AGRICULTURAL INTENSIFICATION AND ECOSYSTEM PROPERTIES

Expansion and intensification of cultivation are among the predominant global changes of this century. Intensification of agriculture by use of high-yielding crop varieties, fertilization, irrigation, and pesti cides has contributed substantially to the tremendous increases in foo d production over the past 50 years. Land conversion and intensificati on, however, also alter the biotic interactions and patterns of resour ce availability in ecosystems and can have serious local, regional, an d global environmental consequences. The use of ecologically based man agement strategies can increase the sustainability of agricultural pro duction while reducing off-site consequences.