ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE WINTER 2006AGROECOLOGY LIBRARY RESEARCH PAPER TOPICSEach student will research a topic of current interest in Agroecology, write a referenced research paper (10pp double-spaced), and make a 10 min presentation to the class using PowerPoint. An additional part of the assignment is to prepare a single page handout to be distributed to the class, which contains an abstract of your term paper, and the important bibliographic sources. This paper is intended to develop library research skills, so references cited should include scientific journals, library books and qualified internet websites. Documentation of the use of the “Web of Science” should be included as well. Some topics might require original research. In order to choose topics well, you need to be researching the issue you are interested in from the first day of class. You can use the attached list of possible topics to spur thinking about your research paper or you can talk with your professors. A list of 59 topics/questions is in the MASU handout folder. Topic choices are due Week 2 – Friday January 20.In weeks 2 – 4 you will need to be gathering articles, books and other relevant information to develop a sufficientunderstanding of your topic. You should keep a document (text or database) that contains the citation and a brief annotation (summary statement) of each of your references. A summary and 2-4 article references are due with the Program Journal on Wednesday February 8, Week 5. We will meet with you during the 5thand 6th week to review your topic, summary and references.Give yourself sufficient time to collect your research, develop an outline and draft your paper. Due to the library remodel, you may not be able to browse shelved resources. Plan ahead, use the reference librarians, and request material to be pulled for you. Be sure to include a bibliography with appropriate citations in your draft. The draft needs to be a complete draft of your paper. Drafts are due Friday, February 24, of Week 7, we will return them by Friday, March 3, Week 8, giving you sufficient time to revise and prepare your presentations.Final paper and oral report are due Week 10.We strongly recommend that you take advantage of the scientific writing expertise of the Writing Center (http://www.evergreen.edu/writingcenter/home.htm) in CAB 108, x6420.ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE WINTER 2006POSSIBLE TOPICS FOR AGROECOLOGY LIBRARY RESEARCH PAPER1) Fava Beans - Could they become the "soybean" of the PNW and form the basis of a truly regional agriculture? Researchin Nova Scotia suggests this. This year's Territorial Seed catalog has a high yielding, fall planted variety. Talk to fava fans.Research their history, their culinary uses, their biology and ecology, and their potential to become an important agriculturalcrop.2) Methane Generation - How does it work? What are the prospects for PNW agriculture. Can it be made cost effective? What are the scale requirements (i.e., is it feasible only for industrial sized farms)? Is anybody doing it?3) Farm production of Fuels - Alcohol or plant oil production. They represent renewable (and sustainable?) energy resources, but are they feasible, economic, or even ethical? How would it work? What about the ethical issue of automobiles competing with the hungry for feed stocks. Or what about energy production from "waste" biomass (straw, etc). Does it then become a trade off of energy vs. humus?4) The Biosphere II Project - What were the details of its history and construction. What were the issues it raised. What can be learned from these totally managed closed systems/models? What is the present situation.5) Urban Sewage Sludge on Farms - What's the current state of the art? Seattle Metro is supposedly cutting edge on this. Is it a good idea? What are the issues? Is it feasible for Thurston County? Does Organic Certification accept it? How could the use of sewage sludge be made more ecologically sound? Can we close nutrient cycles without using sewage sludge?6) Conversion of Conventional Agriculture to Organic - What is the known about the ecology and economics of the conversion process? What does it mean to an individual farmer, economically and agronomically. Consider a particular cropping system: Midwestern cash crops, PNW orcharding, dairying, livestock, etc. What are the present statistics, e.g. at what rate are farmers converting to organic?7) Biodynamics - What is its history? What are the principles and practices? Present a case study of a biodynamic farm. What is your assessment of it as an agricultural system? As a social system?8) Are Draft Animals a Realistic Alternative to Mechanized Agriculture? - There have been a few serious attempts to answer this question, trying to consider the whole farming system and all the costs. Our study of the Amish should give some insights too. Assess the existing studies? Does their analysis make sense? What do they/you conclude? You might consider what is going on in Cuba as they are learning to make do without petroleum by using oxen; or the results coming out of The Land Institute's Sunshine Farm.9) Agroforestry (cropping and/or livestock mixed with tree crops) - Is this an alternative for the PNW? What would it look like? What has it looked like elsewhere. What would be the financial returns? The environmental/ecological returns? Is anybody doing it? What are the prospects in the 3rd World?10) Ancient Mayan Agriculture - There is much recent interest in reconstructing the agricultural system of the Mayans. What is currently known and what are the current assessments? What role did it have in their ascendancy and in their precipitous decline?11) Ecological Footprint of Lawns – The majority of grass lawns and golf courses use a tremendous amount of chemical inputs. Can lawns and greens be produced more sustainably? 12) The Role of Livestock in Ecological Agriculture - There are good arguments that a profitable and ecologically sound agriculture must be diversified with livestock. There are others, and some that disagree. Analyze and present the arguments on both sides.13) The Feasibility of a Using Native North American Plants for Foodstuffs [ Prairie-like Agriculture] - Wes Jackson and theECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE WINTER 2006Land Institute are attempting to fundamentally re-design agriculture to become a perennial polyculture of the prairies.