Ecological Indicators (Feb 2024)
Quantifying and monetarizing cropland ecosystem services towards sustainable soil management
Abstract
Ecosystem services, such as crop provision, carbon storage, water retention, and nutrient retention, are crucial for sustainable agriculture and local participation. Assessing and mapping these services is crucial for promoting sustainable agriculture and ensuring the active involvement of local communities. However, accurately estimating the values of agricultural ecosystem services is challenging due to the lack of accurate data and an effective economic decision-making system. To address these issues, this study combines field data and modeling approaches to quantify the physical and monetary values of cropland ecosystem services in Yunlin County, Taiwan. The results indicated that the service of crop provision (rice) ranges from 7.96 to 9.70 tonnes ha−1 yr−1, valued at approximately US$7,710 to US$10,650 ha−1 yr−1. The service of soil carbon storage exhibits a carbon stock ranging from 38.2 to 51.9 tonnes of carbon ha−1 yr−1, valued at approximately US$13,150 to US$17,890 ha−1 yr−1. Water retention services retain around 5,380 m3 ha−1 yr−1, valued at approximately US$5,530 ha−1 yr−1. Nutrient retention services retain 1.65 kg ha−1 yr−1 of phosphorus and 30.5 kg ha−1 yr−1 of nitrogen per year, valued at approximately US$60 ha−1 yr−1. We also found that employing the field data approach unveils a higher total ecosystem service value of US$34,105 per hectare per year, which is 28.5 % greater than the value derived from the modeling approach. The results provide insights into enhancing local participation in sustainable soil and agricultural resource management. The quantification of physical and monetary values of ecosystem services can support informed decision-making and promote local participation in sustainable soil and agricultural resource management.
