Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

Resolving ecological and economic challenges: An application of sustainable ecological agriculture on the Chinese Loess Plateau

Author(s):

Gang Liu ^{1, 2}, Puling Liu ^1*, David N. Warrington ¹, Tongjun Ju ¹, Qiong Zhang ³, Wennian Xu ²

Recieved Date: 2010-10-28, Accepted Date: 2011-01-03

Abstract:

Resolving ecological and economic challenges is an international topic. On the Loess Plateau of China, the local people have been struggling on low incomes to guarantee their food security, and contend with some of the most serious soil erosion problems in the world. This paper discusses the application, over ten years, of an ecosystem recovery plan based on the sustainable eco-agricultural theories, introduced in the Yan’gou watershed in 1998, including meso-scale eco-agricultural construction and re-vegetation projects intended to control soil and water losses, increase agricultural production and rise income levels. The socio-economic and ecological benefits achieved during this period of reconstruction are analyzed. The evidence indicates that the combination of comprehensive measures to prevent eco-environmental degradation and the application of ecoagricultural models was appropriate. The eco-environment has been substantially improved and the local people are now having higher incomes and much better living conditions. This watershed provides scientific evidence, and is an exemplary illustration of what may be accomplished by investing in eco-environmental and eco-agricultural construction on the Loess Plateau.

Keywords:

Yan’gou watershed, eco-agricultural systems, construction models, ecological benefits, socio-economic benefits, sustainability, model implantation

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Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2011
Volume: 9
Issue: 1
Category: Environment
Pages: 575-582

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