Flora, life form characteristics, and plan for the promotion of biodiversity in South Korea＇s Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System, the traditional Gudeuljang irrigated rice terraces in Cheongsando

The objectives of this study were to analyze the biodiversity of the Traditional Gudeuljang Irrigated Rice Terraces in Cheongsando, South Korea's representative GIAHS(Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System) site, with reference to position and land-use features, and to develop a plan to promote agricultural biodiversity in the region. We confirmed approximately 54,000 m2 of Gudeuljang paddy fields by an on-site survey. Of the Traditional Gudeuljang Irrigated Rice Terraces confirmed by onsite inspection, our survey showed that approximately 24,000 m2 are currently being used as paddy fields, approximately 15,000 m2 are being used as dry fields, and approximately 14,000 m2 are fallow. In terms of other non-agricultural land use, there was grassland, including graveyards; artificial arboreal land, such as orchards, rivers and wetlands, and man-made facilities, such as roads and residences. We also confirmed that the Traditional Gudeuljang Irrigated Rice Terraces had higher plant species diversity than conventional terraced rice paddies, and there was a difference in life form characteristics between the two types. Although the superficial topsoil structure is thesame for the Traditional Gudeuljang Irrigated Rice Terraces(TGIRTs) and conventional terraced rice paddies, it is thought that the differences in the subsurface structure of the TGIRTs contribute greatly to species and habitat diversity. However, the TGIRTs in Cheongsando are facing degeneration, due to damage and reduction in agricultural activity. The main cause is the reduction in the number of farming households due to an aging population in Cheongsando. In order to address this problem, we proposed a management plan, related to fallow paddy fields in South Korea, to initiate voluntary activities in the TGIRTs.

Sustainable tourism development of globally important agricultural heritage sites:a case study of "traditional rice-fish agriculture system"

Traditional rice-fish agricultural heritage site in Qingtian County, China, one of the pilot sites of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems （GIAHS）, is of great value in tourism development. This paper aims to explore how to realize sustainable tourism development in agricultural heritage site through identifying current problems in GIAHS site. and making constructive recommendations for coupled development of heritage preservation and economic development. Field survey was carried out and data was collected through field questionnaire surveys of tourists and residents in Longxian Village of Qingtian County, as well as interviews of residents with semi. structured questionnaires for their perceptions and attitudes to tourism development. The following results are got： （1） the tourism industry is still at its early state of Non, tale tourism （enjoy and experience authentic country life- style）, under very limited administrative management; （2） what attracts visitors most are delicious.fish and beautiful natural environment, but not agricultural heritage itself; （3） most tourists eome from adjacent areas and stay. only half day, many of whom pay their visits twice or more; （4） a few local residents take part in the activities of tourism industry, but in very limited manners even if they do. Current patterns of tourism development are casting negative impacts on agricultural heritage. Conservatton of agricultural heritage should be put in the first place for sustainable tourism development.Agricultural heritage, as a key attraction, should be taken as the focus for tourism development. The important thing is to change the present Nongjiale tourism into real heritage tourism, to establish a cooperative mechanism among different stakeholders. and to increase local residents＇ income through engaging in tourism industry.

Agricultural Heritage System应是“农业遗产系统”而不是“农业文化遗产”

联合国粮农组织(UNFAO)的“Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System”(全球重要农业遗产系统,简称GIAHS)项目的核心是“Agricultural Heritage System”(农业遗产系统)。中国政府主管部门与主要学术支持机构却将它译为“农业文化遗产”。这一错译的错误有三:(1)“Agricultural Heritage System”从字面上不可能译为“农业文化遗产”;(2)由世界遗产委员会的文化遗产顾问机构“国际古迹遗产保护理事会”等制定的文化遗产类型中,只有“农业遗产”而无“农业文化遗产”;(3)最重要的是,将“农业遗产系统”改为“农业文化遗产”完全抹杀了GIAHS的特点与特殊保护意义。

Ecological footprint analysis on the traditional rice-fish agricultural area:a case study of Qingtian County,Zhejiang Province,China

