1st Edition

Energy in Agroecosystems A Tool for Assessing Sustainability

    470 Pages 62 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    470 Pages 62 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    Energy in Agroecosystems: A Tool for Assessing Sustainability is the first book on energy analysis that is up-to-date and specifically dedicated to agriculture. It is written from an agroecological perspective and goes beyond the conventional analysis of the efficient use of energy. The book provide a methodological guide to assess energy efficiency and sustainability from an eco-energetic point of view.

    Case studies from both Europe and America, which are representative of today’s most used scales of analysis (crop, farm, local or national) and the different farm management practices (traditional, industrialized, and contemporary organic), apply this methodology This book will be of primary interest to researchers, practitioners, and students working in the areas of agroecology, sustainable agriculture, environmental science, energy analysis, natural resources management, rural development and international development.

    The energetic metabolism of Human Societies

    How to Measure Energy Efficiency in Agroecosystems

    The Output Side: Calculating the Net primary Production (NPP) and its Components

    The input side. Calculating the embodied energy of agricultural inputs
    Eduardo Aguilera, Gloria I. Guzmán and Manuel González de Molina

    Diachronic Analysis at Local Scale: Santa Fe, Spain

    Diachronic Analysis at National Scale: The Spanish Agriculture, 1900-2008.
    Gloria I. Guzmán, Manuel González de Molina, David Soto Fernández, Juan Infante-Amate, Eduardo Aguilera

    Energy Return on Investment in traditional and modern agricultures. Coffee agro-ecosystems in Costa Rica from an agro-ecological perspective (1935-2010)
    Juan Infante-Amate, Wilson Picado and Gloria I. Guzmán

    Organic Farming: Between The Relocation Of Energy Flows And Input Replacement
    Gloria I. Guzmán and Marta Astier

    Energy in Agro-Ecosystems: A Tool for the Sustainable Design of Extensive Livestock Farms
    Gloria I. Guzmán, Eduardo Aguilera, Leticia Paludo Vargas and Romina Iodice

    A few useful conclusions for the sustainable design of agro-ecosystems

    Biography

    Manuel Gonzalez de Molina, Casado