Evaluation of agro-ecosystems in Karst Areas—A case study of Hechi Region of Guangxi Province

The evaluation of agro-ecosystems is valuable for assessing agricultural development,especially in fragile Karst Areas.Three sectors (ecology,society and economy),and 12 indices(forest cover,soil and water loss,etc) were selected for the evaluation of the agro-ecosystem of Hechi Region for the period of 1995～2003.The results show an improvement from midium status to well status of the agro-ecosystem from 1995 to 2003.The increase is attributed to enhancement in planning and management of the agro-ecosystem,which is in accord with the local agricultural development conditions.However,agriculture and production potentials are not being fully exploited thus inducing lower indices in the economy and society sectors,and somehow restricting local agricultural development.In order to expand agricultural chain and strengthen economic development,several recommendations are advanced based on identified environment issues.