Here, we describe research on farmland fragmentation using the summary and comparison analysis approaches. The definition of farmland fragmentation, main research fields and measurement methods are reviewed. The connotation of farmland fragmentation is clear and has been widely recognized, but methods for determining fragmentation require further work. Farmland fragmentation research in China mainly focuses on the causes and its effect on agricultural production, particularly the negative impacts. The relationship between farmland fragmentation and land consolidation has received increasing attention; the relationship between farmland fragmentation and land transfer less so. Research in this area mainly draws on economic research methods, and geographical spatial analyses are absent. Several suggestions are made, including additional comparative studies across different areas based on different economic and social backgrounds; strengthening research on the relationship between farmland fragmentation and the comprehensive regulation of rural land; and adoption of RS and GIS methods.
Using data from the farm household survey conducted in 2009,arable land use intensity(ALUI)and its influence factors at farm household level were investigated by the Tobit model.Suyu District of Suqian City and Taixing City of Jiansu Province,China were chosen as the regions for comparison.The results show that:1)On the average, the ALUI,labor intensity,yield-increasing input,and labor-saving input are 15 238.14 yuan(RMB)/ha,192 d/ha, 7233.01 yuan/ha,and 2451.32 yuan/ha in the less economically developed Suyu District,and 13 020.65 yuan/ha,181 d/ha,5871.82 yuan/ha,and 2625.97 yuan/ha in more economically developed Taixing City.The figures indicate that Suyu District has higher ALUI and labor intensity input but lower labor-saving input.2)Comparing all the influence factors,the total arable land area in available and average plot size have bigger effects on arable land intensive use;to a small degree,family′s non-farm income affects labor intensity,yield-increasing input,and labor-saving input;the yield-increasing input decreases significantly when the householder has higher education attainment;the commercialization rates of agricultural products and the planting proportion of cash crops both have unstable influence on ALUI; the share of arable land rented in has few impacts on labor intensity,yield-increasing input,and labor-saving input. 3)There are no differences found in the internal impact mechanism of influence factors on the arable land intensive use behaviors of farm households.However,there are conspicuous disparities in the impact degrees and statistical significance based on varying economic levels.4)Using the results as bases,this study proposes that the government should implement land management and agricultural policies according to local condition.And these policies should decrease land fragmentation to promote scale management of land and arable land use intensification.
LU XiaoHUANG XianjinZHONG TaiyangZHAO XiaofengCHEN YingxueGUO Shuiqiong
