© 2014
N.Ridei, doctor of pedagogical sciences, professor
I.Kucherenko, postgraduate
(Supervisor doctor of pedagogical sciences, professor N.Ridei)
NationalUniversity of life and Environmental sciences of Ukraine
STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OF THE AGRICULTURAL COMPONENTS
Reviewer Doctorof Agricultural Sciences, рrofessor P.V.Pisarenko
The analysis ofmethodological andregulatory supportstructural and functionalfeatures of theagrosphereandcharacterizesits constituents, namely:territorial-spatial, territorial-administrative, natural andenvironmental, social, and environmental(ecologicalproviding); reveals the essence ofthe concepts of «agrosfera», «agroecosystem», «social ecosystem», «rural territory», «settlements», «terrain», «human settlements»; analyzed theeconomic functionscountryside(villages).
Keywords:agrosphere, agroecosystem, socioecosystem, village, rural area (settlement,locality)
Formulation of the problem in general. In Ukraine an agrosphere covers over 70 % of general territory. Considerable development this sphere purchased in ХІX century. Expansionwas main contradiction between an agrosphere and natural environment in those times. It wasdue to destruction of the forests, and damage of steppe ecosystems as a result of considerable increasing of livestockon these territories. However in generaleffect of anthropogenic factors did not cause global violation of homoeostasis of natural environment in those times. In the begining of past century such prominent scientists, as S.PodolynskyV.Dokuchaev, P.Kostychev, H.Vysotcky, О.Izmailsky cautioned, that growing of anthropogenic pressure on an agrosphere can entail ecological crisis. In the second half of ХХ of century because of the active industrialization of agriculture and growing negative influence on the agrosphere of industry and urbanized territories, plowed lands and intensity of their tilling grew sharply; erosion, their degradation and contamination of soils by xenobiotics was accelerated. The small rivers disappeared gradually,hydroecological regime was violated on large areas [2].
In a dictionary edited byV.Busel, a definition«agrosphere» is interpreted as the part of biosphere, brought over to the agricultural use(occupied at agroecosystems). It is noted,that in the worldthere is about 30% of dry landon an agrosphere, including about 10% occupied by croplands, and the rest - by natural forage lands. It is a reasonof limit selection of basic parts of agrosphere: soil tilled under agricultural cultures, crops and.
Application of term «agrosphere» is caused by realization of multifunction role of agriculture in society, by the change of principles of development of this industry in a context socially, economically and the ecologically balanced development. Triune(social, economic and ecological) basis of agrosphere gives reason to considerits as qualitatively new agrarian socio-economic-ecological system with a anthropocentric orientation.
Analysis of the last researches and publications. Reasoning of factors of steady development of agrosphere, steady development of rural territories in a strategic prospect, was considered by О.Popov [17], V.Onegin [13]; the criterion of estimation of spatial development of agrosphere, indexes of development of social sphere of village and rural territories were considered by І.Prokop [19], M.Оrlaty [14], К.Yakuba [28]; criteria and indexes of financial firmness of providing of steady and innovative-investment development of agrosphere, were examined by О.Botvina [4], О.Gudz [6]; algorithm of forming of strategic aims and indicators of agricultural development was considered byY.Lutsenko, V.Mesel-Veseliak [23], P.Sabluk [2], V.Yurchyshun [27]. However, the multidimensionalness of looks to the estimation of the state of agrosphere needs continuation of researches of concept-category aparatus of its components.
Aim to describe structural and functional component of agrospheres.
Tasks analyzescientific and methodological supportand implementstructural andfunctionalcharacteristics ofconstituentsagrosphere.
An object is a study of theoretical interpretation of structural-functional constituents of agrosphere. An subject is an agrosphere, agroecosystem, socioecosystem, village, rural territories(settlement, localities, settlements).
Research methods are a theoretical analysis of concept-category vehicle of agrosphere and itscomponents.
Exposition of basic material. An academician of NAS of Ukraine and NAAS, honoured worker of science, laureate of the State reward of Ukraine in scitech branch, founder of the Agrarian academy of sciences of Ukraine, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, professor, О.Sozinov formulatedthe determination of agrosphere as complex of territories, where the mainly modified by a man forms of living substance, specialized for effective transformation of sunny energy in production, which is necessary for humanity existence, function as a result of action of anthropogenic factor [22].
