This article focuses on ecological impacts of chemical-intensive practices when they are adopted on a wide scale as the dominant land management system. These impacts are not easily captured in an ecological risk assessment because they may result from interactions among stressors and cumulative impacts of single or multiple stressors. In order to get a better idea of the impacts of chemical-intensive agriculture and land management, it is necessary to see the entire system in contrast with organic management systems. Organic agriculture and land management demand not just the avoidance of toxic chemicals, but also the promotion of healthy soil and biodiversity in crop and non-crop areas.
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