Fishpond System Research Articles

Impact of Irrigation on Soil Water Balance and Salinity at the Boundaries of Cropland, Wasteland and Fishponds under a Cropland–Wasteland–Fishpond System

In order to explore the effect of fishponds on soil water, salt transport and salinization in cropland wasteland, a study on soil water balance and salt distribution pattern in a cropland–wasteland–fishpond system was carried out in 2022–2023 in a typical study area selected from the Yichang Irrigation Area of the Hetao Irrigation District. A water balance model was established for the cropland–wasteland–fishpond system to analyze the effects of irrigation on soil salinity at the boundaries of the cropland, wasteland, and fishpond. The results showed that the lateral recharge from the cropland to the wasteland during spring irrigation in 2022 was 24 mm, the lateral recharge generated by fishponds to wasteland was 18 mm, and the lateral recharge from fishponds to fishpond boundaries was 34 mm. In the fertility period of 2023, the lateral recharge from cropland to wasteland was 15 mm, the lateral recharge from fishponds to wasteland was 9 mm, and the lateral recharge from fishponds to fishpond boundaries was 21 mm. Due to the low salinity content of fishpond water, it diluted the groundwater of the wasteland, and the soil salinity at the boundary between the wasteland and the fishpond was monitored. The data show that the soil salinity at the boundary of the fishpond was smaller than that of the wasteland, which indicates that the migration of fishpond water to the wasteland will not lead to an increase in the soil salinity of the wasteland, but rather to a decrease in the soil salinity of the wasteland. Fishpond regulation has a significant impact on soil and groundwater, and when the topographic conditions of the Hetao irrigation area allow, the model of cropland–wasteland–fishpond can be appropriately adopted to solve land degradation and increase the economic income of farmers; the results of the study provide a contribution for the improvement of the management of land use and soil salinization in the Hetao irrigation area.

Nuʻupia Ponds’ Water Circulation Characteristics: Exploring Water Exchange and Residence Time for Marine Ecosystem Management

Nuʻupia Ponds, a traditional Hawaiian fishpond system, are located at Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi (MCBH) and part of the Nuʻupia Ponds Wildlife Management Area, a wetland refuge for native, endangered, and protected birds and Hawaiian green sea turtles, as well as many native fish species. Currently, there is uncertainty regarding the ecological status and condition of the fishponds following prior modification of wetland habitats in and around the ponds. This study examines circulation dynamics and characterizes water exchange, pond volume, and residence time across the full tidal spectrum at the Nuʻupia fishponds. Our results indicate a general west to east gradient in current flow; with higher flushing rates and lower residence times of fishponds in the western ponds of the Nuʻupia system compared to the eastern ponds. We further found low flushing rates at several sites causing limited water exchange with Kāneʻohe Bay, as well as within the Nuʻupia Pond system. Sufficient water circulation plays a fundamental role in maintaining a healthy balance of fishpond flora and fauna and preserving ecosystem health. The results from this study provide a baseline for current physical water circulation dynamics and implications for ecosystem health, as well as informing science-based conservation and management strategies moving forward.

Integrating ecosystem services, stakeholders’ perspective, and land-use scenarios to safeguard sustainability of the Mulberry-Dyke and Fish-Pond System

