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Eco-benefits coupling of agroforestry and soil and water conservation under KRD environment: frontier theories and outlook

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Abstract

Karst rocky desertification (KRD) has become the most serious Eco-environmental problem in karst areas, seriously threatening the livelihood of local people and leading to their poverty. Modern agroforestry practices not only maximize the social and economic but also great ecological benefits, suggesting a possible control to KRD. Through reviewing the existing studies in relation to agroforestry and soil and water conservation, this paper systematically investigates into the ecological benefits from agroforestry, including the increase of carbon sequestration and soil fertility as well as soil microfauna, the conservation of soil and water, the mitigation of soil pollution and the reduction of greenhouse gas emission. It founds, across KRD areas, that there exists coupling ecological benefits when practicing agroforestry and conserving soil and water. Based on this finding, this paper further suggests the corresponding key technologies that welcome more studies: preventing soil leakage from underground; effectively utilizing water from above-and-below ground; developing highly-efficient and value-added water-saving industries; forming forest-grain-grass stereo optimal configuration. The aim is to ensure a favorable Eco-environment while at the same time to develop beneficial ecological industries across KRD areas.

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Acknowledgements

This review was funded by the following projects: The Project of Innovation Program for Postgraduate Education of Guizhou Province: Xiong Kangning’s studio of postgraduate supervisors for the karst environment of Guizhou Province (04 2016 Qianjiao Yanhe GZS Zi). The Key Project of Science and Technology Program of Guizhou Province: Model and Technology demonstration for from the karst desertification control (5411 2017 Qiankehe Pingtai Rencai). The National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31760243). The Basic Research Plan in GuiZhou Province of China (Grant No. Qiankehe Jichu [2018]1112). The R&D Fund of Guizhou Provincial Forestry Department (Grant No. Qianlinkehe [2017]13).

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  1. School of Karst, Guizhou Normal University/State Key Engineering Technology Research Center for KRD Rehabilitation, Guiyang, 550001, China

    Qinglin Wu, Hong Liang, Kangning Xiong & Rui Li

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  1. Qinglin Wu
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  2. Hong Liang
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  3. Kangning Xiong
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Correspondence to Kangning Xiong.

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Wu, Q., Liang, H., Xiong, K. et al. Eco-benefits coupling of agroforestry and soil and water conservation under KRD environment: frontier theories and outlook. Agroforest Syst 93, 1927–1938 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-018-0301-z

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