Abstract:

This study aims to assess the ecological status of cultivated land in Hebei Province and identify associated issues, with the objective of providing recommendations to enhance the ecological security of cultivated land in the region. The methodology employed involved the systematic analysis of annual changes in key driving factors and primary obstacles. The evaluation index system of cultivated land ecological security in Hebei Province was established based on the Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) model. This system was used to systematically assess the dynamic changes of cultivated land ecological security in the province during the period from 2011 to 2020. The analysis also utilized the obstacle degree model to identify and analyze the primary factors hindering the enhancement of the cultivated land ecological security index in Hebei Province. The results indicated that (1) the comprehensive level of cultivated land ecological security in Hebei Province from 2011 to 2020 increased from the ‘critical security’ level to the ‘safer’ level, manifesting a sustained positive trajectory; (2) the cultivated land ecological security of Hebei Province was divided into two distinct phases: 2011-2017 and 2017-2020. The security index exhibited a decline in the first stage due to the impacts of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and agricultural films, while it increased in the second stage due to the transformation of agriculture to a higher level of green development; (3) the primary impediments from 2011 to 2020 had undergone a shift, transitioning from the ratio of effective irrigated area, proportion of primary industry, and the intensity of chemical fertilizer, pesticide, and agricultural film utilization per unit of cultivated land to the land reclamation rate, population density, urbanization level, and the proportion of primary industry. Consequently, a series of recommendations have been proposed to enhance the cultivated land ecological security. These recommendations encompass the development of green agriculture, augmented investment in cultivated land, population control measures, the refinement of the cultivated land protection system, and the promotion of public awareness regarding cultivated land protection.

Key words: cultivated land ecological security, Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR), obstacle factor, mechanisms of influence, indicator evaluation system, Hebei Province