In the Ecological encyclopaedia,edited by А.Tolstouhov, it is marked that the definition of agrosphere is entered in a scientific rotation in interpretation as a separate link of geosystem, that is characterized the crisis ecological state and needs development of specific model for the achievement of her stable development in the future [9]. An Agrosphere(mega-agroecosystem) is part of biosphere with the projection of surface measuring with a country(prevailing in Ukraine among other ecosystems), cultivated soils prevail there;crops, farm animals, wild living organisms grow and dominate (including insects, vascular plants, in particular the field weeds, mushrooms, microorganisms, viruses and others like that). It includes meadows, pastures, rural settlements, roads, rivers, rates, channels, forest bells, «island» and «band» natural biotopes and other. An agrosphere is characterized by the depleted species richness and increasing of variety of alien kinds, especially vascular plants; includes all types of agrolandscapes, agrocoenosiss and agroecosystems and is both natural and social category. This category is created and exists due to a human mind and activity of man, and that is why it can belong not only to the biological but also to sociohumanitarian category(SozinovО., PrydatkoV., ByrdaR., TararykoO., KucherО., АlekseevV., UrazaevМ., FurdychkoО. and other) [21].
Leading scientist an agroenvironmentalist О.Furdychko in a reference dictionary-book from agroecology marks that the geobiocenosiss, basis of that is presented by the artificially created biotic associations callagroecosystems that serve for the receipt of agricultural produce, changed by a man. They occupy intermediate position between natural and artificial ecosystems. As well as in natural ecosystems, in agroecosystems an energy source is a Sun, but between them there are substantial differences, namely: fuel, draft power and labour of people energy is an additional energy source in an agroecosystem,; a man decreased considerably, unified the variety of the systems for increasing of the productivity; prevailing in an agroecosystem animals and plants are subject to the, artificial selection; all management of the system, unlike selfregulating natural ecosystems getsoutside and it is obeyed to external power.
In a textbook from agroecology edited by V.Chernikov an agroecosystem is interpreted as complexof biogenic and abiogenic components on an area of uplands or aquatorium that is in an agricultural production(field, artificial pastures, vegetable gardens, gardens, forest-park stripes, vineyards, berry patches, flower-gardens and others like that). An agroecosystem(agricultural ecological system) is the natural complex,which is changed(transformed) by human agricultural activity; artificial or mixed system of vegetable, animal and microbiological groupments with the unexpressed or absent mechanism of self-regulations, the project productivity of those is supported due to direct and indirect energy investment. Foodchains in agroecosystems are created and follow by man with the aim of receiving of maximal amount of primary and secondary products of necessary quality. Agrobiocenosis(from a word «agro» is «earth», and «biocenosis» complex of living components) is an important part of any agroecosystem, complex of organisms is on the lands of the agricultural setting, designed to sowing or planting of crops. They have different from natural ecosystems structural and energetic features and specific functional lines, and always artificially created. Their productivity depends on successful combination of cultivars and that part of natural living components that remained from a primary ecosystem.
Agroecosystems have such features as: permanent and considerable exception of organic substance from the systems; large dependence of their existence of the human activity and support; predominance of plants and animals that are the products of plant-breeding activity; low specific variety of autotrophic and heterotrophic blocks; unisolation of biogeochemical cycles.
The scientists О.Lysenko, S.Chumachenko, І.Chekanov, А.Tureychuk determine an agroecosystem as complex of interacting mesosystems agrolandscapes and reservoirs that are the local ecosystems of certain region. Different types of organisms and place of their existence is single unit on the basis of approach of the systems. Mesosystem of agroecosystems - it basic functional unit of ecosystem of agrolandscape, that is thermodynamics open, such, that interchanges by a substance, energy and information with an environment. It is characterized: by stability ability to go back to the previous state after episodic and impulsive influences on its components; by adaptivity (selforganization and selftuning) ability to change descriptions of trophic chains in organisms with the aim of selfsupport and homoeostasis of natural processes.
