Landscape characteristics and utilization in agro-cultural heritage systems in Lianhe Terrace

Lianhe Terrace in Youxi County, Fujian Province is an important Agricultural Heritage System (AHS) that is over 1 300 years old. Lianhe Terrace AHS consists of "forest-settlement-terrace-composite landscape" pattern established by the ancestors. Abundant landscape resources have been developed in this subtropical mountain area, including physiographic landscape, biological landscape, astronomical and climate landscape, relic landscape, architectural and engineering landscape, and folk-culture landscape. However, the stability mechanism of social, economic and natural compound ecosystems has failed to adapt to the requirements of productivity development with industrialization, and the landscape ecosystems have faced with threats of unsustainability. Analysis of landscape characteristics using the theory and methods of landscape ecology, study of the status of landscape resource utilization, and conservation strategies of landscape resources in Lianhe Terrace AHS were conducted in this study. Results showed that:1) Forest land and farmland were the dominant landscape types, accounting respectively for 67.93% and 20.40% of the total landscape area. Landscape fragmentation and number of forest patches were relatively low, 0.05 and 83, respectively. This suggested that forest cover was high with a relatively concentrated distribution. The largest number of patches (1 369), patch density (13.27 patches·km^-2), edge density (89.91 m·hm^-2), landscape fragmentation (0.75) and landscape shape index (50.85) in farmland indicated fragmentation, diversification and complex boundary conditions in the region. 2) The vertical distribution of landscape patterns in the key protected areas of Lianhe Terrace AHS was "forest-settlement-terrace-composite landscape" pattern. The sets of virtuous ecological systems and typical regional traits were well established. This landscape pattern functioned at optimum yield, livability, soil and water conservation and aesthetic. 3) Abundant resources (including natural and cultural landscape resources) were developed in Lianhe Terrace AHS. However, some terraced fields were abandoned due to youth labor emigration in search for work elsewhere. This led to terraced field collapse, canal jam, and both water and soil erosion. Furthermore, some landscapes were destroyed by natural or artificial factors such as historic sites of ancient pottery piece (more than 3 000 years) and Shuiwei Bridge (the Southern Song Dynasty). In addition, some humanistic landscape resources such as Min Opera, Temple Fair of Fuhu Rock and Lantern Festival lacked further utilization. That led to a vicious circle of idle landscape resource, poverty, population loss, destruction of landscape ecology, and landscape resource disappearance. 4) The unstable mechanism of the vicious cycle was reversible through reasonable exploitation of landscape resources. Several strategies were proposed, including damaged forestland restoration, establishment of corresponding compensation mechanisms, development of eco-agriculture, secondary industry, agrocultural heritage tourism and ecological tourism. It all aimed at establishing a sustainable eco-system of terraced artificial ecosystems and the integration of protection of terraced ecological landscapes and utilization of landscape resources. This will benefit the rehabilitation of terraced landscapes and agricultural cultural heritage.