Agroecology - The science of applying ecological concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable agroecosystems.
Agroecosystem - An agricultural system understood as an ecosystem.
Agroforestry - The practice of including trees in crop- or animal-production agroecosystems.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) - A nationwide movement linking local consumers and farmers into communities. Typical CSA's consist of a group of consumer shareholders that pay a sum in advance in exchange for a regular selection (weekly, biweekly) of in-season crops produced by a farm.
Diversity - (1) The number or variety of species in a location, community, ecosystem, or agroecosystem. (2) The degree of heterogeneity of the biotic components of an ecosystem or agroecosystem (see ecological diversity).
Genetic engineering - Transfer, by biotechnological methods, of genetic material from one organism to another.
Haber-Bosch process - The nitrogen fixation reaction of nitrogen and hydrogen, over an iron substrate, to produce ammonia.
Hybrid vigor - The production of an exceptionally vigorous and/or productive hybrid progeny from a directed cross between two pure-breeding plant lines. A synonym for heterosis.
Legume - A plant in the Leguminosae (Fabaceae) family. Most species in this family can fix nitrogen.
Macronutrient - A nutrient plants need in large quantities; the macronutrients include carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur, and water.
Net primary productivity (NPP) - The difference between the rate of conversion of solar energy into biomass in an ecosystem and the rate at which energy is used to maintain the producers of the system.
Renewable resources - Resources that are capable of being regenerated or replaced by ecological processes on a time scale relevant to their use. These resources, such as biomass or energy from animal traction, are contrasted with non-renewable resources, such as fossil fuels and mined products.
Soil health - The capacity of a soil to function within ecosystem boundaries to sustain biological productivity, maintain environmental quality, and promote plant and animal health. Often used synonymously with soil quality.
