Interactions between evolution of farming systems and environment for agricultural production in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain during the historic period

Agricultural development in a certain geographical region is closely related to its natural resource base and development level of socio-economy and technology. The effects of agricultural production on the environment is changing with the evolution of farming systems. Based on a literature analysis, the interactions between the development of farming systems and the environment for agricultural production in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain during the historic period were discussed. Agricultural development of North China Plain during the historic period was closely related to the channel stability of the lower reach of Yellow River. Before Song Dynasty, the low level of agricultural production in the Hebei Plain compared to the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain was the results of the channel shifts of the Yellow River in the Hebei Plain coupled with the destruction of war. After Song Dynasty, agricultural development of the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain was suffering from the Yellow River in a long period of time. Before modern agricultural science and technology was transferred into the North China Plain, farming systems was mainly constrained by the natural environment, but a slight improvement. The effects of development of farming systems on the environment were mainly the removal of natural vegetation because of artificial plants, the destruction of natural vegetation in mountain area due to the need of timber, the blockage of river downstream, the disappearance of lake, the poor drainage and the area increasing of saline land. Therefore, the worsening environment led to the low level of agricultural production in the North China Plain in a long historic period.