Emergetic and cosmic exergy-based ecological assessments of long-term raised field eco-farming systems in saline–alkaline lands
The ecological and efficient use of saline–alkaline lands is very important worldwide. The main objective of this paper is to identify an eco-farming system suitable for saline–alkaline lands via emergetic and cosmic exergy-based ecological assessments. Three ecosystems were compared: an agriculture...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Ecological Indicators |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X21001965 |
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| author | Hengyu Hu Mengkun Zhang Yin Zhang Min Fu Jiansheng Chen Geng Li Mingzhen Zhai Xiuyun Ming Tangyuan Ning |
| author_facet | Hengyu Hu Mengkun Zhang Yin Zhang Min Fu Jiansheng Chen Geng Li Mingzhen Zhai Xiuyun Ming Tangyuan Ning |
| author_sort | Hengyu Hu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The ecological and efficient use of saline–alkaline lands is very important worldwide. The main objective of this paper is to identify an eco-farming system suitable for saline–alkaline lands via emergetic and cosmic exergy-based ecological assessments. Three ecosystems were compared: an agriculture-free system, a local agricultural system, and a superior agricultural system. In the latter two systems, crops (winter wheat and summer maize), animal husbandry and orchards were integrated in raised fields. In the superior agricultural system, conservation tillage, intercropping, and farming-grazing system were used. After 15 years, the electrical conductivity of the soil in 0–30 cm depth was 49.2% reduced using the raised field. In 2018, the average soil electrical conductivity of the superior agricultural system was 20.1% and 14.8% lower than that of the agricultural-free system and local agricultural system, respectively. The superior agricultural system was more sustainable than both the agriculture-free system and the local agricultural system by the footprint investment per unit of footprint delivered method. The renewability and sustainability of the superior agricultural system were higher than the other systems. The economic benefit of the superior agricultural system was the highest among the three systems, which is 1.34 times higher than that of the local agricultural system. These results suggest that the superior agricultural system is better than the other two systems because it promotes the flow of materials and energy and takes advantage of the mutually beneficial effects by using conservation tillage, intercropping, and farming-grazing system. This study contributes to the theoretical foundation for policy-making in saline–alkaline regions worldwide. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T08:49:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4c56bc64fb96479680e9e1446eef2f75 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1470-160X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T08:49:33Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecological Indicators |
| spelling | doaj.art-4c56bc64fb96479680e9e1446eef2f752022-12-21T23:09:05ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2021-06-01125107531Emergetic and cosmic exergy-based ecological assessments of long-term raised field eco-farming systems in saline–alkaline landsHengyu Hu0Mengkun Zhang1Yin Zhang2Min Fu3Jiansheng Chen4Geng Li5Mingzhen Zhai6Xiuyun Ming7Tangyuan Ning8State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Engineering Laboratory for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China; Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Soil, Water and Environmental Conservation, College of Resources and Environment, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Engineering Laboratory for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Engineering Laboratory for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, ChinaShandong Province Key Laboratory of Soil, Water and Environmental Conservation, College of Resources and Environment, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Engineering Laboratory for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Engineering Laboratory for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, ChinaShandong Province Key Laboratory of Soil, Water and Environmental Conservation, College of Resources and Environment, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, ChinaShenli Enterprise Development Co., Ltd., Binzhou, Shandong 256600, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Engineering Laboratory for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China; Corresponding author.The ecological and efficient use of saline–alkaline lands is very important worldwide. The main objective of this paper is to identify an eco-farming system suitable for saline–alkaline lands via emergetic and cosmic exergy-based ecological assessments. Three ecosystems were compared: an agriculture-free system, a local agricultural system, and a superior agricultural system. In the latter two systems, crops (winter wheat and summer maize), animal husbandry and orchards were integrated in raised fields. In the superior agricultural system, conservation tillage, intercropping, and farming-grazing system were used. After 15 years, the electrical conductivity of the soil in 0–30 cm depth was 49.2% reduced using the raised field. In 2018, the average soil electrical conductivity of the superior agricultural system was 20.1% and 14.8% lower than that of the agricultural-free system and local agricultural system, respectively. The superior agricultural system was more sustainable than both the agriculture-free system and the local agricultural system by the footprint investment per unit of footprint delivered method. The renewability and sustainability of the superior agricultural system were higher than the other systems. The economic benefit of the superior agricultural system was the highest among the three systems, which is 1.34 times higher than that of the local agricultural system. These results suggest that the superior agricultural system is better than the other two systems because it promotes the flow of materials and energy and takes advantage of the mutually beneficial effects by using conservation tillage, intercropping, and farming-grazing system. This study contributes to the theoretical foundation for policy-making in saline–alkaline regions worldwide.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X21001965Emergetic ecological footprint analysisCosmic exergyLong-term raised fieldEcological farm modeSaline–alkali land |
| spellingShingle | Hengyu Hu Mengkun Zhang Yin Zhang Min Fu Jiansheng Chen Geng Li Mingzhen Zhai Xiuyun Ming Tangyuan Ning Emergetic and cosmic exergy-based ecological assessments of long-term raised field eco-farming systems in saline–alkaline lands Ecological Indicators Emergetic ecological footprint analysis Cosmic exergy Long-term raised field Ecological farm mode Saline–alkali land |
| title | Emergetic and cosmic exergy-based ecological assessments of long-term raised field eco-farming systems in saline–alkaline lands |
| title_full | Emergetic and cosmic exergy-based ecological assessments of long-term raised field eco-farming systems in saline–alkaline lands |
| title_fullStr | Emergetic and cosmic exergy-based ecological assessments of long-term raised field eco-farming systems in saline–alkaline lands |
| title_full_unstemmed | Emergetic and cosmic exergy-based ecological assessments of long-term raised field eco-farming systems in saline–alkaline lands |
| title_short | Emergetic and cosmic exergy-based ecological assessments of long-term raised field eco-farming systems in saline–alkaline lands |
| title_sort | emergetic and cosmic exergy based ecological assessments of long term raised field eco farming systems in saline alkaline lands |
| topic | Emergetic ecological footprint analysis Cosmic exergy Long-term raised field Ecological farm mode Saline–alkali land |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X21001965 |
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