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Ecological assessment of natural resources in agroecosystems of Dutch Lowland Peat area

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Abstract

In ecological assessment many abiotic and biotic indicators, reflecting the many facets of ecosystems, are used. Reporting on the state of the environment requires that information on separate indicators be integrated into comprehensive yardsticks or indices. In this paper we describe a method for assessing the quality of natural resources in agroecosystems and present a case study on the Dutch Lowland Peat area. Using a coherent set of physical, chemical, and biotic indicators, we compare the present situation with the long-term policy objective of strategic policy plans. Results are depicted in a radial plot. The present ecological quality of the Lowland Peat area has been found to deviate strongly from that of the desired state.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands

    Joris B. Latour

  2. Centre of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Cees L. G. Groen

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  1. Joris B. Latour
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  2. Cees L. G. Groen
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Latour, J.B., Groen, C.L.G. Ecological assessment of natural resources in agroecosystems of Dutch Lowland Peat area. Environmental Management 18, 455–464 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02393873

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