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This book covers the relevant aspects of agricultural production related to the interactions between natural processes, human activities and the environment. It examines the functions of various agroecosystems at the field, landscape and global scale.

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This book represents an interdisciplinary approach to the relevant aspects of agricultural production related to the interactions between natural processes, human activities and the environment. It provides condensed and comprehensive knowledge on the functions of various agroecosystems at the field, landscape and global scale. Understanding and integrating complex ecological processes into field production, land management and food systems is essential in order to deal with the challenges of modern crop and livestock production: the need for food security for the growing human population, and the necessity to combat the detrimental effects of food production on the environment. The book provides the scientific basis required by students and scientists involved in the development of sustainable agroecosystems and contributes to a range of disciplines including Agriculture, Biology, Geography, Landscape Ecology, Organic Farming, Biological Control, and Global Change Ecology.

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1 Introduction
1.1 Basic terms and overview of contents
2 Origin and development of agriculture
2.1 The first humans
2.2 The origins of agriculture
2.3 Progress and impacts of agriculture
2.4 Classification of agroecosystems
2.5 Livestock systems
3 Patterns and processes in ecosystems
3.1 Biotic interactions
3.2 Communities
3.3 Biodiversity
3.4 Succession
3.5 Flows of energy and material
3.6 Ecosystem services
3.7 Global material cycles
4 Crops and their environment
4.1 Radiation and energy
4.2 Water
4.3 Soil
4.4 Crop-associated flora
4.5 Phytophages
4.6 Phytopathogens
5 Management of unwanted organisms
5.1 Weed management
5.2 Pest management
5.3 Management of phytopathogens
6 Production and management of livestock resources
6.1 Grassland-based production systems
6.2 Environmental impacts of livestock production
7 Climate zones and land use
7.1 Global atmospheric circulation
7.2 Climate zones
8 Agroecological aspects of global change
8.1 Global change

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From the reviews:
"Martin and Sauerborn ... use a broad approach to reach a wide spectrum of readers. The book has been translated very well from the original German. The examples and concepts of agroecology presented are universal. ... This has the potential to be the book that introduces new student cohorts in both biology and agriculture to the other´s point of view and to begin a new, productive conversation to the benefit of both. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above." (M. J. Stone, Choice, Vol. 51 (4), December, 2013)

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