美国农业生态学发展综述

Abstract

农业生态学是生态学的一个分支学科,是生态学原理在农业上的具体应用。美国是世界上最大的农业强国。美国农业的发展,得益于农业生态学的理论指导和农业生态学原理的实践运用。在实地调查与研读有关文献资料的基础上,对美国农业生态学的发展进行了考察与分析,认为:(1)美国农业生态学产生于1928年,至今已有85年的发展历史。美国农业生态学可划分为4个发展阶段,即:起始阶段(1928-1961年)、扩展阶段(1962-1979年)、巩固阶段(1980-1999年)和新发展阶段(2000年-)。(2)美国农业生态学的内涵由起初的一门"学科(科学)",逐步向着包括有"过程"、"理念"、"方法"、"行动"、"体系"、"运动"、"实践活动"、"强有力的工具"等多重涵义的方向发展,农业生态学内涵的深度和广度均得到不断丰富和完善。(3)美国农业生态学的基本内容包括背景(农业生态学国际背景)、理论(农业生态学理论基础)、设计(农业生态系统的优化设计)和管理(农业生态学理论的实践应用)等4部分,美国农业生态学具有4个明显特征——视野的全球性、内容的多样性、体系的灵活性和技术的实用性。(4)未来美国农业生态学将朝着"高"(高起点、高标准、高效率、高水平)、"新"(新手段、新方法、新技术,新成果、新成效、新进展)、"长"(长期观察分析、长期资料积累、长期定位试验)、"多"(农业生态学研究与分析采用多点、多地、多样本、多模式、多途径、多指标、多方法)、"实"(联系实际、注重实践、讲求实效、展现实绩)的方向发展。;As a branch discipline of ecology, agroecology is the study of ecological processes that operate in agricultural production systems.Some scientists believe that agroecology is the application of ecological theory to agriculture.The United States is the largest agricultural superpower in the world.One major reason for the successful development of American agriculture is the guidance of agroecological theory and practice of agroecological principles.Based on a wide-ranging investigation and review of relevant academic materials on agroecology, the authors explore and analyze the development of American agroecology from aspects of its emergence and development, connotation and change, content and characteristics, trends and prospects.The primary results are as follows.<br>(1) The agroecology discipline was introduced in the United States in 1928.Since then, agroecology has had 85 years of development in that country.In the United States, this development can be divided into four stages: initial (1928-1961), when Klages first suggested the concept of agroecology in 1928; expansion (1962-1979), which saw publication of the famous book <em>Silent Spring</em>; consolidation (1980-1999), during which scientists published numerous works on agroecology in the United States; and new (2000-present), during which agroecology developed new models, such as sustainable and alternative agriculture.<br>(2) In the United States, the connotation of agroecology was initially a subject of science or a discipline, and it has gradually developed to have multiple meanings, such as a process, idea, method, action, system, movement, or practice.Stephen Gliessman, Chief Editor of the Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, believes agroecology is a powerful tool to sustain food safety and sovereignty.The depth and breadth of meanings associated with agroecology are being continuously enriched and perfected.<br>(3) The basic content of agroecology in the United States consists of four parts: background (including international agroecological background), theory (the basic theory of agroecology), design (the design and optimization of an agroecosystem), and management (the practice and application of agroecological theory).Agroecology in the United States has four distinct characteristics: (i) global view: agricultural ecologists in that country observe from a global perspective, and analyze agricultural development around the world and problems facing the world food supply; (ii) diversity of content: there are many different connotations from published works on agroecology in the United States; (iii) system flexibility: the agroecological disciplinary system has different characteristics and styles within the United States; and (iv) putting technology into practice: many examples, models and technologies published in agroecological works are summarized from a practical production standpoint in the United States.<br>(4) In the future, the development directions and trends of agroecology in the United States will be: high, i.e., high starting points, high standards, high efficiency, and high level; new, i.e., new approaches, new methods, new technologies, new achievements, new results, and new progress; long-term, i.e., long-term observation and analysis, long-term accumulation of information, and long-term field experimentation; many, i.e., in research and analysis of agricultural ecology, multiple points, multiple sites, multi-samples, multi-modes, multi-channels, multiple indexes, and multiple methods; and practical, i.e., linking theory with practice, stressing pragmatism in practice, and demonstrating performance.