Study on cultivated land quality evaluation from the perspective of farmland ecosystems

Historically, the cognition and management of cultivated land quality (CLQ) have been fragmented, leading to an inability to meet contemporary scenarios and requirements of China’s agricultural development and cultivated land protection. This study aimed to systematically recognize the concepts, elements, connotations, and dimensions of CLQ and build a new cultivated land quality evaluation (CQE) system. Initially, we deduced the concept of CLQ through the clear concept of “quality” in line with international standards. Next, we connected CLQ with the framework of farmland ecosystem service cascades and clarified the element structure of CLQ based on the structure of farmland ecosystems. Then, based on the multi-level human well-being that farmland ecosystems can provide, the connotations and dimensions of CLQ was determined. Using Wen County within Henan Province as a case study site, we constructed a CQE system for empirical analysis and comparative verification, showing that the new system was better than the existing one. This study helped to clarify the CLQ and provided a theoretical basis and technical reference for sustainable intensification (SI) and multi-directional protection and supervision of cultivated land.