Gross Ecosystem Product Accounting of a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System: The Longxian Rice–Fish Symbiotic System

Jianfang Liu, Qian Zhang, Qianyi Wang (), Yaoping Lv and Yingqi Tang ()
Additional contact information
Jianfang Liu: Economic School, Shandong Research Center of Ecological Economy and Sustainable Development, Shandong Technology and Business University, Yantai 264003, China
Qian Zhang: Business School, Lishui University, Lishui 323000, China
Qianyi Wang: Economic School, Shandong Research Center of Ecological Economy and Sustainable Development, Shandong Technology and Business University, Yantai 264003, China
Yaoping Lv: Business School, Lishui University, Lishui 323000, China
Yingqi Tang: Houston Cole Library, Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, AL 36265, USA

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 13, 1-16

Abstract: The Rice–Fish Symbiotic System in the Longxian village is the first Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) in Asia. This paper examined the value transformation mechanism of the Longxian Rice–Fish Symbiotic System from the micro perspective of material cycle and energy flow and quantified its economic value using the gross ecosystem product (GEP). Using the InVEST model and ArcGIS tools, the GEP was estimated to be approximately CNY 116.51 million (approx. CNY 252,624 per hectare per year). The ecosystem regulating service value occupied more than 80% of the GEP. Within the regulating ecosystem services, the climate regulation value was the highest (CNY 55.72 million) followed by flood storage value (CNY 32.77 million). These two categories contributed 94.44% of the total value of regulating ecosystem services. The paper recommends employing GEP to evaluate the value of commodities and services provided by an ecosystem. The methodology and approach of the research can serve as an important reference for other GIAHS programs and provides a scientific and rigorous framework for accessing the economic value of agricultural heritage systems.

Keywords: Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System; rice–fish symbiotic system; gross ecosystem product; ecosystem services (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/13/10407/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/13/10407/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:13:p:10407-:d:1184920

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().