For centuries, traditional agricultural systems have contributed to food and livelihood security throughout the world. Recognizing the ecological legacy in the traditional agricultural systems may help us develop novel sustainable agriculture. We examine how rice-fish coculture (RF), which has been designated a "globally important agricultural heritage system," has been maintained for over 1,200 y in south China. A field survey demonstrated that although rice yield and rice-yield stability are similar in RF and rice monoculture (RM), RF requires 68% less pesticide and 24% less chemical fertilizer than RM. A field experiment confirmed this result. We documented that a mutually beneficial relationship between rice and fish develops in RF: Fish reduce rice pests and rice favors fish by moderating the water environment. This positive relationship between rice and fish reduces the need for pesticides in RF. Our results also indicate a complementary use of nitrogen (N) between rice and fish in RF, resulting in low N fertilizer application and low N release into the environment. These findings provide unique insights into how positive interactions and complementary use of resource between species generate emergent ecosystem properties and how modern agricultural systems might be improved by exploiting synergies between species. G lobal food security is becoming an acute problem because of the increasing world population (1), the limitation of agricultural resources (e.g., land and water) (2), and the effects of global climate change on crop production (3, 4). World agriculture currently faces great challenges in producing sufficient food while minimizing the negative environmental effects of crop cultivation.In the past 50 y, crop yields have substantially increased, mainly resulting from the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the development of new crop varieties, and the improvement in cultivation methods. The heavy application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides for long periods, however, negatively affects the environment, induces pest resistance to pesticides, and increases agricultural costs (5, 6). As a consequence, modern agriculture now requires "rethinking" (1, 7), and such rethinking should include reconsideration of traditional agricultural systems (8-10).For many centuries, traditional agricultural systems have contributed to food and livelihood security throughout the world (8). Because traditional agricultural systems have been created, shaped, and maintained by generations of farmers who used management practices that were matched to local conditions, and because these systems are based on diverse species and species interactions, traditional agricultural systems reflect a successful adaptation to different environments and are rich in biological diversity (8,11,12). The recognition of the ecological legacy of these traditional agricultural systems and the integration of these unique experiences into our future farm designs could help us to develop more sustainable agriculture. In fact, stud...
Abstract:In recent decades, human activities have significantly transformed land use and land cover (LULC) and the environment of the Central Himalayas region. LULC is a major component of environmental and climatic research. The aim of this study was to determine the changes in cropland status and its drivers in the Koshi River Basin (KRB) of the Central Himalayas region of Nepal between 1978 and 2010. The cropland status in 1978 was obtained from the Land Resources Mapping Project (LRMP) datasets. The cropland status in 1992 and 2010 was determined on the basis of satellite imagery, with an object-oriented classification method, together with field investigations. Advanced geographical tools were used for data processing and binary logistic regression models were used for the statistical analysis of potential driving factors of cropland change. A noticeable overall change in cropland area was found, with rapid increases from 1978 onward at differing rates and to different extents. The cropland area covered 7165 km 2 in 1978. It peaked at 7867.49 km 2 in 1992, and had reduced slightly (by 90 km 2 ) to 7776.66 km 2 by 2010. The change in cropland area was mainly related to four potential driving factors: topography (elevation, slope, and soil types), socioeconomics (population and foreign labor migration), climate (annual mean temperature and precipitation), and neighborhood factors (roads, rivers, and settlements). However, the effects of the different variables have occurred over various stages and at different rates. An understanding of long-term changes in cropland status in the KRB would be useful, and this could be extended to spatial reconstructions with the help of historical data, including cropland and climatic archives.
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