Managing agroecosystems

The main objective of the course is to acquaint the students with the functioning of ecosystems, including matter cycles and energy flows; and to use these findings for studying systems that have been changed by agricultural activities. The emphasis of the course is on sustainable management of agroecosystems that enables maximum yields while keeping environmental impacts at a minimum.

Knowledge of biology, botany and fundamentals of ecology.

The course will cover the following topics: * Ecological principles relevant to agriculture * The natural ecosystems * Energy flow and material cycles * Populations and communities * Human ecology and social traps * Theory of sustainable yield * The Agroecosystem * Ecological Processes In Agro-ecosystems: Concept Of Sustainability In Agriculture * Practice of conventional agriculture and why it is unsustainable * Plant production systems and the environment * Population processes in agriculture * Agroecosystem diversity and stability * Management of genetic resources in agro-ecosystems * Disturbance, succession, and agroecosystem management * Energetics in agro-ecosystems * Efficient Management Of Sustainability: Towards Eco-Friendly Agricultural Systems * Designing sustainable agro-ecosystems * Achieving sustainability

Knowledge and understanding:
Upon successful completion of this subject, students should: * Be able to demonstrate a conceptual understanding of the ecological principles that drive agriculture * Be able to characterise the principles to manage and conserve complexity in agro-ecosystems * Be able to evaluate sustainability in the broad context of disturbance and recovery * Be able to demonstrate management skills in generating sustainable technologies in crop ecosystems
• Be able to develop eco-friendly models to preserve agricultural resources and evaluate the efficiency of such models * Be able to discuss sustainable agricultural system in the context of global food security

• Biodiversity in agroecosystems/edited by Wanda W. Collins, Calvin O. Qualset - Boca Raton : CRC Press, cop. 1999. - 334 str. Catalogue E-version
• The fatal harvest reader : the tragedy of industrial agriculture / edited by Andrew Kimbrell. - Washington ; Covelo ; London : Island Press, cop. 2002. - XIV, 369 str. Catalogue E-version
• The farm as natural habitat : reconnecting food systems with ecosystems / edited by Dana L. Jackson and Laura L. Jackson. - Washington, D.C. ; Covelo, Calif. ; London : Island Press, cop. 2002. - XII, 297 str. Catalogue E-version
• Anonymous 2002. Strategija ohranjanja biotske raznovrtnosti v Sloveniji. Ministrstvo za okolje in prostor RS, 77str. ISBN 961-6392-03-4 E-version
• Slides
• Moodle classrom

Exam (50%), Seminar (30%), Tutorials (20%) (Students must pass the seminar and tutorials to be allowed to take the exam)

Doc.dr. Marco Vuelrich

Assistant professort for the field Biotechnology at UNG, he is external coworker of the School for viticulture and enology.

His references are evident from:

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