Abstract

Expansion and intensification of cultivation are among the predominant global changes of this century. Intensification of agriculture by use of high-yielding crop varieties, fertilization, irrigation, and pesticides has contributed substantially to the tremendous increases in food production over the past 50 years. Land conversion and intensification, however, also alter the biotic interactions and patterns of resource availability in ecosystems and can have serious local, regional, and global environmental consequences. The use of ecologically based management strategies can increase the sustainability of agricultural production while reducing off-site consequences.

Keywords

AgricultureEcosystemSustainabilityEnvironmental scienceIrrigationAgroforestryLand useAgricultural productivityResource (disambiguation)Production (economics)Natural resource economicsEnvironmental resource managementEnvironmental protectionEcologyBiologyEconomics

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Publication Info

Year
1997
Type
article
Volume
277
Issue
5325
Pages
504-509
Citations
3055
Access
Closed

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Cite This

Pamela A. Matson, W. J. Parton, Alison G. Power et al. (1997). Agricultural Intensification and Ecosystem Properties. Science , 277 (5325) , 504-509. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.277.5325.504

Identifiers

DOI
10.1126/science.277.5325.504