Abstract

AbstractThe paddy field is a typical ecosystem in monsoon Asia. The main purpose of a paddy field is food production (i.e., a provisioning ecosystem service), but it also has several other ecosystem services. Therefore, we can consider paddy fields as components of green infrastructure (GI) that are already widely distributed. To maintain and improve the value of paddy fields as GI, we should strive to maintain and improve other ecosystem services besides provisioning services. However, issues that reduce the value of paddy fields as GI remain, and these are related to the consolidation and abandonment of paddy fields in recent years. In this paper, we focus on two ecosystem services of paddy fields, other than the provisioning service: (1) the habitat service and (2) the regulating service. Both these services are relatively well-evaluated ecosystem services of paddy fields in Japan. We discuss the effects of both consolidation and abandonment on these ecosystem services as well as their corresponding countermeasures. Based on this, we also discuss the challenges in applying and expanding the idea of paddy fields as GI.

Highlights

  • Paddy fields are a typical agricultural land type in monsoon Asia, mainly for rice crops

  • We have focused on two ecosystem services and have discussed the potential of paddy fields as green infrastructure (GI) as well as changing land uses as a driver threatening this potential

  • If land managers and decision makers want to apply the idea of GI to paddy fields, they should adopt a different strategy that focuses on combining paddy fields with provisioning services and other ecosystem services

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Summary

11.1 Introduction

Paddy fields are a typical agricultural land type in monsoon Asia, mainly for rice crops. Japan’s MAFF has claimed that paddy fields provide food production, i.e., a provisioning service, and diverse multiple services, referred to as “multiple functions of agricultural lands.”. GI should have multiple ecosystem services based on its ecosystem functions (Sandstrom 2002; Tzoulas et al 2007) Based on these definitions, we can consider paddy fields as GI (Fig. 11.1). Changes in agricultural land mainly consist of either modernization or abandonment (Osawa et al 2013; Katayama et al 2015) Both these changes in land use can exert negative effects on the ecosystem functions of the land (Benayas et al 2007; Yoshida et al 2012; Osawa et al 2013). It is important to understand the threats and current status of multiple ecosystem services of paddy fields for sustainable use. We discuss the challenges in applying and expanding the idea of paddy fields as GI

11.2 Habitat Service
11.3 Regulating Service
11.4 A Strategy to Use and Maintain Paddy Fields as GI
Findings
11.5 Conclusion and Perspective

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