The Oxford Encyclopedia of Agriculture and the Environment

This comprehensive collection of 71 peer-reviewed articles presents an authoritative overview of the role and impacts of agriculture on the natural and human environments, from its origins historically to current praxis and outlooks. It examines the major themes of global and regional environmental change, the evolution of agriculture, historical styles of agriculture, famine, agricultural pollutants, research needs in agriculture, and the future of agriculture. Curated by an international panel of scholars, the collection includes expert perspectives on specific important crops, soil science, land abuse and stewardship, methods of irrigation, experimental agricultures, patterns of farming, history and agro-archaeology, current agricultural trends, and contemporary public policy.

Recovery of shrubland communities on abandoned farmland in southwestern Australia: soils, plants, birds and arthropods

Passive recovery of land formerly used for agricultural production may be an inexpensive and rapid method of ecosystem recovery, and may provide an alternative method to active revegetation. Passive recovery may also contribute to sustainable agriculture (soil salinity). For undisturbed and disturbed areas of the central wheatbelt of Western Australia, this paper reports the effects of farming history (clearing only, cultivation, duration of farming, and time since farming ceased) on the soil nutrient content, plant floristics (richness and composition) and structure, and the abundance, species richness and species composition of birds and arthropods. Only one site was cultivated for >6 years. We summarize as follows: (1) Previous clearing and cultivation has left no residual effects on the nitrogen or phosphorus content in the sandy soils. (2) There were no significant differences in terms of plant species richness but some differences in cover of woody plants, grass cover and plant species composition for farming history or time since farming ceased. (3) There were no significant differences in bird species richness but differences in species composition for time since farming ceased. (4) Arthropods showed few (and low) significant differences in their abundance, richness or species composition across different farming histories and time periods since farming ceased. Farming of these shrublands has left only minor changes in the composition and structure of the vegetation, and in the abundance, species richness and species composition of the passerine bird and arthropod assemblages. Abandoned parcels of land on the sandy soils which support shrubland may yield useful conservation benefits with relatively little input.