ContextOptimizing landscape patterns by considering ecosystem services and human well-being is crucial for landscape sustainability research. Such optimization process shall also consider multiple stakeholders’ perspectives, interests and benefits, which remain less well investigated.ObjectivesThe study aims to integrate ecosystem services and land-use scenario analysis to design sustainable landscapes. The overall goal of spatial optimization is to explore pathways towards sustainable development.MethodsThis study uses the Mulberry-Dyke and Fish-Pond System as a representative agricultural landscape. It analyzes the spatiotemporal pattern of the landscape from 1975 to 2019. The market value method, InVEST model, and MaxEnt model are used to quantify the ecosystem services of the landscape. The analytic hierarchy process is used to set the weight of ecosystem services from the perspective of three stakeholder groups. We compare the outcomes of different scenarios and assessed through emergy yield ratio, environmental loading ratio, and environmental sustainability index.ResultsOur results indicated that: (1) The scale of the Mulberry-Dyke and Fish-Pond system decreased significantly from 1975 to 2019. (2) Among the six major ecosystem services, the average value of water purification service was the highest, while average value of mulberry supply service was the lowest. (3) Spatial optimization of the three design objectives, ‘sustainably intensify’, ‘increase landscape multifunctionality’, and ‘restore ecological integrity’, were primarily distributed in the study area’s eastern, central, and western regions, respectively. (4) All three stakeholder-oriented scenarios showed improvements in ecological quality or agricultural output.ConclusionsOur study incorporates viewpoints of critical, diverse stakeholders in the assessment of ecosystem services and scenario analysis to establish sustainable and culturally important agricultural landscape. The framework and methods can help minimize environmental stress on the system, balance agricultural productivity and profitability, and enhance the sustainability of agricultural landscapes.

How to manage the ecosystem services effectively and fairly?

Ecosystem services (ES) are the bridge between social system and ecosystem, and effective management of ecosystem services is the basis of sustainable development. According to the objectives of ecosystem service management, this study constructed an ecosystem service management framework based on trade-off theory, and proposed the “Driving force regulation” toolkit and “Compensation scheme construction” toolkit to try to improve the efficiency and fairness of ecosystem service management. And take Zhejiang Huzhou Mulberry-dyke & Fish-pond System (MDFP) as the practical object of the framework. The results showed that: (1) When the thickness of the pond sludge is 10 cm, increasing the frequency of covering pond sludge to mulberry-dyke (CSMD) can effectively improve the supply of soil nutrient retention services in MDFP, but it will reduce the provision services. (2) When the pond sludge thickness is 10 cm, the frequency of CSMD is the driving force of the supply-supply trade-offs between soil nutrient retention services and provision services. Increasing the frequency of CSMD to once a year can effectively manage trade-offs between ES supplies and thereby improve stakeholders’ group benefits. (3) The benefits obtained by various stakeholders from the management of ES supply-supply trade-offs are uneven. Entrepreneurs, environmentalists and tourists need to pay compensation in the ratio of 6:6:1, while farmers and government agencies receive compensation in the ratio of 3:2. This research shows that the ecosystem service management framework based on trade-off theory optimizes ES supply according to the ES preferences of stakeholders, and determines the proportion of compensation paid (received) by private winners (private losers) based on differences in changes of individual benefits, thereby effectively improving the “efficiency” and “fairness” of ES management.

Enhancing Sustainability through Ecosystem Services Evaluation: A Case Study of the Mulberry-Dyke and Fish-Pond System in Digang Village

The Mulberry-Dyke and Fish-Pond System, as a paradigm of traditional Chinese agricultural recycling models, represents a distinct ecosystem. This study focuses on the Mulberry-Dyke and Fish-Pond System in Digang Village, Huzhou, as a typical case. The village serves as a core conservation base for the Huzhou Mulberry-Dyke and Fish-Pond System, hosting the Huzhou Agricultural Science and Technology Development Center’s Academician and Expert Workstation and the world’s only Mulberry-Dyke and Fish-Pond System Visitor Center. These facilities provide strategic guidance for the conservation, development, planning, and inheritance of the Huzhou Mulberry-Dyke and Fish-Pond System. Considering the unique environment and limitations in data acquisition, this study employed the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation (FCE) to develop an ecosystem service assessment framework encompassing eight aspects and 29 factors assessing the provisioning, regulating, and cultural services of the Mulberry-Dyke and Fish-Pond System. The results indicate that the ecosystem services of the Digang Village Mulberry-Dyke and Fish-Pond System perform at a high level, with cultural services playing a significant role in the overall ecosystem services. The regulating services are relatively weak, highlighting deficiencies in mulberry land management, while the capacity of provisioning services is strong. These findings are crucial for understanding the value of ecosystem services in Digang Village’s Mulberry-Dyke and Fish-Pond System, identifying management shortcomings, and providing direction for future assessments and management. This study also offers a practical and effective assessment method for ecosystem service evaluation at smaller scales, where the targeted approach and the presence of significant ambiguity and uncertainty in data are prominent.

