Abstract
Recent socioeconomic development, increased transport and new agricultural technology are endangering the survival of traditional agriculture and the Yi people’s traditional knowledge of cultivating Tartary buckwheat. The cultural heritage of Tartary buckwheat cultivation among the Yi communities needs to be investigated and protected before its loss. The main objectives of this study are to document the Tartary buckwheat cultivation system, to analyze the agroecosystem networks that support the current system, and to measure the resilience of the ecological, agricultural and social systems using relevant indicators. The Tartary buckwheat cultivation system in Meigu County uses a rotation system, in which various crops are planted alternatively (e.g., Tartary buckwheat, green manure and potato/corn), utilizing bunch planting and furrow drilling technology. Tartary buckwheat has an important position in the major festival activities among the Yi people’s communities. Network analysis on the current agricultural system, ecosystem and social system indicated that the system was stable. The mean score of ecological, agricultural and social stability were 2.50, 2.85 and 2.53, respectively, indicating moderately stability. In contrast, socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS) resilience indicators in Meigu performed only moderately, with a score of 2.63. The assessment of the resilience of the Tartary buckwheat cultivation system can provide some guidance for policy makers to strengthen biodiversity conservation, sustainable agricultural production and livelihood development (e.g., land use, responding to extreme environmental stresses and improving education levels).
Highlights
Agroecosystems are ecosystems in which people have deliberately selected crop plants and livestock animals to replace the natural flora and fauna [1]
How can Tartary buckwheat provide more agroecosystem services expected by farmers? The present study provides an assessment of the resilience of Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS) in the Tartary buckwheat cultivation system in Meigu County
We aimed to demonstrate that assessing resilience based on the functional traits of the Tartary buckwheat cultivation system in Meigu, dominated by Yi ethnic people, can provide investors and policymakers with ideas to strengthen biodiversity conservation, while improving sustainable agricultural production and livelihood development
Summary
Agroecosystems are ecosystems in which people have deliberately selected crop plants and livestock animals to replace the natural flora and fauna [1]. Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn.) is an important, highly nutritional and nonpoaceous crop that has great potential as a source of food, forage and medicine [5]. It is a minor crop based on global distribution, it is a primary staple food for several sociolinguistic groups in the Himalayas, including Yi, Tibetans and the Bhutanese [6,7]. The fossil pollen evidence suggests that Tartary buckwheat was a part of Yi people’s diets over a thousand years [9,10] They have formed a unique Tartary buckwheat cultivation system with traditional production methods, rich biodiversity, knowledge systems, cultural diversity and a unique agricultural landscape
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