Qingtian County of Zhejiang Province, China has maintained the traditional rice-fish agriculture for about 2,000 years and formed exceptional cultural heritage based on this kind of production mode, so it was ed by FAO as a pilot site for the rice-fish agricultural heritage systems in 2005. This research has applied the indicators of ecological footprint and biocapacity to monitor the environmental conditions of Qingtian County, aiming to find the impact that the traditional agricultural production mode and the local inhabitants lifestyle have placed on the local environmental conditions as well as the role they have played in maintaining ecological balance, cultural inheritance and regional sustainable development. Results show that Qingtian County is characterized by a nearly breakeven total ecological balance, as opposed to Zhejiang Province, the world and other agricultural regions. However, compared with another rice-fish agricultural region, Congjiang County which enjoys a considerable ecological reserve, Qingtian County has consumed a greater amount of environmental resources. Specifically, about half of the ecological footprint of Qingtian County can be attributed to the cropland （50.8%） while the CO2 area only accounts for 11.2%, which is dramatically different from that of the modern industrialized regions. And a vast of percentage of energy is caused by the combustion of fuelwood which not only requires the land to absorb the CO2 emission it has generated but also occupies the forest where it has been chopped.

Investigation and Analysis of Harmful Organisms Intercepted from Imported Seeds and Seedlings during 2011-2014

In this study,records published by General Administration of Quality Supervision,Inspection and Quarantine of China and related literature on harmful organisms intercepted from imported seeds and seedlings during 2011-2014 were investigated and analyzed.The results showed that the species and amount of harmful organisms intercepted from imported seeds and seedlings increased gradually during 2011-2014,which posed a realistic or potential threat to agriculture production in China.Based on the present situation,corresponding suggestions and countermeasures were proposed：1 strengthening the study on rapid detection technology of harmful organisms;2 improving the ability of animal and plant quarantine in China.

National Protection Zone for Rapeseed Production and Industrial Cluster of Rape in Hubei Province

Hubei Province is the main winter rapeseed producing area in China,and has the national advantage and characteristic industrial cluster of rape.The protection zone for the production of important agricultural products of rapeseed in Hubei Province also ranks first as that in Hunan Province.This paper studied the winter rape industry,the important agricultural product production protection zone of rapeseed,the provincial double-low high-quality rape protection zone and the industrial cluster of rape in Jianghan Plain in Hubei Province,and analyzed the main problems existing in the development of rapeseed production protection zone and industrial cluster of rape.Finally,it came up with strategies including promoting national rape varieties,overcoming the problem of rape"agricultural chip",promoting the"rice+rape"rotation model,and strengthening the protection of intellectual property rights of brand marks.

Challenges and Countermeasures for the Sustainable Development of Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems in China

In 2012 the Ministry of Agriculture of China launched a project exploring Nationaly Important Agricultural Heritage Systems （China-NIAHS）. Through two rounds of applications and selection in 2012 and 2013, 39 traditional agricultural systems were selected and designated as China-NIAHS, including 19 forestry systems, 14 planting systems, four agricultural complex systems and two other systems. From a system origin perspective there were 24 agricultural systems, some dating back 1000 years. Twenty heritage systems are located in areas inhabited by ethnic minorities. Agricultural heritage systems face general challenges, such as ecosystem degradation and destruction, loss and abandonment of traditional agricultural technologies and landscapes, lagging agriculture scale and industrialization, and limited farmer beneift-sharing and incentives. Compared to other types of heritage, the conservation and development of agricultural heritage systems is more complex and dififcult. In order to achieve sustainable development of agricultural heritage systems, the government should play a leading role and improve ifnancial support functions. Local people should also explore market-oriented approaches and adaptive management methods on protection and development of NIAHS. Multi-participation and beneift-sharing mechanisms should be established and basic research needs to be strengthened.

Future perspective of China's feed demand and supply during its fast transition period of food consumption

China has experienced dramatic changes in food consumption patterns over the last three decades. However, there are different opinions regarding the future trends in consumption. By adopting the well-developed partial equilibrium model-China Agricultural Policy Simulation Model（CAPSi M）, the demand for livestock products and the main feed crops over 2011–2030 is predicted and analyzed. It is found that China＇s per capita consumption of livestock products will continue to rise during this period, even though its growth rate will slow down gradually. Meanwhile, the expansion of livestock production will pose great challenges for feed supply in China. More accurately, China will be confronted with feed security rather than grain security in the future.

