ECOL3453 - Crop Ecology

Semester 2 2004 -2005

Lecture 1 - Introduction

Outline

Agriculture has changed the landscape by

• removal of climax vegetation
• controlling succession

• exposing the soil - erosion



The agroecosystem contains some or all of:-

• Crops - plants cultivated for the benefit of man
• Weeds - plants that are potential competitors
• Pests - animal predators and parasites
• Pathogens - microorganisms causing diseases
• Domestic animals - animal crops
• Beneficial microorganisms - e.g. rhizobia and other nitrogen fixing bacteria, mycorrhizal fungi
• Beneficial arthropods - pollinators, natural enemies of pests 
• Soil

 

Sustainable agriculture

What crops where? This is the question that successful agriculture has answered.