Water–Salt Migration Patterns among Cropland–Wasteland–Fishponds in the River-Loop Irrigation Area

In order to investigate the influence of freshwater fish ponds on water and salt transport in cultivated wasteland in salinized areas, a typical study area was selected in the middle and lower reaches of the Hetao Irrigation District in China in the Yichang Irrigation Domain, and the temporal and spatial changes in the salinity of soil and salinity of groundwater and fish pond water in the cultivated–wasteland–fish pond system were characterized through the monitoring of the environmental information of soil and groundwater at the boundaries of the cultivated land, wasteland, and fish ponds. Salinity changes and groundwater migration in different periods were determined, and the response of soil salinity to the depth of groundwater burial was analyzed, as well as the effect of fish ponds on soil salinization. The results showed that the amount of groundwater migrating from cropland to wasteland during the simulation period in 2022 was 2700 m3, the amount of groundwater migrating from wasteland to fish ponds was 630 m3, and the amount of groundwater migrating from fish ponds to wasteland during the fall watering period was 440 m3. From an overall perspective, the average soil salinity of wasteland was 1.56 times higher than that of the boundary of fish ponds. Not only do fish ponds play a positive role in the ecosystem, but they also have a desalinization effect that reduces soil salinity significantly. Groundwater depth and soil salinity have an exponential relationship; when the depth of groundwater is greater than 1.75 m, the soil salinity varies little with the depth of groundwater and the soil salinity is less than 0.66 ds/m, which can be determined as the critical depth, and the average depth of groundwater in cultivated land in the study area is 1.5 m. Therefore, it is necessary to reasonably control the water level of fish ponds, so as to make the groundwater depth of cultivated land control between 1.75 m and 2.0 m, and to prevent soil salinization.

From Productive Landscape to Agritouristic Landscape? The Evidence of an Agricultural Heritage System—Zhejiang Huzhou Mulberry-Dyke and Fish-Pond System

Agricultural Heritage Systems exhibit multiple functions of agricultural production, ecological protection, and invaluable cultures and landscapes. The mulberry-dyke and fish-pond system is an important agricultural heritage. The Nanxun District of Huzhou, China is currently the area with the most complete and largest mulberry dykes and fish ponds in the world. In the past thirty years, with changes in labor force distribution and consumer demand, the production function of mulberry dyke and fish ponds has been challenged, and the production landscape as the carrier of farming culture has been threatened. Studying the spatial characteristics and optimization of mulberry dykes and fish ponds is of great significance to the sustainable development of the regional economy, culture, and environment. This study analyzes the spatial and temporal pattern evolution of mulberry dyke and fish ponds in Nanxun District since 1975. Based on the evaluation of the environmental carrying capacity of fish ponds, and according to the development goals of agricultural heritage inheritance and “planting and breeding balance”, the Future Land Use Simulation model is adopted to optimize the study area. The results show the following findings: (1) From 1975 to 2019, fish ponds and construction land increased significantly, mulberry fields and paddy fields decreased significantly, the scale of mulberry dykes and fish ponds decreased significantly, and the proportion of mulberry dykes and fish ponds was seriously unbalanced; (2) The overall scale of fish-pond breeding in Nanxun District is too large, and the proportion of farming and breeding needs to be adjusted; (3) In view of economic growth, cultural inheritance, and environmental protection, this paper simulates the spatial layout of mulberry dykes and fish ponds in 2035, and divides mulberry dykes and fish ponds in Nanxun District into a display area and an industrial development area. The display area restores the traditional mulberry dykes and fish ponds to the greatest extent. The industrial development zone maximizes the economic benefits of agriculture on the basis of “balancing planting and breeding”. Overall, this study provides a reference for protecting Huzhou mulberry-dyke and fish-pond agricultural heritage, optimizing agricultural production space, balancing human–environment relationship, and promoting regional sustainable development.

Mapping Freshwater Aquaculture’s Diverse Ecosystem Services with Participatory Techniques: A Case Study from White Lake, Hungary

Freshwater aquaculture has a significant role in fish production and biodiversity conservation. Due to climate change, however, the sustenance of fish farms became more challenging, endangering both people and natural values. The establishment of multi-purpose fishpond systems, utilizing ecosystem services besides fish production, could serve as a long-term solution for this problem. However, the lack of knowledge about fishponds’ ecosystem services creates an obstacle in the process. We would like to lower this barrier by mapping 13 different ecosystem services of White Lake, one of the most prominent fishpond systems in Hungary. The results of two different participatory mapping techniques indicated that standing waters, reedy areas, and canals, possessed the highest potential values in the provision of the listed ecosystem services, marking them as the most important areas for future developments. In the case of current sources, local experts linked the highest values to reedy areas and lookout towers. Participatory mapping also indicated that microclimate regulation and bird watching were the most widely used ecosystem services after fish production. By collecting and visualizing experts’ spatial data about White Lakes’ ecosystem services, our unique paper has the potential to serve future decision-making and provide a basis for further studies on this topic.

Sedimentary Nutrient Dynamics in Homestead Fishpond Systems from a Subtropical Coastal Area

Homestead ponds are small seasonal ponds that are rarely utilized for fish farming. Culturing fish in these small ponds can boost household fish consumption and cash inflow. The availability of nutrients in the water and sediment, however, plays a significant role in the pond’s natural productivity. This study was conducted to assess nutrient contents and some key physical parameters in the bottom sediments of 30 homestead ponds from the central coast along the Northern Bay of Bengal. Analyses of results showed the average values (±SD) of temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter (OM), organic carbon (°C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and sulphur (S) were 17.8 ± 1.12 °C, 7.29 ± 0.11, 0.41 ± 0.09 mS/cm, 29,615.48 ± 10,528.9 mg kg−1, 11,958 ± 6107 mg kg−1, 1030.6 ± 252 mg kg−1, 17.1 ± 13.5 mg kg−1 and 32.6 ± 19.7 mg kg−1 during winter and 27.2 ± 1.81 °C, 6.73 ± 0.12, 0.38 ± 0.17 mS/cm, 19,100.01 ± 13,739.07 mg kg−1, 11,079 ± 7969 mg kg−1, 955 ± 229.4 mg kg−1, 26.6 ± 20.2 mg kg−1 and 23.4 ± 15.9 mg kg−1 during pre-monsoon, respectively. One-way ANOVA revealed no significant differences in the mean value of sediment quality parameters among the selected ponds (p > 0.05) except for phosphorus in the winter season (p < 0.05). The sediment quality variables were found to be in the suitable range for fish culture. Pearson’s correlation coefficient values (r) showed that only organic carbon and nitrogen had a strong significant correlation with organic matter (p < 0.05). Based on Cluster Analysis (CA), two major associations among the nutrients were attained at a 15% similarity level: C, OM, and N in one cluster and P and S in another. The findings showed that the parameters were within the preferable range for aquaculture, and the homestead ponds are average productive ponds.

Study on the adaptability of traditional architecture in agricultural heritage sites after tourism intervention—a case study of Huzhou Digang Food Street in China

Traditional architecture in agricultural heritage sites (AHSs) embodies the livelihood of local communities and residents, which is an important part of the AHS. However, with the intervention of tourism, some of the traditional architecture in AHSs has gradually transformed into simple use for tourism, without reflecting the cultural connotations of agricultural heritage systems, as well as the farming wisdom of the AHS. This paper takes Digang Food Street in Huzhou, China as an example, which is in the core protection area of the Huzhou mulberry-dyke and fish-pond system, combining comparative analysis and geographical system analysis to explore the adaptive transformation in decoration, structure, spatial layout and functional form of buildings after the development of the tourism industry. The dynamic relationship among traditional architecture, sustainable development of tourism and conservation of agriculture heritage is also analysed, expecting to provide some experience and reference for the conservation of other AHSs.

