Urban gardens grow food and biodiversity (online)

Civic pride 'can help sustain urban biodiversity'

The establishment of community gardens in inner city areas can boost social and ecological sustainability, suggest researchers. A study found those that produced food were the ones most likely to deliver "win-win" scenarios. Urban green spaces managed by local people were more likely to be preserved for future generations, they added. Research has shown that green urban sites such as allotments, community garden, or cemeteries, can make a major contribution to sustaining urban biodiversity. They offer insect-friendly habitats, which improves pollination for plant species, and attract predators such as birds. This biological diversity also makes the space more appealing for people.

Ernst Gotsch's carbon farm (video)

Life in Syntropy: The story of a transformation

“Life in Syntropy” is a short film that was screened at the Paris climate talks. It tells the story of Brazilian farmer Ernst Gotsch, who bought 1,200 acres of completely deforested land on the edge of the rainforest in 1984 and transformed it into a remarkably biodiverse farm that reverses climate change by sequestering carbon.

Agroecology in the tropics (journal)

The Role of Trees in Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture in the Tropics

Shifting agriculture in the tropics has been replaced by sedentary smallholder farming on degraded land. To address low yields and low income both, the soil fertility, the agroecosystem functions, and the source of income can be restored by diversification with nitrogen-fixing trees and the cultivation of indigenous tree species. Biodiversity studies indicate that mature cash crop systems, such as cacao and coffee with shade trees, provide wildlife habitat that supports natural predators. This review offers suggestions on how to examine these agroecological processes in more detail for the most effective rehabilitation of degraded land.

Introduction to urban wildlife gardening (online)

Creating a Healthy Apartment or Townhouse

Even if you live in an apartment, townhouse, or condominium development without much space for landscaping, the right mix of ingredients on a balcony, patio, terrace, or rooftop can be an oasis that provides food and rest for wildlife in an urban concrete desert. Coordinated efforts by neighbors can transform an entire multi-unit building or complex into a thriving urban habitat that is part of a larger living landscape. This leaflet shows you how.

Uk agriculture facts website (online)

UK Agriculture 

This web site about agriculture and farming was established in 1999 in an attempt to help widen understanding about the role of agriculture in the countryside. The website attempts to provide an easy to read, visual approach to the chronology of agricultural systems and the relationship between food and farming. It is also committed to preserving the countryside and improving its biodiversity.

Biodiversity vital to public health (#journal)

Biological Diversity and Public Health

In the wake of a species extinction event unprecedented in human history, how the variety, distribution, and abundance of life on earth may influence health has gained credence as a worthy subject for research and study at schools of public health and for consideration among policy makers. This article reviews a few of the principal ways in which health depends on biodiversity, including the discovery of new medicines, biomedical research, the provision of food, and the distribution and spread of infections. It also examines how changes in biological diversity underlie much of the global burden of disease and how a more thorough understanding of life on earth and its relationships has the potential to greatly alleviate and prevent human suffering.

Environmental impact of conventional vs. organic (#journal)

Environmental Impact of Different Agricultural Management Practices: Conventional vs. Organic Agriculture

This paper carries out a comparative review of the environmental performances of organic agriculture versus conventional farming. Under organic management soil loss is greatly reduced and soil organic matter content increases, soil biochemical and ecological characteristics appear improved, soils have a much higher water holding capacity and higher ability to store carbon in the soil, and organic farming systems  harbor a larger floral and faunal biodiversity than conventional systems. Organic agriculture has a higher energy efficiency (input/output) but, on average, exhibits lower yields and hence reduced productivity compared to conventional systems.

The need for agro-ecology - a lit review (#journal)

Is There a Need for a More Sustainable Agriculture?

In this paper the environmental impact of current agriculture is reviewed. Soil loss, increasing water demand, environmental pollution caused by agrochemicals, biodiversity loss and greenhouse gases are among the most pressing issues concerning agriculture sustainability. A number of alternative agricultural practices are also presented that can make agriculture less environmentally damaging. Research should be implemented in order to better assess the potential and constraints of the different options. Addressing key socioeconomic issues, such as inequality in access to resources, population growth, and access to education are also a priority.

 

RSPB State of the UK's Birds 2013 (report)

The State of the UK's Birds 2013 (RSPB)

Permaculture Research Digest

This is the 14th The state of the UK’s birds report. It contains results from annual, periodic and one-off surveys and studies from as recently as 2012 to give an up-to-date overview of the health of bird populations in the UK and its Overseas Territories. It draws on the Bird Atlas 2007-11, perhaps the most ambitious bird-monitoring project ever attempted in Britain, to give new maps of the distribution of all regular breeding and wintering birds.