Manipulating spatial and temporal resources in agro-ecosystems: environmental inputs to resource management

When intensified agro-ecosystems are compared to subsistence systems three major differences are apparent. In intensified agro-ecosystems, genetic homogeneity is increased, stock levels are increased, and fallow time is reduced. These changes alter the amount, type, and rate of resource allocation. The paper supports the position that planners can manipulate species diversity and space-time parameters to effectively partition resources in ways that will increase harvestable biomass and enhance ecological stability. Community interactions and succession patterns can be adjusted to help minimize topsoil deterioration and resource depletion. Specific agricultural techniques are presented to aid agriculturalists to develop long-term sustainable agro-ecosystems.