Rehabilitation of degraded mountain ecosystems in southwestern China: An integrated approach

The degradation of the mountain ecosystems in southwestern China has been u nprecedented in speed and scale over the past decades. Deforestation, overg razing, water and soil erosion, loss of soil fertility and declining or poo r crop yields are alarming indicators of unsustainability due to rapid popu lation pressure. Under the conditions of shortage of arable land, more marg inal and forest lands are being reclaimed for agricultural use, and this ac celerates the degradation of the fragile mountain ecosystems. Moreover, ina ccessibility and a low level of education are preventing development in mou ntain communities. Agroforestry provides a promising resource-centered tech nology to meet the twin goals of productivity and conservation. This paper discusses the indigenous agroforestry system practiced in southwestern Chin a, and the promising economic and ecological benefits. People in southweste rn China have accumulated abundant knowledge on the utilization of agrofore stry technologies to rehabilitate degraded land and the multiple benefits t hat follow some indigenous practices. Integrating the agroforestry system a nd modern agricultural technologies can be an effective approach for the su stainable development of mountain ecosystems.