An agroecosystem is an ecosystem concerning agricultural activities carried out
by humans under specific characteristics and managed to produce agricultural
products. The boundaries of the agroecosystem can be in the form of planting
plots, grasslands, more extensive areas, and can be an integrated part with other
ecosystems, i.e., dryland, mountain, coastal, and urban agriculture (D’Amato et al.
2019). In tropical agroecosystems, there are biotic and abiotic natural resources with
the potential of supporting agricultural activities, including soil, nutrients, water,
contour, climate (evenly distributed rainfall in some areas, sunlight throughout the
year, temperature, and humidity), and macro- and microorganisms that support
agricultural sustainability. Climate is an essential factor that determines the
sustainability of the agricultural system (Sombroek and Gommes 1996). Even the
varieties that have the highest production will be stunting without the support of
climatic factors because the biological response is very climate-dependent
(Senanayake 1991). Therefore, farmers have a role in managing and maximizing
all available resources in the agroecosystem to gain optimal agricultural productivity
by considering the carrying capacity of ecosystems, mitigation, and adaptation to
climate change, and environmental sustainability.
Sustainable management of agroecosystems is done based on agroecological
science. Agroecology is an integrative study of interactions between biological,
environmental, and management factors in agricultural systems, which is the implementation of ecological science in the design and management of sustainable
agroecosystems (Gliessman 2018). It can also be defined as an approach that
correlates the ecological and socio-economic factors to establish agroecosystems
that support agricultural production, agricultural communities, and environmental
health (Gliessman 1997). It was initially introduced as a field of study in the 1980s in
which it had included a variety of perspectives and efforts to develop integrated
concepts and approaches (Rickerl and Francis 2004). Ecological ecosystems emphasize the relationship between organisms and their physical environment and the flow
of energy and material through interrelated biophysical systems (Chapin et al. 2002).
Moreover, the aim of integrating ecological science and agricultural science is to
improve the sustainability of agriculture with an environmental perspective
(Gliessman 2007).
Modern agroecosystems are established based on agroecological principles that
can be applied in diverse practices and strategies. There are various mixtures,
rotations, polycultures, agroforestry, crop-livestock integration, integrated
bio-cycle, and at the landscape level (hedgerows, corridors) (Agus 2013; Agus
et al. 2019a). Those models can provide options for farmers to be implemented in
the field (Altieri et al. 2017). Several agroecological principles can be realized in
agroecosystems. There are: (1) optimization of the biomass cycle through the
decomposition of organic matter and nutrient cycles; (2) optimization of the population balance of the function of natural predators in pest control; (3) optimization of
organic material management through compost to increase the cycle of soil
microorganisms; (4) control of the energy, water, and nutrition cycles; (5) the use
of various types of plants with proper structure and composition patterns for soil and
water conservation; (6) crop rotation and optimization of growing space;
10 Tropical Biological Natural Resource Management Through Integrated. . .
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by humans under specific characteristics and managed to produce agricultural
products. The boundaries of the agroecosystem can be in the form of planting
plots, grasslands, more extensive areas, and can be an integrated part with other
ecosystems, i.e., dryland, mountain, coastal, and urban agriculture (D’Amato et al.
2019). In tropical agroecosystems, there are biotic and abiotic natural resources with
the potential of supporting agricultural activities, including soil, nutrients, water,
contour, climate (evenly distributed rainfall in some areas, sunlight throughout the
year, temperature, and humidity), and macro- and microorganisms that support
agricultural sustainability. Climate is an essential factor that determines the
sustainability of the agricultural system (Sombroek and Gommes 1996). Even the
varieties that have the highest production will be stunting without the support of
climatic factors because the biological response is very climate-dependent
(Senanayake 1991). Therefore, farmers have a role in managing and maximizing
all available resources in the agroecosystem to gain optimal agricultural productivity
by considering the carrying capacity of ecosystems, mitigation, and adaptation to
climate change, and environmental sustainability.
Sustainable management of agroecosystems is done based on agroecological
science. Agroecology is an integrative study of interactions between biological,
environmental, and management factors in agricultural systems, which is the implementation of ecological science in the design and management of sustainable
agroecosystems (Gliessman 2018). It can also be defined as an approach that
correlates the ecological and socio-economic factors to establish agroecosystems
that support agricultural production, agricultural communities, and environmental
health (Gliessman 1997). It was initially introduced as a field of study in the 1980s in
which it had included a variety of perspectives and efforts to develop integrated
concepts and approaches (Rickerl and Francis 2004). Ecological ecosystems emphasize the relationship between organisms and their physical environment and the flow
of energy and material through interrelated biophysical systems (Chapin et al. 2002).
Moreover, the aim of integrating ecological science and agricultural science is to
improve the sustainability of agriculture with an environmental perspective
(Gliessman 2007).
Modern agroecosystems are established based on agroecological principles that
can be applied in diverse practices and strategies. There are various mixtures,
rotations, polycultures, agroforestry, crop-livestock integration, integrated
bio-cycle, and at the landscape level (hedgerows, corridors) (Agus 2013; Agus
et al. 2019a). Those models can provide options for farmers to be implemented in
the field (Altieri et al. 2017). Several agroecological principles can be realized in
agroecosystems. There are: (1) optimization of the biomass cycle through the
decomposition of organic matter and nutrient cycles; (2) optimization of the population balance of the function of natural predators in pest control; (3) optimization of
organic material management through compost to increase the cycle of soil
microorganisms; (4) control of the energy, water, and nutrition cycles; (5) the use
of various types of plants with proper structure and composition patterns for soil and
water conservation; (6) crop rotation and optimization of growing space;
10 Tropical Biological Natural Resource Management Through Integrated. . .
215