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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pendleton, Oregon » Columbia Plateau Conservation Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #93830
Title: LONG-TERM AGROECOSYSTEM PROJECTS: USING THE PAST TO GUIDE THE FUTURE

Author
item Rasmussen, Paul
item GOULDING, K.W. - IACR-ROTHAMSTED, UK
item BROWN, J. - UNIV. OF MISSOURI, USA
item GRACE, PETER - CIMMYT, MEXICO
item JANZEN, H. - AGRIC. AND FOOD-CANADA, C
item KORSCHENS, MARTIN - UFZ CENTRE ENVIRON RES, G

Submitted to: Science
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/17/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Long-term agroecosystem experiments (LTAEs), some dating from the mid-1800s, comprise the largest temporal and spatial database presently available for determining worldwide impacts of ecosystem change. They provide perhaps the only means of measuring the sustainability of agriculture and of harnessing observations of past effects to predict future global change. Properly archived soil and plant samples can be analyzed periodically to monitor changes in atmospheric contaminant deposition, soil acidification, and crop quality over time. Data regarding the number LTAEs existing, their location, and the quality of data residing in unpublished files have never been analyzed. We need a thorough systematic evaluation of all LTAEs worldwide, and the establishment of a coordinated international network to oversee their management and interpretation of results.

Technical Abstract: Long-term agroecosystem experiments (LTAEs) were first initiated in the mid-1800s at Rothamsted Experimental Station in the UK, and now exist in many parts of the World. They comprise the largest temporal and spatial database presently available for determining the impacts of ecosystem change. Long-term LTAE data offers perhaps the only means of measuring the sustainability of agriculture and of harnessing observations of past effects to predict future global change. Properly-archived soil and plant samples serve as a base for monitoring changes in atmospheric contaminant deposition, soil acidification, and species composition and quality. A thorough systematic identification and evaluation of all LTAEs worldwide is needed, especially those that may exist in tropical and subtropical climates. We encourage the establishment of a coordinated international network to manage LTAE conduct and interpretation of results.