Models of Eco-environmental Restoration and Agricultural Construction in a Watershed of the Loess Plateau, China

摘要

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 three ecoagricultural construction models intended to control soil and water losses, increase agricultural production and rise income levels. The economic and eco-environmental 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 eco agricultural models was appropriate. The ecoenvironment has been improved and the local people are now having higher incomes and much better living conditions. The application of three eco-agricultural construction models provide scientific evidence, and are exemplary illustration of what may be accomplished by investing in eco-environmental restoration and eco-agricultural construction on the Loess Plateau.