Synergies between rice production security and soil-related ecosystem services: From field observations to policy implementations

CONTEXT

Agroecosystems provide crop provisioning service to support food security, as well as regulating services to maintain soil health. However, the relationships among ecosystem services (ES), rice production security, and soil attributes remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE

The study evaluates ecosystem services in a key rice production area and assesses factors such as productivity and soil conditions.

METHODS

The study exemplifies a prominent rice-producing region in Taiwan and conducts three studies: (1) assessing and visualizing the status of land use, soil properties, and ecosystem services; (2) exploring the relationship between ES and environmental attributes; and (3) monetizing and analyzing the clustering of ES.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

We visualize cropland ES including crop provision, soil carbon storage, water retention, nutrient retention, and soil erosion control. The relationship analysis indicates positive correlations between regulating services and crop productivity, as well as between soil carbon storage and soil conditions such as coarse texture and low drainage. It also highlights the importance of maintaining the agricultural environment and soil health. The valuation of cropland ES is estimated at US$16,400 per hectare per year, with soil carbon storage and water retention being the most significant contributors. Cluster analysis delineates spatial ES characteristics, guiding local sustainable management practices.

SIGNIFICANCE

This study highlights the critical role of soil ecosystem services in ensuring the synergies of food security and environmental sustainability.