Emergy-Based Sustainability Evaluation of the Mulberry-Dyke and Fish-Pond System on the South Bank of Taihu Lake, China

The Taihu Lake drainage basin is the birthplace of the Mulberry-dyke and Fish-pond System (MFS), a traditional eco-agricultural system. In 2017, the largest and best-preserved “Zhejiang Huzhou Mulberry-dyke and Fish-pond System” located by the South Bank of Taihu Lake, China was recognized as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and its value has been appreciated. As a dynamic heritage, the sustainable development of MFS is a fundamental requirement of the conservation of GIAHS. In this regard, it is necessary to figure out an approach to evaluating the status of its sustainable development. This paper analyzes and contrasts the emergy embodied in the three patterns of MFS over different periods, then constructs an index system of sustainability evaluation involving the production and consumption processes based on that. Finally, it provides the evaluation and analysis. The three patterns of MFS differ in the system structure. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties (abbreviated as Ming-Qing pattern), MFS was an integrated system compromised of mulberry cultivation, silkworm breeding, fish breeding, and sheep breeding, while other patterns exclude sheep breeding, but increase the input of fertilizer, and add the production of mulberry-leaf tea and other local specialties. The results show that the MFS in the Ming-Qing pattern has the highest integrated evaluation index of sustainable development, followed by the traditional MFS pattern and the new MFS pattern employed nowadays. This indicates that the current capability of sustainable development has decreased compared to that in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The integrated evaluation index regarding the consumption process of the new MFS pattern is higher than the traditional one, suggesting that it needs to promote sustainability in the production process, especially via the utilization rates of renewable resources and wastes.

Evaluation and Enhancement of Sustainable Organic Fishpond Farming in the Sei Teras Fishpond Irigation Area, Central Kalimantan

Sei Teras fishpond area was developed by the Banjar community in 2006. The conditions of the ponds in Sei Teras are still very simple, where the availability of seeds and feed is completely dependent on nature. The evaluation is based on the level of control and the production rate, while efforts for improvement are planned through controlling water quality. In the rainy season, the shrimp productivity ranges from 180 Kg/ha, while it can reach 450 kg/ha in the dry season. From the measurements results in November 2020-Mei 2021, it was noted that the salinity of the water in fishponds and canals ranged from 2 to 24.3 ppt while the water pH ranged from 6.11. to 7.87. Water quality parameters such as DO and pH have met the criteria for applying higher aquaculture technology, while other parameters such as Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonia, TDS and Salinity require improvement and/or control. An alternative design is in the form of rearranging the fishpond system such as individual fishpond size. In addition, it is necessary to manage the fishpond irrigation network, namely by planning the main control structures separating fresh water and saline water, and rehabilitation of channels that experience sedimentation.

Protecting Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (IAHS) by Industrial Integration Development (IID): Practices from China

With Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) increasing in number around the world, their conservation has become a new international research theme. From the perspective of combining theoretical analyses and practical case applications, this study examines the Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (IAHS) conservation pathways and operation mechanisms through industrial integration development (IID). First, the theoretical framework of IID in IAHS sites was constructed according to the requirements of IAHS conservation, which include analyses of the connotation and basic principles of IID, the necessity of IID for IAHS sites, the resource conditions, and the IID pathways. And then based on the theoretical framework, the IID of Longji Terraces in Guangxi, Honghe Hani Rice Terraces System in Yunnan (HHRTS), Aohan Dryland Farming System in Inner Mongolia (ADFS), and Huzhou Mulberry-dyke & Fish-pond System (HMFS) in Zhejiang are analyzed systematically. The main finding is that IID is an effective pathway for IAHS conservation. However, the IID in IAHS sites must stress the ecological and cultural values of the resources; IID should be based on local resource advantages; and IID should attach importance to the combination of different policies and coordination between different stakeholders.

