What does sustainable agriculture help maintain in relation to ecosystems?

Sustainable agriculture focuses on practices that ensure the long-term health and productivity of farming systems while minimizing negative impacts on the environment. By promoting a diverse range of crops and healthier soil management, sustainable agriculture encourages biodiversity within ecosystems. This approach helps maintain varied ecosystems and habitats, which are crucial for resilient agricultural systems and overall ecological health.

The integration of sustainable practices, such as crop rotation, cover cropping, and agroforestry, contributes to a more complex ecosystem that supports various plant and animal species. This variety enhances ecosystem stability, improves pest control, and enriches soil fertility, ultimately leading to increased resilience against environmental stressors such as climate change and pests.

In contrast to this, practices that reduce variety, such as monoculture, diminish ecological diversity and can result in more vulnerable systems. Thus, the support of varied ecosystems and habitats is a fundamental principle of sustainable agriculture, ensuring both food security and ecological integrity.