The Impact of Oilseed Production and Processing on Biological Diversity

尽管许多人现在同意人类活动减少动植物物种数量的假设，但几乎没有进行全面的分析来确定和分析改变生物多样性的人类过程。在对动植物影响最大的人类活动中，农业就是其中之一。该项目将开始分析油籽的基本生产和产品加工如何通过开发新的杂交品种来鼓励扩大生物多样性，同时改变区域内的植被组合。该项目将首先在加拿大西部对油菜籽(油菜籽)生产进行试点研究。将被审查的来源包括行业历史；科学和技术期刊；法律和行政裁决；种子公司、电梯、加工商发布的标准；以及生产、出口、价格和其他变量的数据。还将通过采访农民、加工商和其他从事油菜籽生产和杂交开发的人来收集信息。将对这些信息进行评估，以确定各种人为因素，包括市场力量在改变生物多样性的活动中的作用。这一试点项目将为这个充满活力的行业提供有价值的新见解，展示人类活动可以创造和改变生物多样性的方式。在未来具有更大意义的是，它将使调查人员能够制定一种一致的方法，用于在其他情况下研究其他油籽行业，并将为他们提供一个为其他行业确定信息来源的机会。通过扩大这一调查范围，将对一系列农业活动进行比较，从而为概括人类与自然环境相互作用的过程提供一个更好的基础。

Although many people now agree with the premise that human activities reduce the number of plant and animal species, few comprehensive analyses have been undertaken to identify and analyze the human processes that alter biological diversity. Among the human activities that have had the most significant impacts on plants and animals is agriculture. This project will begin an analysis of the ways that basic production of oilseeds and processing of those products encourages expansion of biological diversity through development of new hybrids while simultaneously altering the mix of vegetation within regions. The project will begin with a pilot study of canola (rapeseed) production in western Canada. Sources to be examined include histories of the industry; scientific and technical journals; laws and administrative rulings; standards published by seed companies, elevators, processors; and data on production, exports, prices, and other variables. Information also will be gathered through interviews with farmers, processors, and others engaged in canola production and hybrid development. This information will be assessed in order to identify the role of various human factors, including market forces, in activities that alter biological diversity. This pilot project will provide valuable new insights about a dynamic industry that exemplifies the ways that human activity can create and alter biological diversity. Of even greater future significance, it will enable the investigators to develop a consistent methodological approach for use in studying other oilseed industries in other settings, and it will provide them with an opportunity to identify information sources for other industries. Through expansion of this line of inquiry, comparisons will be drawn across a range of agricultural activities, thereby providing an enhanced base from which to generalize about the processes through which humans interact with the natural environment.