Journal of Ecology and Rural Environment ›› 2019, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (1): 115-120.doi: 10.19741/j.issn.1673-4831.2018.0265

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Research on Changes of Rural Farming Landscape Based on Villagers' Memories

WANG Xiao-jun1, TIAN Jin-jia1, ZHANG Xiao-tong2,3,4, YU Lin-jun5, DUAN Jin-ming4   

  1. 1. College of Environment and Resources, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China;
    2. School of Architecture, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China;
    3. National Engineering Research Center for Housing and Residential Environment, Beijing 100044, China;
    4. School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China;
    5. Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, China
  • Received:2018-05-16 Online:2019-01-25 Published:2019-01-22
  • Contact: 35 E-mail:xjwang@sxu.edu.cn

PDF (PC)

363

Abstract:

The transformation of rural China by the adoption of western agricultural farming practices has radically altered rural ecosystems. In little more than half a century, traditional rural landscapes were rapidly industrialized with unforeseen outcomes for essential life support systems. The principal witnesses to this rural revolution were farming communities throughout China. This research project employed the field case study method in Duimenshan Village in Guizhou Province to document and analyze rural transformations since 1949. Local experience, oral histories and geographic changes were documented using participatory rural appraisal (PRA) and digital imaging technology including 3D e-Sandbox. The results show that:over the past 60 years, modern agricultural production elements have continuously invaded into the traditional farming system of the village. So far, traditional farming landscape has been replaced by modern agricultural landscape rapidly. The landscape of paddy fields formed by rice planting in the village has been gradually replaced by non-irrigated landscape formed by economic crops with higher market value such as tobacco and Job's tears. Due to the continue replacement of the space with grain crops by economic crops, economic crops are now the major crops in the village instead of grain crops. Moreover, the varieties of grain crops have turned from traditional cultivars to hybrid varieties. The traditional cultivars have almost disappeared nowadays. The industrialized model of agricultural production has gradually replaced the traditional sustainable farming pattern driven by economic interests, causing the changes of the farming landscape in the village. The consequences for food safety and the integrity of water and soil ecosystems were not adequately considered. Our research raises important questions whether the ecological sustainability of rural resources, the health of farming communities, their long term economic viability, and traditional cultural heritage values are being sacrificed for short term economic gains.

Key words: traditional farming landscape, villagers' memories, 3D e-Sandbox, ecological sustainability of rural resources

CLC Number: