Adaptive evolution of the rural human-environment system in farming and pastoral areas of northern China from 1952-2017

doi:10.1007/s11442-021-1875-3

Abstract

Abstract:

The theory on the cyclic adaptation between society and ecosystems sheds new light on the evolution and internal structure of human-environment systems. This paper introduces the risk index (RI) and adaptation capacity index (ACI) to evaluate the rural human-environment system. An evaluation index system for the adaptability of rural human-environment systems is configured in the context of climate change and policy implementation. On this basis, the stages, features, dominant control factors, and evolution mechanism were examined vis-à-vis the adaptability of the rural human-environment system in Darhan Muminggan Joint Banner from 1952 to 2017. The main results are as follows: (1) The evolution of the rural human-environment system can be divided into three stages, namely, the reorganization and rapid development stage (1952-2002) with population, cultivated land, livestock and degraded grassland increasing by 260%, 13%, 134% and 16.33%, respectively. The rapid to stable development stage (2003-2010) with population increasing by 2.8%; cultivated land, livestock and degraded grassland decreasing by 2.3%, 13.6% and 10.7%, respectively. The stable to release stage (2011-2017) with population, cultivated land, livestock and degraded grassland decreasing by 2.6%, 0.2%, 10.6% and 3.8%, respectively. (2) With the passage of time, the ACI of the rural human-environment system first increased slightly (-0.016-0.031), followed by a slight decline (0.031-0.003), and culminating in a rapid increase (0.003-0.088). In terms of spatial patterns, adaptability is high in the middle, moderate in the north, and low in the south. (3) The evolution of adaptability in the rural human-environment system was mainly controlled by the per capita effective irrigation area (22.31%) and the per capita number of livestock (23.47%) from 1990 to 2000, the desertified area (25.06%) and the land use intensity (21.27%) from 2000 to 2005, and the per capita income of farmers and herdsmen (20.08%) and the per capita number of livestock (18.52%) from 2010 to 2007. (4) Under the effects of climate change and policy interventions, the cyclic adaptation of the rural human-environment system was propelled by the interactions between two kinds of subjects: farmers and herdsmen on the one hand and rural communities on the other hand. The interaction affects the adaptive behavior of the two kinds of subjects, which in turn drives the cyclic evolution of the system. As a result, the system structure and functions developed alternatively between coordinated and uncoordinated states. Small-scale adaptive behaviors of farmers and herdsmen have a profound impact on the evolution of the rural human-environment system.

Key words: rural human-environment system, adaptability, evolution mechanism, farming and pastoral areas

LI Wenlong, KUANG Wenhui, LYU Jun, ZHAO Zhonghua, ZHANG Boyuan. Adaptive evolution of the rural human-environment system in farming and pastoral areas of northern China from 1952-2017[J].Journal of Geographical Sciences, 2021, 31(6): 859-877.

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Township	1990	1995	2000	2005	2010	2017
Bailingmiao	0.012	0.065	0.079	0.049	0.079	0.092
Wukehudong	-0.055	-0.042	-0.027	-0.040	0.058	0.086
Shibao	-0.064	-0.039	-0.034	-0.036	0.041	0.078
Xar Moron	0.088	0.049	0.060	0.017	0.065	0.094
Darhansumu	-0.006	0.054	0.051	0.035	0.049	0.114
Ming’an	-0.014	0.046	0.049	0.014	0.038	0.084
Bayinhua	-0.068	0.037	0.037	-0.028	0.030	0.070
Mandula	-0.019	0.031	0.035	-0.009	0.053	0.088
Average	-0.016	0.025	0.031	0.003	0.052	0.088

Year	The obstacle degrees and ranking of evaluation restrictive indicators
Year	1	2	3	4
1990	Effective irrigated area per capita (22.31%)	Mechanical power per capita (17.64%)	Annual precipitation (10.01%)	Number of livestock per capita (9.83%)
1995	Mechanical power per capita (21.55%)	Number of livestock per capita (19.62%)	Per capita income of farmers and herdsmen (14.58%)	Annual precipitation (8.36%)
2000	Number of livestock per capita (23.47%)	Effective irrigated area per capita (20.03%)	Annual precipitation (11.67%)	Vegetation coverage (10.39%)
2005	Desertified area (25.06%)	Land use intensity (21.27%)	Vegetation coverage (14.69%)	Ecological service value (10.22%)
2010	Number of livestock per capita (20.87%)	Per capita income of farmers and herdsmen (19.66%)	Effective irrigated area per capita (13.89%)	Annual precipitation (10.03%)
2017	Per capita income of farmers and herdsmen (20.08%)	Number of livestock per capita (18.52%)	Vegetation coverage (12.74%)	Annual precipitation (9.64%)