Karst mountain agricultural landscapes are of great significance in supporting food security, rural livelihoods, and biodiversity conservation. Despite their importance, the sustainability is jeopardized by intrinsic biophysical constraints, such as shallow soils, fractured topography, and erratic hydrology, and further intensified by anthropogenic and climatic stresses. Consequently, the landscapes are facing the challenges of ecological fragility and low productivity, which complicate land-use planning and sustainable management. However, most existing ecosystem health assessment frameworks fail to capture the complexity and stress-driven dynamics of karst systems. To address this gap, we propose a multi-dimensional framework (SVORC) that integrates stress, vitality, organization, resilience, and contribution to assess agricultural ecosystem health under land degradation conditions. Taking the Miaoling Mountains in Southwest China as a case study, this research evaluated the spatiotemporal dynamics of agricultural ecosystem health from 2000 to 2020 through the combination of diverse environmental and socio-spatial datasets. Results show that the Agricultural Ecosystem Health Index (AEHI) increased steadily from 0.469 to 0.488, although most areas remain in a sub-healthy state and vulnerable to disturbance. Geomorphic variation strongly influences spatial patterns: flatlands exhibit notable improvement, while peak-cluster depressions and plateau zones remain low in health. Obstacle analysis identified five primary limiting factors: inadequate soil and water conservation, steep slopes, low agricultural investment, and high human disturbance. Based on health status, terrain types, and stressor intensity, five ecological restoration zones were delineated and tailored strategies such as eco-friendly farming, agroforestry restoration, and multifunctional land use were proposed. This study provides a transferable framework for land degradation diagnosis and restoration-oriented zoning in fragile karst regions, offering practical insights for sustainable land management and policy intervention.
Spatiotemporal Assessment and Zoning Optimization of Agricultural Ecosystem Health in Karst Areas Based on the S-VORC Model: A Case Study of the Miaoling Mountains
Tarolli P.
2026
Abstract
Karst mountain agricultural landscapes are of great significance in supporting food security, rural livelihoods, and biodiversity conservation. Despite their importance, the sustainability is jeopardized by intrinsic biophysical constraints, such as shallow soils, fractured topography, and erratic hydrology, and further intensified by anthropogenic and climatic stresses. Consequently, the landscapes are facing the challenges of ecological fragility and low productivity, which complicate land-use planning and sustainable management. However, most existing ecosystem health assessment frameworks fail to capture the complexity and stress-driven dynamics of karst systems. To address this gap, we propose a multi-dimensional framework (SVORC) that integrates stress, vitality, organization, resilience, and contribution to assess agricultural ecosystem health under land degradation conditions. Taking the Miaoling Mountains in Southwest China as a case study, this research evaluated the spatiotemporal dynamics of agricultural ecosystem health from 2000 to 2020 through the combination of diverse environmental and socio-spatial datasets. Results show that the Agricultural Ecosystem Health Index (AEHI) increased steadily from 0.469 to 0.488, although most areas remain in a sub-healthy state and vulnerable to disturbance. Geomorphic variation strongly influences spatial patterns: flatlands exhibit notable improvement, while peak-cluster depressions and plateau zones remain low in health. Obstacle analysis identified five primary limiting factors: inadequate soil and water conservation, steep slopes, low agricultural investment, and high human disturbance. Based on health status, terrain types, and stressor intensity, five ecological restoration zones were delineated and tailored strategies such as eco-friendly farming, agroforestry restoration, and multifunctional land use were proposed. This study provides a transferable framework for land degradation diagnosis and restoration-oriented zoning in fragile karst regions, offering practical insights for sustainable land management and policy intervention.
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