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Ecosystem Network Analysis in a Smallholder Integrated Crop–Livestock System for Coastal Lowland Situation in Tropical Humid Conditions of India

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Title Ecosystem Network Analysis in a Smallholder Integrated Crop–Livestock System for Coastal Lowland Situation in Tropical Humid Conditions of India
 
Creator Venkatesh Paramesh, Giri Bhavan Sreekanth, Eaknath. B. Chakurkar, H.B. Chethan Kumar, Parappurath P. Gokuldas, Kallakeri Kannappa Manohara, Gopal Ramdas Mahajan, Racharla Solomon Rajkumar, Natesan Ravisankar and Azad Singh Panwar
 
Subject Ecopath model; ecological group; ecosystem sustainability; nutrient balance; Finn’s cycling index
 
Description Not Available
The integrated crop–livestock system (ICLS) is a farming strategy that helps to sustain
agrobiodiversity, ecosystem services, and restores environmental sustainability. Furthermore, ICLS
provides food and nutritional security to the small and marginal farmers in developing nations. In
this context a mass-balanced ecosystem model was constructed for a smallholder ICLS along the
Indian west coast to analyze the agro-ecological performance in terms of sustainability, resource
use, nutrient balance and recycling. Thirteen functional groups were defined in the ICLS model with
trophic levels ranging from 1.00 (detritus and benthic nitrogen fixers) to 3.00 (poultry and
ruminants). The total system throughput index was estimated to be 1134.9 kg N ha−1 year−1 of which
60% was from consumption, 15% from exports, 10% from respiration, and the remaining 15%
eventually flowing into detritus. The gross efficiency of the ecosystem was estimated to 0.3, which
indicated higher growth rates and low maintenance energy costs. The higher food self-sufficiency
ration of 7.4 indicated the integration of crop–livestock as an imperative system to meet the food
and nutritional requirement of the farm family. The indices such as system overhead (60%), Finn’s
cycling index (16.6) and mean path length (3.5) denoted that the ICLS is a small, resource-efficient,
stable, maturing and sustainable ecosystem in terms of the ecosystem principles and recycling. The
present model will serve as the first model on the ICLS from the humid tropics and will help in the
evaluation of the other agro-ecological systems using the Ecopath modelling approach. In
conclusion, farm intensification through crop and animal diversification has the highest impact on
farm productivity, food self-sufficiency and resource-use-efficiency of the smallholder’s livelihood
security.
 
Date 2021-07-22T11:04:11Z
2021-07-22T11:04:11Z
2020-07-01
 
Type Research Paper
 
Identifier Paramesh, V., Sreekanth, G.B., Chakurkar, E.B., Chethan Kumar, H.B., Gokuldas, P., Manohara, K.K., Ramdas Mahajan, G., Rajkumar, R.S., Ravisankar, N., Panwar, A.S., 2020b. Ecosystem Network Analysis in a Smallholder Integrated Crop–Livestock System for Coastal Lowland Situation in Tropical Humid Conditions of India. Sustainability 12, 5017
Not Available
http://krishi.icar.gov.in/jspui/handle/123456789/49406
 
Language English
 
Relation Not Available;
 
Publisher MDPI