Climate Change and Dryland Agricultural Ecosystem Management

Pathways of assessing the health and the management of
agroecosystem
Zhu Wenfeng 1 , Wang Songliang 1,∗ , Claude D Caldwell 2
1.College of Crop Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou,350002;
2.Department of botany and Animals Sciences, Nova Scotia Agricultural College Truro, NS, Canada B2N 5E3
Abstract:
Rapid deterioration of structure and functional properties in agroecosystems has intensified the need
for researching of agroecosystem health and agroecosystem management. Agroecosystem health could
provide an appealing guideline for agricultural research and agroecosystem management. More
researchers were devoted to the exploration of the frontiers of agroecosystem health study. There are,
however, problems of agroecosystem health research such as: lack of uniform definition and
assessment standards of agroecosystem health; being difficulty to establish a systematical and
scientific evaluation index system becoming the bottle-neck of agroecosystem health research;
progress of agroecosystem health research hindered by leading role of subjective and economic factors;
the need of method of combining the qualitative analysis with quantitative analysis in agroecosystem
health study; few studies attempting to link agroecosystem health to agroecosystem management,
which is the key factor in agroecosystem sustainable development and survival of human being. The
present paper aims to provide concepts and interaction between agroecosystem health and
agroecosystem management, and further to establish agroecosystem health evaluation system in a
scientific approach and give proper pathways to agroecosystem management, so as to provide basis to
support agricultural management and policy decision making.
This paper describes the concept of agroecosystem health as a concept models. First, the development
of research is reviewed, and agroecosystem health from various dimensions is provided.
Agroecosystem health is an ideal condition that a healthy agroecosystem can keep itself from
side-effects of occurrence of "disorder syndrome", keeping vitality, diversity, coordinating its stability
of organizational structure and maintaining high productivity. In non-human external stress, its
efficient use of resources can keep the continuous production and service capacity for the entire
ecosystem. Then, the methods and general criteria of agroecosystem health assessment are outlined,
and a model for evaluating the agroecosystem health is established. Delphi method and AHP are used
to integrate quantitative and qualitative research in establishing a four-stage framework of
agroecosystem health assessment. 36 indicators are selected and separated into layers following a
logical. The first level is ‘Object’, i.e. Evaluation objectives and Composite Index of agroecosystem
health; The second level is ‘Item’ i.e. subsystem in an agroecosystem, including economy system,
society system, ecosystem; The third level is the evaluation factors i.e. specific elements for every
evaluation item, characteristics including Vigor, Organization structure, Resilience maintenance and
Equality in each subsystem. The fourth level is index level i.e. detail indicators to express each
evaluation factors form microcosmic, middle and macroscopic dimensions. System analysis and
Mathematical model supply ways to give sores and calculate from the low level to high level, and
finally composite to a specific value.
At last, through the application of agroecological principles based on agroecology, pathways of
agroecosystem management both in macroscopic level and microscopic level are proposed.
Agroecosystem Management should combine disciplines such as agroecology, economics, sociology
and management theories. The authors believe that agroecosystem management is not only
relationship between biotic and non-biotic in a farm, but also an practices derived by economic
systemic, social and cultural driving force, orientated by policy, and linking producers to consumers.
∗ Corresponding author, Wang Song Liang Email: wsoloedu07@126.com
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