Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
forest. Additional experiments have been added since 1988 to address additional
long-term hypotheses as described later.
The Conceptual Basis for KBS LTER Research
Research at KBS LTER has steadily grown in scope and complexity since its initia-
tion in 1988. It is now guided by a conceptual model (Fig. 1.4) that integrates both
ecological and social perspectives and explicitly addresses questions about the eco-
system services delivered by agriculture. The model is derived from the press-pulse
disturbance framework for social-ecological research developed by the national
LTER community (Collins et al. 2011) and represents coupled natural and human
systems, highlighting relationships between human socioeconomic systems and
cropping systems and the landscapes in which they reside. This approach reflects
the need to understand both human and natural elements and their interacting link-
ages. This need is especially acute in agricultural landscapes, where human deci-
sions affect almost every aspect of ecosystem functioning and where the resulting
ecological outcomes, in turn, strongly affect human well-being.
Farming for Services
Ecosystem services (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005) provide a
framework for examining the dependence of human welfare on ecosystems.
Food, fiber, and fuel production are vital provisioning services supplied by
Figure 1.4
. Conceptual model currently guiding KBS LTER research. Adapted from
Collins et al. (2011).
