Turner Institute Of Ecoagriculture Inc

THE INSTITUTE'S MISSION IS TO RESEARCH, DEVELOP, PRACTICE, AND DISSEMINATE SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES AND TECHNIQUES FOR CONSERVING ECOSYSTEMS, AGRICULTURE, AND RURAL COMMUNITIES. THE INSTITUTE WILL ACHIEVE THIS MISSION BY USING ITS LIVESTOCK, LAND, SCALE, AND BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY TO RESEARCH ANDDEMONSTRATE HOW RANCHING OPERATIONS CAN MEET ECONOMIC AND PRODUCTION OBJECTIVES WHILE PROTECTING AND ENHANCING NATURAL RESOURCE AND CONSERVATION VALUES OF LARGE LANDSCAPES. IN A BROAD SENSE THIS CONCEPT CAN BE REFERRED TO AS ECOAGRICULTURE, AN EMERGING AREA OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY REGARDING HOW SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND RANCHING CAN BE CONDUCTED ACROSS DIVERSE LANDSCAPES WHILE MAINTAINING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND INTEGRITY, AND CONTRIBUTING TOWARDS SOLUTIONS FOR LOCAL AND GLOBAL ISSUES (E.G., CLIMATE CHANGE, NATIVE SPECIES AND HABITAT LOSS, ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION, WATER DEPLETION, FOOD PRODUCTION, AND RURAL ECONOMIES) RATHER THAN EXACERBATING THEM.

AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN I) BISON LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION AND PERFORMANCE II) NATIVE SPECIES CONSERVATION, RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT, AND III) ECOSYSTEM AND LANDSCAPE STUDIES. THE MAIN RESEARCH FOCUS AREA RELATES TO THE PRACTICE OF BISON RANCHING CONDUCTED IN ECONOMICALLY SUSTAINABLE AND ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE MANNER WHILE PROMOTING THE CONSERVATION OF NATIVE SPECIES AND HABITATS. THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT RESEARCH NEEDS IN AREAS OF BISON PHYSIOLOGY, HEALTH, PRODUCTIVITY, FEEDING, MEAT QUALITY AND NUTRITION, GENETICS AND BREEDING, HUSBANDRY AND HANDLING, SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND COMMUNICATION, NATIONAL AND NATIVE PEOPLES HERITAGE, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF BISON, ROLE OF GRAZING IN MAINTAINING NATIVE ECOSYSTEMS AND ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES, AND THE RESPONSE TO WILDLIFE TO BISON GRAZING.

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