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Abstract The ecology system of Hani Terraced Paddy Fields is the typical representative of the ecological agriculture in the southwestern mountainous areas of our country. After long-term development, Hani ecology system has developed, cored by "forest-village-terrace-river", including paddy cultivation system, forests and ecological maintenance, folk culture and construction of water facilities. This research explored the details of the structure and functions of the ecology system of Hani terraced fields. And illustrates that the system is a new model of agriculture ecological civilization and deserves further study and more applications.
Key words Hani terrace; Paddy; Ecology system; Ecological civilization
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Southwest of China is widely distributed with hills and low mountain ranges, with complicated terrains and abundant rainfalls. A terrace is a special agricultural landscape developing in the process of people recognizing, adapting to and using nature with complicated terrains and exclusive climates. Specifically, Hani Terrain is a terrain reclaimed by Hani people, located in Ailao Mountains, as well as Honghe and Yuanyang Counties, in the downstreams of Red River and Lancang River, with an area of 54 700 hm2[1].
It is researched that ancestors of Hani and Yi ethnic groups migrated from Sichuan Province to mountains in subtropics to escape wars in the end of Song Dynasty and early Yuan Dynasty, and built Hani Villages, reclaiming terraces in surrounding areas. After long-term interplay between people and nature, an agricultural ecosystem characterized by forests-villages-terraces-river systems, has been developed, involving special Hani agricultural culture concerning agricultural cultivation technology, traditional ecology knowledge, and traditional custom and culture121.
Through years' evolution, Hani terraces present integration of people and nature, based on the forests-villages-terraces-river systems agricultural ecosystem. Due to the combination of terrain, climate, vegetation, and agricultural cultivation, Hani terraces enjoy higher values in terms of beauty, ecology, culture and economy, wining reputations, such as World Cultural Landscape Heritage, Globally Important Agricultural Heritage and China Intangible Cultural Heritage131. What's more, featured by rational structure, perfect function, diversified values, and strong self-adjustment, Hani terraces have become a typical representative of traditional China agricultural culture and a new mode worth of researching and application.
Structure of Hani Terrace Ecosystem
A Hani terrace is a complete ecosystem, including forest subsystem, village subsystem, terrace subsystem, and river...