Conceptual Framework for Economic Evaluation of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS): Case of Rice-Fish Co-Culture in China

The Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems （GIAHS） initiative was launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization （FAO） of the United Nations in 2002 with the aim of establishing the basis for the global recognition,dynamic conservation and adaptive management of outstanding traditional agricultural systems and their associated landscapes,biodiversity,knowledge systems and cultures.There is anecdotal evidence that designated GIAHS are economically better than non-GIAHS sites.However,there have not been done an economic analysis to prove this.Nor are any sophisticated economic performance criteria for GIAHS in place for a continuously monitoring of the functioning.Therefore,the main objective of this study is to conduct an economic valuation for a GIAHS system versus a similar non designated GIAHS system.For this,a Cost-Benefit Analysis （CBA） is chosen.The major constraint is the data availability.Therefore,a framework for economic analysis shall be developed with the intention to provide directions,assumptions,and data requirement to carry out an economic analysis and so give guidance on future inclusion of economic valuations of GIAHS.Theconceptual framework for economic assessment will use the Rice-Fish pilot site in China as a case study.The example calculations on the rice-fish co-culture （RFC） have to be taken cautiously due to data availability on different activities （tourism,marketed products on local and international markets） as well as comparison to similar systems.

Conservation and Adaptive Management of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)

Worldwide specific agricultural systems and landscapes have been created, shaped and maintained by generations of farmers and herders based on diverse natural resources using locally adapted management practices. Building on local knowledge and experience these ingenious agricultural systems reflect the evolution of humankind, the diversity of its knowledge and its profound relationship with nature. These systems have resulted not only in outstanding landscapes maintenance and adaptation of globally significant agricultural biodiversity indigenous knowledge systems and resilient ecosystems, but above all, in the sustained provision of multiple goods and services, food and livelihood security and quality of life. However, many of these systems are facing severe threats from various sources including globalization. In 2002 FAO initiated an international partnership initiative： ＂conservation and adaptive management of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems （GIAHS）＂. The global GIAHS initiative aims to establish the basis for the international recognition, dynamic conservation and sustainable management of such systems, agricultural biodiversity and their associated biodiversity knowledge systems, food and livelihood security, landscapes and cultures.

Conservation of the Important Agricultural Heritage Systems in the Economically Developed Area:Experiences,Problems and Solutions——A Case Study of Zhejiang Province

Zhejiang Province,located in the Yangtze River Delta region,is representative of China’s economically developed areas.It enjoys superior natural conditions and a long history of agriculture,and is a comprehensive agricultural area with integrated development of agriculture,forestry,animal husbandry and fishery.It has nurtured the farming culture represented by Hemudu culture and Liangzhu culture,which have given rise to numerous precious Agricultural Heritage Systems.At present,Zhejiang Province has three of the world’s Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(GIAHS)and 12 China Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(China-NIAHS),so it not only has the largest number of heritages in China,but it has also attained remarkable achievements in heritage conservation.Taking Zhejiang Province as an example in combination with the rural revitalization strategy,this paper summarizes the achievements in the protection of Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(IAHS)in Zhejiang Province during the past 15 years from the aspects of increasing farmers’income,cultural Inheritance and industrial upgrading,as well as the conservation experiences in government promotion,community initiative,enterprise participation,technology driving and social linkage.Further,in view of the problems that exist in the current heritage protection,such as imperfect management of heritage sites,low participation of community residents,lack of special protection funds,and imperfect provincial management system,the following countermeasures and suggestions are put forward:(1)Improve the management mechanism for the conservation and development of Agricultural Heritage Systems;(2)Develop regional public branding of agricultural products in Agricultural Heritage System sites;(3)Increase the Agricultural Heritage System science education as well as cultural and creative product development;(4)Carry out the evaluation and recognition of IAHS at the provincial level;and(5)Provide substantial support and input to the conservation and utilization of IAHS.This study can provide some guidance for the conservation of IAHS in Zhejiang Province and it provides important reference for IAHS in the economically developed areas in China.

The Role of the Important Agricultural Heritage Systems in the Construction of China’s National Park System and the Optimisation of the Protected Area System

Conservation-compatible development of rural communities is an important part of nature conservation objectives.Understanding the role of agriculture,which is often practiced in or bordering the protected areas in rural China,is critical for managing conservation networks considering that limited spatial areas are available for enclosed protected areas.Important Agricultural Heritage Systems stand out for their multi-functionality,and some of their values are compatible with nature conservation.This paper examined the concept,management objectives and resource management characteristics of the Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(IAHS)by analysing their interactions with national parks in terms of community development.The results reveal that management strategies of dynamic conservation,integrated protection and adaptive management of the IAHS can contribute to those national park management objectives concerning conservation-compatible livelihood.However,the typology of the protected area system,including the traditional agricultural system as a new type,needs further consideration.

