality on California's Central Coast: Nutrient Levels in Coastal Waterways." The Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA. Paper brief _no 2. Summary: This research brief reports on two years of water quality monitoring data, focusing on nitrate and phosphorus levels in the Pajaro River and Elkhorn Slough watersheds, in order to provide data on the impacts of various land use activities on sensitive waterways that affect Monterey Bay.

Reganold, J.P. 1988. "Comparison of soil properties as influenced by organic and conventional farming systems." American Journal of Alternative Agriculture 3(4): 144-155.

Rolf, K.A., J. S. Strock, D. J. Mulla, and P. H. Gowda. "Implications of Conventional and Organic Farming Practices on Nonpoint Source Pollution and TMDLs." Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Environmental Regulations II, Conference Proceedings, 8-12 November 2003 (Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA), ed. Ali Saleh. ASAE Pub #701P1503, Pp. 473-476.

This study was conducted to determine whether differences exist in subsurface runoff water quantity and quality between two cropping systems. The study examined the effect of conventional versus organic farming practices on nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment loss from glacial till soils in southwest Minnesota. Tanner, G. W. and W. S. Terry. 1991. "Water quality within lightly-grazed and protected isolated wetlands in South-Central Florida, USA" Soil and Crop Science Society of Florida Proceedings, 50: 80--84. Summary: Paper presented at the "Symposium on Reality of Sustainable Agriculture in Florida, September 26-28, 1990, Daytona Beach, Florida.

Table of Contents

This online document is organized in three groupings:

• Research Projects Organized by CSREES National Water Quality Program Theme Area.
  
  Animal Waste Management
  
  Nutrient and Pest Management
  
  Water Conservation and Agricultural Water Management
  
  Pollution Assessment and Prevention
  
  Policy and Economics
  
  



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