Evolution and effects of the social-ecological system over a millennium in China’s Loess Plateau

Abstract

Understanding the regime shifts of social-ecological systems (SES) and their local and spillover effects over a long time frame is important for future sustainability. We provide a perspective of processes unfolding over time to identify the regime shifts of a SES based on changes in the relationships between SES components while also addressing their drivers and local and spillover effects. The applicability of this approach has been demonstrated by analyzing the evolution over the past 1000 years of the SES in China’s Loess Plateau (LP). Five evolutionary phases were identified: “fast expansion of cultivation,” “slow expansion of cultivation,” “landscape engineering for higher production,” “transition from cultivation to ecological conservation,” and “revegetation for environment.” Our study establishes empirical links between the state (phase) of a SES to its drivers and effects. Lessons of single-goal driven and locally focused SES management in the LP, which did not consider these links, have important implications to long-term planning and policy formulation of SES.

Quantifying the Compound Factors of Forest Land Changes in the Pearl River Delta, China

“…This is consistent with the findings of this study that show that deforestation in all cities was mainly caused by built-up land. The initial stage of urbanization is always accompanied by the occupation of ecological space by urban build-up land, resulting in a significant reduction in forest land area [40]. The government should strengthen monitoring and assessment of forest land in urban growth boundaries.…”

Response of Biodiversity, Ecosystems, and Ecosystem Services to Climate Change in China: A Review

“…The reduction of supply will have a negative impact on regional economic development. In terrestrial ecosystems, plantation construction has brought huge ecological benefits to regional development [62], but climate change is changing the water supply of the basin [63,64], such as the Loess Plateau [65]. In the Shiyang River Basin in the arid region of Northwest China, the decrease of precipitation in the past 50 years has reduced the average annual flow by 64%, aggravating the shortage of surface water resources [66], further affecting agricultural production and reducing the yield and quality of crops [67].…”

Resilience, Adaptability, and Regime Shifts Thinking: A Perspective of Dryland Socio-Ecology System

“…2. For instance, a comprehensive framework has been proposed in China's semi-arid regions to determine the stages of evolution of the Loess Plateau from a socio-ecological system perspective (Wu et al, 2020). Furthermore, such frameworks are also used in other dryland ecological components, such as the Yellow River's sand transfer capacity (Song et al, 2020).…”