Design and Application of the Annual Report of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(GIAHS)Monitoring

Scientific and effective heritage monitoring can not only realize the conservation of the heritage itself and the maintenance of its values,but it can also realize the sustainable development of the heritage site.In order to promote the conservation and management of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(GIAHS),this study proposed a design for the annual report of GIAHS monitoring under the overall framework of the GIAHS monitoring system,and explored the application of the annual report in the first GIAHS site in China:the Qingtian Rice-Fish Culture System.In the design scheme of this study,the GIAHS annual monitoring report is composed of 24 monitoring items,with each of them logically related.It is to be filled in by the bureaus of the heritage site and reported through the GIAHS dynamic monitoring system.The results of an analysis of the annual reports of Qingtian Rice-Fish Culture System for four years showed that Qingtian County has taken a series of conservation and development measures which have reduced the area of abandoned paddy,enhanced the unit benefit of agri-products,and increased the farmers’income.At the same time,the heritage site is faced with various challenges and threats,such as the weakening of the tourism attraction,the aging of the heritage practitioners,and the limitation of the heritage-themed agri-products and tourism income,which need to be addressed with proper measures.The results can also provide guidance for other GIAHS based on indications that heritage sites should improve the development of cultural products,the construction of social organization and the cultivation of spontaneous publicity,and an exchange and learning mechanism should be established among them in the future.The design and application of the GIAHS annual monitoring reports can not only provide specific guidance for conducting the GIAHS monitoring,but also lay the foundation for evaluating the effectiveness of GIAHS conservation and management.This study is expected to help enrich the theory of GIAHS monitoring,further promote China’s GIAHS monitoring work,and also provide China’s experience for the benefit of international GIAHS monitoring efforts.

Protecting Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(IAHS)by Industrial Integration Development(IID):Practices from China

With Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(GIAHS)increasing in number around the world,their conservation has become a new international research theme.From the perspective of combining theoretical analyses and practical case applications,this study examines the Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(IAHS)conservation pathways and operation mechanisms through industrial integration development(IID).First,the theoretical framework of IID in IAHS sites was constructed according to the requirements of IAHS conservation,which include analyses of the connotation and basic principles of IID,the necessity of IID for IAHS sites,the resource conditions,and the IID pathways.And then based on the theoretical framework,the IID of Longji Terraces in Guangxi,Honghe Hani Rice Terraces System in Yunnan(HHRTS),Aohan Dryland Farming System in Inner Mongolia(ADFS),and Huzhou Mulberry-dyke&Fish-pond System(HMFS)in Zhejiang are analyzed systematically.The main finding is that IID is an effective pathway for IAHS conservation.However,the IID in IAHS sites must stress the ecological and cultural values of the resources;IID should be based on local resource advantages;and IID should attach importance to the combination of different policies and coordination between different stakeholders.

Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(GIAHS)of China:the challenge of complexity in research

The challenge of researching Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(GIAHS)as complex systems forms the subject matter of this study.Complex adaptive systems are those that combine natural ecological processes with human interactions to produce a mutually supportive agro-ecological system.In China,these highly varied systems have the added dimension of long historical time,in that they have evolved over many centuries and thus add a historical dimension to the natural and human dimensions of complexity.In preparing research on GIAHS,it is clear that seeing GIAHS sites as whole systems is an essential starting and ending point.Examining the adaptive capacity of a GIAHS with its multiple scales and complex interdependencies is a major challenge for researchers accustomed to specialized disciplinary thinking.A GIAHS represents a mature agro-ecological system with human agency as a central component that has been honed over many centuries,and has already adapted to many perturbations and changes.The beauty of the GIAHS is in the integration of custom,knowledge,and practice,and it should be studied for its"wholeness"as well as for its resilience and capacity for"self organization."The agro-ecological approach opens the possibility of researching a system as a whole and of taking its complexity seriously.This study reviews the essential features of the GIAHS as a complex adaptive system where uncertainty is normal and surprise is welcome and,in a case study of Qingtian rice–fish culture system,focuses on new perturbations,namely loss of young people and the introduction of tourism.

The Evaluation of Food and Livelihood Security in a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(GIAHS)Site

Based on the basic selection criteria of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(GIAHS)and food and livelihood security research trends,this paper established an evaluation framework and indicator system for food and livelihood security in GIAHS and selected the first GIAHS site in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as a case for empirical evaluation.The results demonstrate that the food and livelihood security of farmers at this site was at a medium level,with an average evaluation value of 2.91,which still lagged behind the level of better food and livelihood security.Specifically,the average values of farmers’evaluation of food security and livelihood security were 1.43 and 1.48,respectively,which show that farmers’food security in the study area was at a medium level and that of livelihood security was relatively good.Simultaneously,the more simple a farmers’economic activities(i.e.,agriculture-oriented economic activities or non-agriculture-oriented economic activities),the worse their food and livelihood security;while the more diversified the economic activities(i.e.,engaged in part-time economic activities),the better the food and livelihood security.