Accordingtothe classificationoffoodandagriculturalorganizationUNO(FAOorganisation)therearefivetypes of agroecosystems, the basisof those has following kinds of use land: agricultural, or fieldbeauharnais, irrigable agroecosystems; plantationally-garden are plantation agroecosystems; grazing are grazing agroecosystems; it is mixed are the mixed agroecosystems. Agroindustrial ecosystems are characterized by equal in rights correlation and combination of a few types of land-tenure, and also processes of receiving of both primary and secondary biological products; land-tenure for the production of secondary biological goods [1].
ScientistsV.Patyka, V.Solomahа, R.Burda offer all productive agricultural and domestic activity of people in agroecosystems to divide into: ecosystems of rural settlements, ecosystems of industrial production of goods, ecosystems of meadows and pasture, ecosystems, that abut upon foregoing risk factors.
Ecosystems of rural settlements:it is system, where domestic activity of people is realised, homestead lands with a natural and small-scale production, park and garden zones (they are the centers of economic activity, where ecologically compositions of pesticides and mineral fertilizers filling stations, places of concentration of technique, stock-raising complexes, places of the primary processing and warehousing of products).
Ecosystems of industrial production of goodsof plant-grower are systems with the ecologically risky types of activity(organizationally-territorial lacks of placing of production, wideuse of facilities of defence of plants and mineral fertilizers, use of types of till of soil that does not satisfy the requirements of erosive danger, burning of vegetable bits and pieces and so on).
Ecosystems of meadows and pastures are ecosystems with basic risk of their part unbalanced factors in the general volume of agricultural lands, that results in an overload during a pasture.
Ecosystems, that abut upon foregoing risk factors.There can be consequences of activity in the systems, notisedabove and direct harmful anthropogenic influence on these systems such, as felling of the forests, creation of elemental dumps of garbage and others [16].
An analysis even of this limit amount of determinations of ecosystem indicates the considerable differences in the volume of definition. But it is common that a man and artificial objects created by human are not plugged in an ecosystem. There isnecessity of consideration of anthropogenic influence as an external factor(as influence of a Sun or earthly bowels of the earth) at analysis of ecosystems. A man with his social, technological, economic, cultural and other problems must be rated separately as geosociosystem. At any level they have to be examined together as two subsystems of the one system of higher level, whichD.Markovich and H.Bachynsky and their supporters call the socioecosystem.
Socialecosystem(according to H.Bachynsky)is territorialsocio-natural,selfregulated system the dynamic equilibrium of that have to provide by human society,it ismonocentric, itscentral object is a man, it consists of two subsystems such as natural(biotic and аbiotic) and socio-economic(population and economy) [8]. The socioecosystems are the territorial systems that embrace the certain society groups with all products of productive activity and environment in autonomically guided administratively economic units of various grade.
From the point of view of classification there are such types of socioecosystems: global society nature of all planet; regional state, regional, district; local municipal, rural, agricultural. The socioecosystems are characterized the number of features: hierarchical, selfregulated, territorial, dynamic.
The hierarchy of socioecosystems is that the global socioecosystem consists of state, state from regional, regional from district, district from the municipal and rural socioecosystems. In a structural plan any socioecosystem consists of two basic subsystems: natural and socio-economic. Each of them consists of subsystems of lower level: natural - from biotic and abiotic, socio-economic - from anthropogenic and economic.
The components of the natural system are: flora and fauna, surface of Earth, soils, lower layers of atmosphere, superficial and underground water, and minerals. The components of socially economic subsystem are: populations, industrial, power, agricultural and other technogenic objects. The criterion of perfection for the natural system is absence of any anthropogenic loading at it, for socio-economic system maximal economic efficiency.Humanity realizes that an decision we need to search in the compromise association of the contradictory socio-economic and ecological interests which are differently directed. It is possible only at consideration of the system «society – nature» as a one system of socioecosystem.