Modeling trophic webs in freshwater fishpond systems using Ecopath: towards better polyculture management

Freshwater pond polyculture faces many challenges in Europe. Appropriate tools must be developed to better understand and manage trophic interactions in pond ecosystems. The objective of our study was to understand the trophic interactions and make inference on the fish diet in common carp polyculture through a combination of experiments and trophic web modeling. We conducted an experiment in small fishponds of common carp polyculture reared with roach and perch and used Ecopath with Ecosim software to characterize the food web. Two replicates of 3 treatments were performed: a semi-extensive pond with low fish density and no formulated feed, an intensive pond with twice the fish density and formulated feed and an intensive pond coupled with a planted lagoon. Ten trophic groups were defined to describe the food web. The modeling procedure enabled us to estimate the diets of each trophic group. The fish diet in fed and non-fed treatments differed greatly since the carp fed mainly on formulated feed when available. The roach exhibited trophic plasticity by adapting their diet to the available resources. The benthic macroinvertebrates and zooplankton were preyed upon intensively; they became the limiting factors for fish production and depended on phytoplankton availability. Detritus and phytoplankton were the main sources of nutrients in all treatments but were not used efficiently. These results provide several insights for improving polyculture. In particular, they promote better management of zooplankton and macroinvertebrates as food sources for target species and a better balance in fish assemblages for more efficient use of resources.

Estimasi Koefisien Regresi Linear Berganda dengan Metode Goal Programming

The alternative method that can be used to determine the value of a multiple linear regression variable coefficient is goal programming method. The kind of data used in this research is secondary data namely the production of freshwater fish pond system data in the Province of West Nusa Tenggara based on Fisheries Service of West Nusa Tenggara Province year 2018. Software used to assist in reckoning is POM for Windows.Settlement calculation procedure in this research was conducted in two stages, namely the calculation with variable ????????4 and the calculation without variables ????????4. The results obtained with the variable ????????3 namely ????????1 = ????????0 = 64,08 ; ????????2 = ????????1 = 2,67 ; ????????3 = ????????2 = 0,27 ; ????????4 = ????????3 = 0, and the results obtained without variables ????????4 namely ????????1 = ????????0 = 64,08 ; ????????2 = ????????1 = 2,67 ; ????????3 = ????????2 = 0,24. The production of fresh water fish pond system in the Province of West Nusa Tenggara were affected by extensive fish ponds and food availability, while the number of domestic aquaculture freshwater fish do not affect production.
 Keywords : Multiple Linear Regression, Goal Programming, Production of Fish.

Expert Knowledge and Perceptions about the Ecosystem Services and Natural Values of Hungarian Fishpond Systems

In the past few decades, multiple theoretical studies have highlighted the diverse capabilities of freshwater fishpond systems in the provision of water-related ecosystem services (ESs). However, practical studies to confirm this statement are still lacking in the scientific literature compared to other ecosystems. In this paper, we reveal the ESs of three semi-intensively managed fishpond systems in Hungary and assess the knowledge and perceptions of local experts about them and their main interactions. Between 2017 and 2019, we performed participatory research on the fishpond systems of Biharugra, Akasztó, and Szeged, conducting a total of 22 structured interviews with experts from all related stakeholder groups. Based on the interviews, we identified 16 actively used ESs (4 provisioning, 7 regulating, and 5 cultural ESs) and also revealed 19 main forms of impacts (14 positive and 5 negative) related to them. Despite their different perceptions and demands associated with fish farms, almost every expert articulated the role of semi-intensive fish farming in the sustenance of water-related natural values and ecosystem services, endangered by the ongoing effects of global warming. Besides confirming the theoretical statements of previous studies, these findings could also provide information for subsequent land-use planning, with the aim of creating more sustainable, multifunctionally used fishpond systems.

