Agroecology is defined as the application of ecological concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable food systems. Hence, learning can best be achieved through an experiential approach to the topic. Offering step-by-step guidance for structured investigation, this book reviews ecological concepts and principles in an agricultural setting and provides in-depth, practical experience. From background information to procedures and suggestions for writing up the results, the book covers 24 different agroecological investigations, each designed to provide all the information needed to plan and execute experimental or comparative studies. The book is designed to accompany Agroecology: The Ecology of Sustainable Food Systems and follows the structure of the main text.

Stephen R. Gliessman is an agroecologist who integrates science, practice, and social activism. He helped establish agroecology in Mexico in the 1970's and founded the first academic program in agroecology in the world at UCSC in 1982, where he is now Emeritus Professor of Agroecology. He co-founded the non-profit Community Agroecology Network (CAN). Professor Gliessman has published extensively on agroecology and the transformation of food systems to sustainability, including his textbook Agroecology: Ecology of Sustainable Food Systems. He teaches agroecology seminars and courses around the world and dry-farms sustainable wine grapes and olives with his family at their farm in California.

Studies of Environmental Factors. Effect of Microclimate on Seed. Light Transmission and the Vegetative Canopy. Soil Temperature. Soil Moisture Content. Soil Properties Analysis. Canopy Litterfall Analysis. Mulch System Comparison. Root System Response to Soil Type. Studies of Population Dynamics in Crop Systems. Intraspecific Interactions in a Crop Population. Management History and the Weed Seedbank. Comparison of Arthropod Populations. Census of Soil-Surface Fauna. Studies of Interspecific Interactions in Cropping Communities. Bioassay for Allelopathic Potential. Rhizobium Nodulation in Legumes. Effects of Agroecosystem Diversity on Herbivore Activity. Herbivore Feeding Preferences. Effects of a Weedy Border on Insect Populations. Studies of Farm and Field Systems. Mapping Agroecosystem Biodiversity. Overyielding in an Intercrop System. Grazing Intensity and Net Primary Productivity. Effects of Trees in an Agroecosystem. Food System Studies. On-Farm Energy Use. Farmer Interview. Local Food Market Analysis. Instructor's Appendix. Appendix A: Planning the Field and Laboratory Course. General Appendices. Appendix B: Measurement Equivalents. Appendix C: Material and Equipment Suppliers.