In a textbook from ecology editedby H.Vasyukov it is marked, that all component of socioecosystems are in a dynamic balancewhere a materially-energetic exchange between society and nature, organically entered in the natural rotation of substance and energetical streams, what general balance of substance and energetical streams is kept due to. When this balance is distorted, the systems begin to degrade. The socioecosystems normally functioniate only at the conditions of the anthropogenic regulation of all processes that take place for them. If basis of existence of ecosystem-is feeding, and main functionof providing of rotation of substance(biotic, trophic relations), then in the ecosystem basis of existence is labour, main function is social exchange and public relations.
Agrosfera deeply integrated with the rural environment, livelihoods of communities, defining its entry into the organic system of rural development. As their identical components are population, economy, territory, so the economic, social and ecologicallevel of rural development is largely determined by the adequacy of agricultural branch.In other words, the results of agricultural development determine the level of rural development. Ukraine is potentially able to become the country with the focus on development of agricultural sector and a major supplier to world markets environmentally friendly (safe and complete) of food and raw materials, as it has a favorable conditions for the development of rural areas. Public rural development policy aims to provide the level of Ukrainian agricultural sector with international standards and the standards of the European Union, by creating a favorable institutional and organizational and economic environment in the country as a whole, and in particular regions, promote establishment of effective mechanisms for attracting investment in rural areas, and create a comfortable conditions for living and working inhabitants and workers in Ukrainian village.
A village is the Slavic word, it means a settlement, there owner of lands was there, and surrounding settlements were called villages. At the beginning of XX century a village was rural settlement, where a church was [26].
To solve the problems of development of rural territories,first of all, it is necessary clearly to define maintenance of concepts agriculture and rural territory. As І.Prokopa stresses, the first is determination of one of industries of economy, the second is rural locality as certain territory with a location of rural settlements and population on it. However in practice of government control these two concepts are often mixed up, in particular, instead of term agriculture it is used category village. In opinion of scientists-historians, village is unfortified settlements, as they were called yet in the days of Kyivan Rus. Certain open settlements in that equated with a village, lived different social groups of medieval population [11].
In the Russian dictionary according to interpretation of S.Ozhogov, village is a large rural population and rural locality. Accents are thus displaced in the having a special purpose options of public support of village, in fact the ultimate goal of development of agriculture is guaranteeing of food safety and increase of efficiency of production(maximization of profit). The primary objective of development of rural locality is the improvement of conditions of vital functions of people that live there.
In sociology and geography of definition rural locality includes for itself the inhabited locality out of cities with its natural conditions and resources, rural population and the various capital assets on this territory. Term «rural», is territorial conception regardless of methods of land-tenure, level of economic development and predominance of any economic sector. Rural locality not necessarily coincides with administrative borders or affected certain economic zonealthough in practice it divides the administrative borders of municipal formations, village administrations. Considering administrative distribution, terms rural regions and districts are often used.
Rural regions, in comparing to municipal, are characterized limited intercommunications of branches and lowdensity of population. Agricultural labor, less degree of socio-economic development, small set of types of labour activity, large professional and social uniformity of population, prevails in most regions.
For rural locality also characteristic predominances of socially and nationally of uniformity families;sincerity in communication;higher level of public opinion and social control, especially from the side of senior generation; traditions, slow rhythm of life;plain forms of communication; less psychological loading.
The economic functions of rural locality(villages) consist of the following: productive is satisfaction of necessities of society in food and feedstock, products of forest and hunting-industries, and also products of other industries and types of economic activity; socialdemographic is recreation of rural population, providing of agriculture and other industries of economy by labour resources; cultural and ethnic heritage of original national languages and culture, folk traditions, customs, ceremonies, folklore, experience of menage and mastering of natural resources a nature protection histories and cultures of rural locality; ecological support of ecological balance in agrobionosiss and whole country, maintenance of reserves, wildlife preserves, national parks, accumulation of pollutions, landscape creationetc;recreationalcreating conditionsfor health recovery and rest of urban and rural population; spatially-communication –is giving of spatial base for placing of productions and maintenance of engineering communications; political is stabilization of public forces, as peasants are the most uniform, conservative and tolerant part of society; social control assistance of rural population to the public organs in guaranteeing of public peace and safety in settlements and territories with low density, resource preservation[26].