Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Environmental Services From Agriculture

Introduction
Agricultural land (% of land area) in Sri Lanka was last measured at 41.62 in 2009, according to the World Bank. Agricultural land refers to the share of land area that is arable, under permanent crops, and under permanent pastures. Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. Land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation is excluded. Land under permanent crops is land cultivated with crops that occupy the land for long periods and need not be replanted after each harvest, such as cocoa, coffee, and rubber. This category includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and vines, but excludes land under trees grown for wood or timber. Permanent pasture is land used for five or more years for forage, including natural and cultivated crops. This page has the latest values, historical data, forecasts, charts, statistics, an economic calendar and news for Agricultural land (% of land area) in Sri Lanka.
Sustainable Agriculture
“Sustainable Agriculture is any agricultural system that are complementary to natural resources and environmental conditions in order to produce safe and diversified products so as to reduce natural and economic risks while passing the learning process of farmers from generations to generations”
                            
Agricultural Services
Agricultural services can be categorized main three groups, there are economics, environmental and social. That all groups have market values and non-market values.
                
         Market Values – Economics value, that gives direct economical benefits to the people. (Eg - Agro-tourism)
         Non – Market Values – Values for the nature, no direct economics value for the people. (Eg - Non-wood products)
Market Values
01.          Agro-tourism

·         In recent times there has been a tremendous increase in the interest surrounding the concept of Agro tourism.
·         According to Agro tourism that builds environmental values such as less environmental pollution and directly gives benefits for the animals.
                       
02.    Non-wood products
·         Foods
·         Medicine
·         Flowers

Environmental Services from Agriculture
Non-market values
         Biodiversity
         Soil nutrients
         Top soil protection
         Water purification
         Water retention
         Flood resistance
         Waste recycling

Biodiversity
         Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life (Plant and Animals).
         Agricultural biodiversity is a sub-set of general biodiversity.
         It is necessary to sustain key functions of the ecosystem in its structure and processes.
         Agriculture which improve the diversity of plants and animals by using breeding  and genetically modified crops.  




Soil nutrients
         Soil building practices such as crop rotations, inter-cropping, symbiotic associations, cover crops, organic fertilizers and minimum tillage are central to organic practices
         These encourage soil fauna and flora, improving soil formation and structure and creating more stable systems
         Agricultural techniques also play an important role in soil erosion control and act as a soil cover which reduce the exposed to erosive forces and nutrient leaching. 

                                     
When we consider about sustainable agriculture, we can reduce nutrient losses from erosion.

Top soil protection
         Top soil contain more diversity and more value such as nutrients
         Under the sustainable agriculture nutrients are always recycling, So that control the soil fertility and structure
         Agriculture act as a soil cover, so that reduce the nutrient leaching and protect the top soil layer
                                                                 
Water Retention
         Using Sustainable agriculture increase the soil water holding capacity
         Mulches also protect the soil surface from extreme temperatures and greatly reduce surface evaporation, which is particularly important in tropical and sub-tropical climates

Flood control
         Flooding is a natural process. In floodplain ecosystems such as the Everglades, rainfall collects on the surface and drains into the soil, recharging the water supply of the underground aquifer.
         In sustainable agriculture use proper irrigation and drainage systems. So Water control structures provide routes for excess water to drain into impoundment areas or into the ocean.
Waste recycling
         Green waste is biodegradable waste that can be composed
         Biogas captured from biodegradable green waste can be used as bio fuel
         Using organic fertilizer such as compost, that help the removing waste from the land

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