Introduction

Background of the study

Trees are very much important in maintaining a steady balance in an ecosystem. They contribute widely to the environment by improving air quality, providing oxygen to living beings, conserving water, protecting the soil, climate amelioration and supporting wildlife. Hence planting trees or afforestation is of utmost significance in preserving the ecosystem and ensuring the sustainability of the environment. Deforestation, on the other hand, has a negative effect on the environmental balance. Cutting down the trees leads to the loss of natural habitat of the plants and animals that survive mostly on forests. Moreover, deforestation dries out the soils as the trees covering and protecting them are being cut down. Trees absorb the greenhouse gases which lead to global warming thereby protecting the surrounding environment. This it is very necessary for agricultural management to develop effective eco-friendly models so as to preserve their agricultural resources. Hence this research project will highlight the different ecological principles which drive agriculture and lead to more tree plantations in Australia. Moreover, the study will critically evaluate the sustainable farming practices adopted by the Australian farmers which can ensure environmental protection to a wide extent. 

Aim and objectives of the study

The prime aim of this research project is to evaluate the effects of tree plantation in the Australian ecosystem. In order to achieve this aim, the concerned researcher will have to serve the following objectives:

• To understand the different ecological principles that drive agriculture in Australia
• To evaluate environmental sustainability by critically analysing the sustainable farming practices
• To demonstrate the management skills of generating sustainable technologies for managing the agroecosystem of Australia

Research questions

This research study will derive the answers to the following questions:

1. What are the different eco-friendly models needed for preserving the agricultural resources of Australian farming activities?
2. What are the ecological principles which influence the agricultural practices in Australia?
3. How can sustainable technologies in crop ecosystems preserve the environment of the country?

Literature review

This section will depict the viewpoints and findings of the other researchers who have researched similar kinds of topics in the past. With relevance to this topic, Tilman, et al., (2001) have demonstrated that effective agroecosystems management is required for planting trees and facilitating agricultural activities successfully in the Australian land. This includes the combination of several ecological, economic and social values which help in efficient farming and developing an eco-friendly environment in the country. According to Franklin (1993), environmental qualities such as biodiversity can be enhanced by following improved agroecosystem management skills. The natural resources of the Australian ecosystem can be preserved and utilised properly by the farmers if effective eco-friendly farming trends are followed such as preserving biodiversity, restricting the expansion of farmland, protecting the soil from degradation, reducing the effect of greenhouse gases and conserving water for farming. In the words of Kroeger & Casey (2007), all these activities can be undertaken by generating sustainable eco-friendly technologies and utilising their benefits for preserving the environment. Organic farming is one of the popular eco-friendly technologies used for sustainable development of the Australian ecosystem and for establishing intensive modern agriculture. According to Schulze & Mooney (Eds.). (2012), it is very important for the farmers and management to follow the necessary laws and principles for protecting the environment. Sustainable environment is necessary to form as it helps in minimising the costs by promoting sustainable farming practices for Australia in the near future. As opined by Tilman, et al., (2002), the agricultural land needs protecting so as to make it suitable for planting crops and increasing the food production. However, due to deforestation, the dry salinity of the soil and pests has threatened the sustainable agriculture thereby affecting the surrounding environment. Use of innovative eco-friendly models like greenhouse model can help the Australian farmers in protecting the ecosystem against harm and degradation thus developing sustainable environment.

Research methodology

In order to accomplish the desired objectives, the researcher associated with the study will have to choose the most appropriate and reliable methods and approaches that will help in deriving relevant information about the chosen research topic. This study will adopt the Research Onion design for conducting the overall analysis in an effective manner (Marczyk, et al., 2005). It consists of five different research characteristics such as research philosophy, research approach, research strategy, time horizon and data collection tool. 

The researcher in this project will conduct qualitative primary research for evaluating the correct outcomes from the study (Camic, et al., 2003). For doing so, the interpretivism research philosophy will be adopted which will help the researcher in collecting information from the chosen respondents and interpreting them in an in-depth manner. The viewpoints and thoughts of the respondents from Australia related to the research area will be analysed and as such inductive approach will be selected by the researcher. 

The answers to the research questions regarding the eco-friendly principles and sustainable technologies influencing Australian farming will be best evaluated based on the perceptions of the respondents and thus field study strategy will be chosen in this respect. It will help in generating fruitful results as the researcher’s own viewpoints will not be involved (Jha, 2008). Moreover, a cross-sectional time horizon strategy will be beneficial for collecting one-time data from the respondents thus saving excess time and cost.

The researcher has to pay complete concentration while choosing the data collection tool. In this study, focus group interviews will be adopted for collecting data from the selected research participants. With the help of this data collection tool, the participants will be able to generate their own perceptions and thoughts regarding the research subject matter. The responses of the respondents will be considered valuable for analysing the concerned research outcomes.

Sampling technique and questionnaire

The researcher in this study will select a total of 50 respondents comprising of farmers and managers of the Australian agriculture sector. Random sampling technique will be adopted for selecting an appropriate sample for the research (Cochran, 2007). The respondents will be approached with a series of 5 semi-structured questions related to the agroecosystem management principles and sustainable ecosystem technologies.

Data analysis and interpretation

In order to yield effective results from the overall study, the collected data will be analysed by highlighting different suitable themes. Thematic analysis will help in evaluating the responses of the respondents in a descriptive and broadway. 

Timeframe

Activities	Duration (in days)
Setting aim and objectives of the study	6
Conducting literature review	15
Selecting appropriate qualitative research methods	20
Analysing data	12
Concluding the study	8

References

Camic, P. M., Rhodes, J. E., & Yardley, L. E. (2003). Qualitative research in psychology: Expanding perspectives in methodology and design. American Psychological Association.

Cochran, W. G. (2007). Sampling techniques.John Wiley & Sons.

Franklin, J. F. (1993). Preserving biodiversity: species, ecosystems, or landscapes?. Ecological applications, 3(2), 202-205.

Jha, N. (2008). Research methodology. Chandigarh: Abhishek Publications.

Kroeger, T., & Casey, F. (2007). An assessment of market-based approaches to providing ecosystem services on agricultural lands. Ecological Economics, 64(2), 321-332.

Marczyk, G., DeMatteo, D., & Festinger, D. (2005). Essentials of research design and methodology. John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Schulze, E. D., & Mooney, H. A. (Eds.). (2012). Biodiversity and ecosystem function. Springer Science & Business Media.

Tilman, D., Cassman, K. G., Matson, P. A., Naylor, R., & Polasky, S. (2002). Agricultural sustainability and intensive production practices. Nature, 418(6898), 671.

Tilman, D., Fargione, J., Wolff, B., D’antonio, C., Dobson, A., Howarth, R., … & Swackhamer, D. (2001). Forecasting agriculturally driven global environmental change. Science, 292(5515), 281-284.