Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Environmental Aspects Of Organic Farming
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/58298
In terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the another benefit of organic farming is the
fact that organically cultivated arable land stores more carbon into humus. Thus the increase
in atmospheric CO
2
is limited and this contributes to the climate stabilization. Binding of
carbon dioxide is significantly higher in a longer crop rotation with perennial legume-grass
mixture and with fertilization with manure. This is due to the increasing humus content in the
soil, longer green land cover with catch crops and more powerful root system of main crops
[45]. Rodale Institute's Farming Systems Trial states that the introduction of organic farming
nationwide in the USA would manage to reduce CO
2
emissions by up to a quarter due to
increased carbon sequestration in soils [32]. Emissions of carbon dioxide from organic farms
is up to 50% lower per hectare. The balance of carbon dioxide is positively influenced by non-
use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and pesticides and also by low doses of phosphorus and
potassium, as well as low doses of grain fodder [41].
1.5. Biodiversity
The positive impact of organic farming on biodiversity is based on an effort to extend the range
of cultivated crops and livestock and thereby to increase a genetic, species and ecosystem
diversity. On this basis and on the basis of environmentally friendly agroecosystem manage‐
ment, the functional agrobiodiversity has increased. Growing biodiversity at all levels
(predators, parasites, wild plans, pollinators, soil fauna and flora…) supports the ecosystem
functions (population control, competition, allelopathy, organic matter decomposition,
nutrient sorption and their cycle…). It contributes to the agroecosystem stability and sustain‐
ability. It improves resistance of production organisms against harmful agents gradation and
contributes to their effective control, improves the nutrient utilization in agroecosystem and
reduces eutrophication. It contributes to the erosion reduction and improves the moisture use,
helps to increase diversity and abundance of wild flora and fauna in the landscape.
The high degree of diversity in the landscape, including agricultural land, can be caused by
either a variety of abiotic environment (e.g. altitude, height relief zoning, seat rock and soil
cover) or by disruption, disturbance caused by both natural interference processes and human
activities. In the landscape structure, we can distinguish large areas whose internal environ‐
ment a limited number of specialized species-"interior species" are bound to and smaller flats,
transition zones and various broad interfaces that generate a colourful environment with many
species corresponding to a diversity of ecosystems. On the edges of the fields of organic
farmers, there are by 25% more birds surveyed than within conventional farming-in autumn
and winter even 44% more [11]. They include both species characteristic of the individual
habitats-species from forest, field, meadow and species from marginal environments-"edge
species"-ecotone species that require more landscape elements for their existence. On the fields
in organic farming, there are more accompanying plant species grown, in the ground layer
20-400% more species of wild plants [28]. Among other things, many endangered species of
weeds as well [47].
Beneficial organisms prefer natural areas adjacent to the organic fields. Natural areas adjacent
to the organically cultivated areas significantly support more beneficial organisms (e.g. ground
beetles, spiders, wolf spiders-Lycosidae family and others for nature conservation significant
