Decreasing Cropping Intensity Dominated the Negative Trend of Cropland Productivity in Southern China in 2000–2015

Zhongen Niu, Huimin Yan and Fang Liu
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Zhongen Niu: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Huimin Yan: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Fang Liu: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 23, 1-14

Abstract: As the country with the highest food consumption in the world, China’s food security has been drawing global attention. The inter-annual variability of agricultural productivity and its predominant driving factors play important roles in food security and sustainable agricultural development. Here, we used gross primary productivity (GPP), which was simulated using the vegetation photosynthesis model (VPM), to quantify the spatial-temporal heterogeneity of cropland productivity from 2000 to 2015. The results showed that the cropland GPP significantly increased in northern China and markedly decreased in southern China. Socioeconomic and climatic factors jointly promoted a rise in GPP in the Northeast region, Inner Mongolia and Great Wall region, Huang-Huai-Hai region, and Loess Plateau region, with contribution rates of 93.6%, 67.9%, 73.8%, and 78.1%, respectively. The negative GPP trend in southern China was mainly attributed to the decreasing cropping intensity, with direct contributions of 54.1%, 53.9%, and 48.7% for the Yangtze River region, Southwest region, and South China region, respectively. Despite the decline in cropping intensity, the policies of Cang-liang-yu-di and Cang-liang-yu-ji can help in ensuring food security in China.

Keywords: cropland productivity; gross primary productivity; cropping intensity; vegetation photosynthesis model; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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