Table 2.
Property | Natural ecosystem | Recent agroecosystem typical of affluent economies | Sustainable agroecosystem |
---|---|---|---|
Productivity | Medium | High | Medium (possibly high) |
Species diversity | High | Low | Medium |
Output stability | Medium | Low-medium | High |
Biomass accumulation | High | Low | Medium-high |
Nutrient recycling | Closed | Open | Semi-closed |
Trophic relationships | Complex | Simple | Intermediate |
Natural population regulation | High | Low | Medium-high |
Resilience | High | Low | Medium |
Dependence on external inputs | Low | High | Medium |
Human displacement of ecological processes | Low | High | Low-medium |
Sustainability | High | Low | High |
Source: Gliessman (2005).