Changes resulting froma land consolidation project (LCP) and its resource-environment effects : a case study in Hubei Province, China
Zhengfeng Zhang
Land consolidation (LC) is currently essential for ensuring rural development and for increasing land use effectiveness. In order to increase available cropland area, reduce fragmentation and promote agricultural productivity, LC has been implementing in China since the mid-1990s. This paper, taking the land consolidation project of Tianmen City of Hubei Province in central China as the study area, focus on the changes of plots size, plots shape, the density and connectivity of field-roads, the density and connectivity of irrigation systems, area of cropland and land use types in consolidation region between pre-consolidation and post-consolidation, then discusses the effects of LCP. The results show there are both positive effects and negative effects of LCP execution in the study area. The total score of agricultural productivity in the consolidation region was increased by 37.38, which represents agricultural productivity was improved immensely after LC. The numbers of plots per household was decreased from 2.69 to 1.25, which represents that LCP execution can centralize scattered household plots so farmers can reduce time spent on moving among plots. The tillage time was also decreased from 65 min/ha before LC to 50 min/ha after LC, at a decreasing rate of 23.08%. However, the total ecosystem services value of consolidation region was decreased by 0.55 million Chinese Yuan/yr, which caused by the value decrease of ponds and unused land was offset by value increase in cropland. Analysis of the changes resulting from LCP execution and its effects will help to improve the methodological principles underlying LCP, and it will also support the decision-making processes of the LC authorities.
Event: Symposium on Land Consolidation and Readjustment for Sustainable Development
Only personal, non-commercial use of this document is allowed.