The ecology of temperate cereal fields - LG Firbank

In 1990, agriculture was the focus of increasing media attention with particular reference to mad cow disease, dangers of lysteria in soft cheeses and the ongoing concern over Salmonella in chickens. A closer look at he scientific and agricultural press would have revealed that the qualitative nature of European agricultural policy was being questioned. Central to issues of quality in agriculture are issues of ecology. However, these issues go deeper than many nonspecialists appreciate. Ecology is not simply to be equated with conservation; the principles of ecology are central to the study of crop growth, the reduction of pest species and the efficient use of soil and other resources. Indeed, the cereal field may be the most intensively studied ecosystem in the