|
|
Abstract
Broderick, C.E. 2007.
Plant selection and resource conservation for sustainable agriculture in Delaware. JEMREST
3:229-236
DOI:10.4029/2007jemrest3no123
Situated on the northeast of
the Delmarva Peninsula, Delaware has a large
waterfront wherefrom the potential for large runoffs exist, where fertilizer
nutrients, soil structural components, plant biomass, land structures, and
entire sand and soil concretions can be lost to the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Resource conservation is consequently a
serious measure for sustainable development in Delaware. The use of plants in addition to
artificial structures is a necessary requisite for sustainable agriculture.
This work is designed to focus on plants that are selectable in soil
conservation, wind-break establishment, and erosion prevention for Delaware and other
regions of Delmarva and locations with similar threats around the Country.
Our work is based on selectable tree, shrub and herbaceous species that have
shown strength and branching resilience, strong, deep, branched and fibroid
roots with soil-holding capacity, as well as excellent physiology, including
some tolerance to sodium and other factors that make Delaware soils unique. Delaware
is unique in that it only ranks with Florida
as the lowest lying states in the Nation. This characteristic makes it as
susceptible to ocean waves and tides, as well as to land drainage concerns
that result from rainstorms and snowstorms, not mentioning hurricanes that
reach Delaware’s shores. Archeological digs on the peninsula show remnants of
marine habitats, illustrating a real susceptibility of the land; hence, the
need to protect the land is critical. This need is exacerbated by a new
development craze, where hundreds of acres are annually being reclassified
from agricultural land to land for real estate development, losing the
natural preservation structures in terms of trees, roots, and plant land
cover, and thereby over-exposing the land. This study presents plants that
can and should now be used as land cover for both agriculture and
non-agricultural use in protecting the land mass that Delaware has inherited.
Email info@jemrest.org for full text
|
