Semi-natural habitats: A comparative research between the European Union and China in agricultural landscapes

Semi-natural habitats (SNHs) are essential to biodiversity and agroecological conservation. The impact of agricultural policies on the development of SNHs is a matter of substantial importance. This study conducted a comparative analysis to examine the variations of SNHs’ quantity, landscape quality, and ecosystem services resulting from the differentiated agricultural policies in China and the EU from 1990 to 2020. The Yangtze River Delta region (YRD) in China and France was selected as the study area. The results revealed that France exhibited a higher proportion of SNHs, along with improved connectivity and diversity in its plains, whereas SNHs in the YRD were limited in quantity and characterized by unstable landscape structure and ecosystem services. Both the YRD and France experienced a shift in the declined SNHs towards higher altitudes. There was noticeable landscape fragmentation and degraded ecosystem services in the hilly areas of YRD and the high plains of France. The agricultural policies of the EU achieved limited success in protecting SNHs, while China's agricultural landscapes were rapidly losing SNHs due to the absence of policy support. Based on these, the paper puts forward some countermeasures and suggestions for developing SNHs in China and the EU. Our study contributes to the global effort for agroecological conservation.