Nature and Farming: Sustaining Native Biodiversity in Agricultural Landscapes

摘要

'Biodiversity' is a useful term in conservation studies and ecology, but hard to define. A census of the species found in an area, the number of different habitats, and some measure of genetic variety are three of several definitions, with the first of them having the widest currency. It is also the predominant usage in this book. In a little more than 150 years, the better-watered lowlands of Australia and New Zealand have been transformed into productive farmland, with many populations of native plant and animal species now greatly reduced and confined to scattered remnants. As the authors state, the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand are one of the world's most environmentally transformed landscapes and currently home to very few native species. The authors build their case for the conservation of native biodiversity on the proposition that native plants and animals provide valuable environmental services: eradication of pest insects, protection from floods and land instability, aesthetics, seasonal grazing and the like.