Coupling Coordination Analysis of Cropland Intensification and Agroecosystem Services: Evidence from Loess Plateau in Shaanxi Province, China

One of the greatest challenges in the agroecosystem is to improve cropland intensification while preserving agroecosystem services. While many studies have investigated the effect of cropland intensification on agroecosystem service, the interactive coupling and coordination among these factors remain largely unexplored. In view of this, this study performed a case study of the Loess Plateau in Shaanxi Province, China and constructed comprehensive evaluation models to quantify the cropland intensification and agroecosystem service in this area. Balance analysis and the coupling coordination degree model were used to evaluate the interactive relationship between cropland intensification and agroecosystem service, and statistical analysis and spatial autocorrelation were used to analyze the spatial characteristics and potential mechanism of the coupling coordination. Results show that both the cropland intensification and agroecosystem service in the study area were relatively low yet gradually increased from 2000 to 2020. Agroecosystem service lag was identified as the dominant unbalanced development type. Improving the supply capacity of agroecosystem services plays a key role in the balanced development of cropland in the Loess Plateau. The coupling coordination degree between cropland intensification and agroecosystem service ranges from basic coordination to serious incoordination. Therefore, cropland intensification practices in the area should be optimized to enhance this coordination degree. An upward trend was also observed in the coupling coordination degree from 2000 to 2020. The withdrawal of marginal cropland in the Grain for Green program is one of the most important reasons for this trend, especially for the northern region. Around 83.6% of the high-high clusters are concentrated in the southern region of the Loess Plateau, whereas 70.5% of the low-low clusters are distributed in the northern region. These clustering characteristics are mainly attributed to the environmental suitability of these areas for agriculture and their degree of economic development.