Conceptual Framework for Key Element Identification in Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(IAHS):Case of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces System in China

With the continuous emergence of global development problems,the dynamic conservation and sustainable development of Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(IAHS)have been assigned greater importance.However,due to the complex structure,multi-component,dynamic,and open characteristics of IAHS,there are neglected problems which need to be solved in conservation practice,such as component element ambiguity,obscurity of the conservation redline,etc.This study defined the concept of key elements(KE)of IAHS,put forward a conceptual framework of KE identification,conducted empirical research by taking Honghe County of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces System(HHRTS)as an example and analyzed the level of recognition motivations for different stakeholder groups.The following conclusions were drawn:1)The KE of HHRTS are grain crops,rice species biodiversity,terrace construction and maintenance technique,Hani traditional festivals,Hani traditional foods,and virgin forest;2)The reasons behind the KE priorities of farmers,businessmen and tourists were at the micro level,the reasons of officers were at the middle level and the reasons of researchers were at the macro level.The empirical study conducted in HHRTS showed that the proposed conceptual framework could identify KE of IAHS effectively,and provided a theoretical perspective for the structuring of and essential need for IAHS research.Moreover,the KE recognition levels of different stakeholder groups reflected their potential action strategies.We should focus on the coherence of policies and measures in both the microscale and macroscale to balance the diversified demands of stakeholders,and to stimulate their enthusiasm for participation in the conservation in order to improve the management level of IAHS sites.

Price transmission in hog and feed markets of China

There is an increasing demand for feed as the industrialization of hog production in China. Land scarcity limits China＇s ability to continue increasing its hog production without feed imports, particularly soybean, and the feed markets are increasingly integrated into the global market. This study performs an analysis of price transmission between the hog price in China and feed prices, specifically domestic maize price and international soybean price, from January 2000 to April 2014. We identified a long-term stable equilibrium relationship between the three markets. However, further analyses show that there is no significant Granger causality between hog and feed market, and the long-run equilibrium partially results from Granger causality between the international soybean market and domestic maize market. This suggests that the domestic hog market has been distorted by different policies. The results also indicate that the efficiency of price transmission is very low and it takes about 11 months to correct one-half of any long-run disequilibrium for the hog market in China. Therefore, to stabilize hog price in China, only market intervention to regulate the maize and soybean markets would be insufficient and comprehensive measures need to be taken into account such as hog production modernization, agricultural insurance, epidemic surveillance etc.

Investments in the Russian Agriculture Under the Economic, Political Volatility

The article states that the purpose of the agricultural industry of Russia is the creation of a market for innovation and investment to improve productivity and competitiveness in the context of growing economic, political, and natural climatic instability and volatility, both in Russia and abroad （membership in the WTO, industry globalization, etc.）. Foreign economic and political sanctions have a growing negative impact. It is very important for the agriculture industry to be supported by the Russian state budget and to have administrative support, the institutional structure of the state, quantitative and qualitative indicators of national support： federal, regional, and municipal. Positive development of the regional and city aspect is also important.

Agricultural Heritage Research in China: Progresses and Perspectives

One of the legacies of the time honored agricultural development in China has been varied farming practices that adapt well to different natural conditions. These old but still functioning farming systems continue to inspire us to find solutions to various environmental problems caused by so-called modern agriculture. This paper reviewed the studies on agricultural heritage in China, including two categories： document-based researches and practice-oriented researches on dynamic conservation and adaptive management of these traditional agricultural heritages. Studies on the history and archaeological findings about the Chinese traditional agricultural heritage have laid a solid foundation for any further study. Dynamic conservation and adaptive management of agricultural heritage was promoted by the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems （GIAHS） project initiated by FAO in 2002. Until now, researches on the conservation and adaptive management of agricultural heritages have touched on many aspects of the issue, including theoretical consideration of agricultural heritage, agrobiodiversity characteristics of agricultural heritage, multi-values of agricultural heritage dynamic conservation, substitutive industries, legislation and institutionalization for the conservation of agricultural heritage. We conclude the paper with an agenda for future studies on agricultural heritages, including the broadening of the research scope, innovative research methodologies and methods and the development of strategies that combine conservation and utilization of agricultural heritages.