Smallholder preference and agroecosystem service trade-offs: A case study in Xinzheng County, China

The provision of agroecosystem services (ESs) is directly influenced by the production goals and activities preferred by smallholders. However, the relationship between smallholder preferences and ES provision has yet to be established. This study surveyed the preferences of smallholders for agricultural production goals and managements in the North China Plain, China. The DeNitrification–DeComposition model was utilised to derive ES indicators under annual winter wheat–maize, winter wheat–peanut and biennial mixed rotation (i.e. winter wheat–maize and winter wheat–peanut rotation) systems. The combination of socio-economic and bio-physical modelling data was used to establish a quantitative link between ES compositions and smallholder preferences. Results show that smallholder preferences follow the order of traditional cropping system > low labour input > disaster alleviation > high income generation > food provision > soil fertilisation > landscape beautification > crop diversity. Preferences for high income generation, low labour input, disaster alleviation and crop diversity remarkably affect the cropping system choices of smallholders and the composition of ES provision. The preference for disaster alleviation is associated with high agricultural income and soil organic carbon (SOC), whereas that for low labour input is associated with low agricultural income and SOC accumulation. The ES trade-offs occurring in the switch from the preferences for high income generation, disaster alleviation and crop diversity to that for low labour input decrease the agricultural income and SOC sequestration. The analysis of the effects of smallholder preferences on trade-offs in ESs should consider soil types because agroecosystems with loamy and sandy soil types exhibit different compositions of ES provision under the same preference.