The Effect of Feed Composition on the Structure of Zooplankton Communities in Fishponds

With the intensification of aquaculture, the structure and dynamics of aquatic ecosystems are highly affected. At the same time, for a pond fish farmer, one of the most important tasks is to establish and maintain stable and favourable zooplankton populations. In this paper, we assess the effects of different supplementary feed types on zooplankton communities in freshwater fishponds. In an outdoor, experimental fishpond system, carp individuals of 2+ years of age were stocked and fed with either a fishmeal-based diet (FF), a plant meal containing experimental feed (PF) or cereals (CT). To compare the diversity of the zooplankton communities, we used the Shannon diversity index, and to assess the effects of environmental factors and the feed ingredients, we applied canonical correspondence analysis. We described the dynamics of zooplankton communities, where the biodiversity of rotifera and Crustacean communities showed temporal differences. In order to examine the effects of feed ingredients, temporal clustering was applied. The different diets did not consistently alter the composition of zooplankton communities. Consequently, the plant meal containing experimental feed had no negative effect on the planktonic biodiversity, which makes it suitable as an alternative feed source for fishponds at the applied level.

Vzestup a úpadek poděbradského a nymburského rybníkářství pohledem historické hydrologie

Tématem článku je zánik rybníků anebo celých rybničních systémů v oblasti Poděbrad a Nymburka, a to zejména v obdobích sucha. Tato souvislost není zcela zjevná, když uvážíme význam rybníků v dřívějších dobách jako zásobu energie i vody.

Nutrient budgets in a small-scale freshwater fish pond system in Indonesia

Over the past several years, Indonesian freshwater aquaculture has intensified, with a concomitant increase in the use of commercial pellets. To assess the effects of pond aquaculture intensification on nutrient dynamics, we monitored nutrients and fish production in a small-scale fish farm in West Java province. The studied system consisted of semi-intensive giant gourami (Osphronemus goramy) production in four small earthen ponds (353–482 m2 each and 0.46–0.55 m deep). Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fluxes through the ponds were monitored, and data on fish production were collected during a 5-month production cycle. Results showed that, on average, 61% total N and 77% P inputs were trapped in the accumulated sediments. Only 15% of total N and <3% P inputs introduced into ponds were recovered in harvested fish. Sediment nutrient accumulation increased linearly with total nutrient input. The consequences of intensification of giant gourami aquaculture using this production model are explored in terms of nutrient use efficiency and environmental impact.

Integrated Emergy and Economic Evaluation of Huzhou Mulberry-Dyke and Fish-Pond Systems

The Huzhou mulberry-dyke and fish-pond system (HMFS) is a compound structure of agriculture with interaction among several subsystems, and it is an effective example of a circular economy by exogenous input and waste reduction to maintain a harmonious relationship between humans and nature. As increases in rural urbanization and transition of peasants occur, the traditional systems remain in a constant state of change, along with different kinds of adaptation models. In this study, two main existing models are examined by field investigation and extensive literature analysis. Emergy theory and methods are adopted to make a further quantitative analysis from emergy structure and indices synthetically and systemically. In this process, the models of HMFS are split into several subsystems, including mulberry dyke, fish pond, rape dyke, and silkworm, in terms of a modularization approach. The proportion of combinations among different subsystems is calculated by the average production level of local peasants. The empirical results of emergy analysis indicate that the two existent patterns of HMFS are themselves superior in terms of environmental capacity and commercial efficiency. The mulberry–silkworm–fish model possesses more sustainable characteristics than the rape–fish model by the mass flow and energy flux. In addition, the rape–fish model may obtain considerably better economic returns by more inorganic resources, and thus achieve higher economic benefits. Therefore, the rape–fish model may be an evolutionary model to make directions for further research and protection, while other adaptive units are introduced to form multiple systems.