Agricultural production in relation to the environment

ALL TOO OFTEN THE NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL ATMOSPHERIC INPUTS ARE OVERLOOKED AND A PORTION MAY END UP BY BEING INCORRECTLY ASSIGNED TO THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR. ALSO, CHANGES OCCUR FROM TIME TO TIME IN LAKES AND RESERVOIRS CAUSING INVERSIONS AND STEPPED-UP RELEASE OF NUTRIENTS FROM THE BOTTOM DEPOSITS. WHERE SITUATIONS HAVE WORSENED IN RECENT YEARS, DUE CHIEFLY TO CITIES AND INDUSTRY, AGRICULTURE HAS RECEIVED TOO MUCH OF THE BLAME. TO DATE THERE IS NO CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE THAT PROPER FERTILIZER USE HAS INCREASED THE NITRATE LEVEL OF STREAMS OR WELLS IN THE U.S. OVER THE PAST DECADE MANY TOWNS, CITIES AND FACTORIES HAVE ADDED WASTE TREATMENT FACILITIES AND OTHERS HAVE IMPROVED THEIR DEGREE OF WASTE TREATMENT BEFORE DUMPING EFFLUENTS INTO STREAMS. THIS HAS GREATLY REDUCED THE ORGANIC FOOD FOR BACTERIA, AND IN TURN REDUCED THE BIOLOGICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD) ON THE STREAM. RESEARCH PROGRAMS, ALTHOUGH MEAGER, ARE SEEKING NEW TECHNIQUES FOR DISPOSING OF ORGANIC WASTES AND MORE EFFECTIVE MEANS OF CONSERVING SOIL AND KEEPING IT FROM BLOWING AND WASHING AWAY. WHEN LAND IS PROPERLY FARMED AND MANAGED, LITTLE SEDIMENT GETS INTO STREAMS AND LAKES. THERE IS YET A LONG WAY TO GO IN MOST COUNTRIES UNTIL ALL LAND IS PROPERLY MAINTAINED AND PROTECTED AGAINST SOIL EROSION. MAN HAS GREATLY ACCELERATED THE PROCESS OF EUTROPHICATION BY ORGANIC WASTE PRODUCTS FROM HIS SEWAGE, FACTORIES, LIVESTOCK AND PETS. HE IS LEARNING HOW TO TREAT AND HANDLE WASTE FROM SUCH SOURCES. IN DUE COURSE, BUT AT HIGH COST, MAN"S CONTRIBUTION LIKELY WILL BE CONTROLLED. INTENSIVE RESEARCH AND EXTENSIVE ACTION PROGRAMS WILL BE REQUIRED, AND ALTHOUGH THESE WILL APPEAR TO BE COSTLY, IN REALITY THEY WILL RETURN UNTOLD FUTURE DIVIDENDS. SCIENTISTS LACK SUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO DETERMINE AGRICULTURE"S EXACT CONTRIBUTION, AND SEVERAL YEARS OF TEDIOUS WORK IN NUMEROUS WATERSHEDS WILL BE REQUIRED BY SKILLED SOIL SCIENTISTS AND HYDROLOGISTS TO OBTAIN THIS INFORMATION.