Optimizing Landscape Patterns for Tea Plantation Agroecosystems: A Case Study of an Important Agricultural Heritage System in Enshi, China

Jiaqian Wu, Chunyang Li and Tong Wang ()
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Jiaqian Wu: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Chunyang Li: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Tong Wang: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 7, 1-25

Abstract: The agroecosystems of tea plantations play a significant role in regional ecosystem services, with some recognized as Important Agricultural Heritage Systems. Despite notable progress in conserving these unique agricultural landscapes, systematic approaches to delineating the core conservation zone and establishing robust ecological networks for agricultural heritage systems remain insufficient. This study employed the Enshi Yulu Tea Agricultural Heritage System as a case study, integrating the MaxEnt model, InVEST model, and circuit theory to quantitatively assess landscape connectivity and prioritize conservation efforts. The analysis delineated a core conservation zone of 718.04 km 2 for tea plantations, identified 77 ecological corridors, and pinpointed 104 critical ecological nodes. The results indicate 43.96 km 2 of synergistic areas between tea plantations and ecological sources, demonstrating that the agroecosystems of tea plantations provide higher ESs values compared to monoculture plantations and farmlands. In addition, an ecological optimization framework featuring a “four belts and four zones” spatial configuration was proposed, aimed at enhancing connectivity and promoting the sustainable development of tea plantation agricultural heritage. The proposed framework can provide evidence-based references for future policy formulation, and deliver actionable insights for land-use planning, habitat restoration, and infrastructure mitigation.

Keywords: tea plantation agroecosystems; landscape pattern optimization; agricultural heritage; ecological network; landscape connectivity; maxent modeling; InVEST; resistance surface (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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