Analysis of Ecological and Economic Benefits of Rural Land Integration in the Manas River Basin Oasis

Transformation of farmland use and driving mechanism in Xinjiang since China’s Western Development Policy

Since the implementation of China’s Western Development Policy, Xinjiang has experienced rapid socio-economic development and significant changes in its land use patterns. As an important factor in agricultural production, farmland is of crucial for realizing the rural revitalization strategy. Based the theoretical mechanisms of farmland use transformation, this study selected five periods of land use and socioeconomic data from 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2018 to study the spatial and temporal evolutionary characteristics of farmland use transformation in Xinjiang since China’s Western Development Policy. We then explored the driving mechanisms using an optimal geographic detector model based on parameters. The results showed that (1) Xinjiang’s farmland use transitioned toward large scale and multifunctionality, and the transition characteristics are mainly of fluctuating growth type. The spatial transformation and functional transformation characteristics were generally consistent in spatial distribution. (2) There was a spatial agglomeration in the transformation, which was concentrated in the economic zone of the northern slope of Tianshan Mountain, the Yili River Valley and Kashgar region. The concentration of functional transformation of farmland has increased, but the spatial transformation of farmland has weakened. (3) The role of influencing factors on the transformation of farmland use differed with periods. Finally, the study concluded that the functional transformation of farmland in Xinjiang since China’s Western Development Policy is still at the stage of mainly production function. We suggest that the protection of farmland in Xinjiang in the New Western Development period should be achieved by promoting the transformation of the function of farmland. The findings of this study provide decision-making assistance for the management of farmland use in Xinjiang during the New Western Development period and are an effective tool for achieving the goals of sustainable farmland use and agricultural and rural modernization.

The Performance Appraisal System of Country Well-Facilitated Farmland Based on AHP-Object Metatopological Model

Performance appraisal of well-facilitated farmland projects has positive significance for promoting the development of modern agriculture in rural areas and carrying out rural revitalization. Based on the AHP-object metatopological model, a well-facilitated farmland project performance appraisal system is proposed to analyze the county performance of well-facilitated farmland construction. In this study, Fangcheng County, Henan Province, is selected as the research sample area and evaluated by applying the established index system. The results show that the overall performance grade of the well-facilitated farmland project in Fangcheng County is at an excellent level with both excellent and good rates reaching more than 90%, the output is slightly lower with excellent and good rates reaching 73%, and the benefit is the worst with excellent and good rates at 53%. These indicate that the construction effect of the well-facilitated farmland project in Fangcheng County is at a good level, but the benefits are not as satisfactory as expected. In the overall appraisal, excellent accounts for 48.1%, good accounts for 26.9%, average accounts for 16.3%, and poor accounts for 8.7%. Fangcheng County has achieved a good performance level in the construction of a well-facilitated farmland project in 2019, with almost full completion of project objectives and compliance with implementation standards. This study provides a system of county performance appraisal methods for well-facilitated farmland as well as its practical application in county-level units.

Assessment of Value Changes and Spatial Differences in Land Use Based on an Empirical Survey in the Manas River Basin

Land integration is an important means of increasing the multifunctional value of arable land. The scientific measurement of the integrative value of arable land before and after land consolidation can improve farmers’ overall understanding of the value of arable land, increase their awareness of arable land protection, and encourage them to implement arable land protection policies. Additionally, it can provide a theoretical basis for the formulation of reasonable compensation standards for arable land in various areas of the Manas River Basin and effectively promote the use of the “Shawan model”. In this paper, the sample used for the survey was made up of 380 farmers from 10 villages in three different regions of Shawan City (county-level city). The participatory farmer assessment (PRA) method was used to conduct a detailed investigation of the integration of farmers’ cultivated land, while the landscape pattern index method was used to analyze the intensity of the cultivated land integration pattern. By constructing a measurement system for the integrative value of cultivated land and adding up the economic, pro-ecological, and social values before and after the integration of the cultivated land, estimated using the income reduction method, the equivalent factor method, and the shadow engineering method, we found that the cultivated land in each region of Shawan City (county-level city) was more effectively integrated, the scale of the field expanded, the shape of the patches tended to be more regular, and the field surface more flat. However, the degree of integration varied from region to region, with the degree of integration from the largest to the smallest as follows: oasis agricultural zone > oasis/desert ecological zone > hilly zone. We found that the integration of cultivated land has a significant effect on the integrated value of cultivated land, and the value of cultivated land in different regions showed different degrees of improvement after integration. The cultivated land of villages located in the oasis/desert ecotone showed a significant overall improvement after integration, followed by cultivated land in the oasis agricultural area. The value of cultivated land increased significantly, while the value of cultivated land in the hilly area showed less improvement after integration. The value of cultivated land integration in different regions is related to the intensity of the cultivated land integration, the per capita cultivated land area, the ecosystem biomass, and the crop planting area. The purpose of this paper is to effectively diagnose and promote the “Shawan Model” (land integration), formulate reasonable compensation standards for cultivated land in different regions of the Manas River Basin, and implement cultivated land protection policies.