Exploring Farmers’ Management Practices and Values of Ecosystem Services in an Agroecosystem Context—A Case Study from the Eastern Cape, South Africa

摘要: Globally, farmers remain the key ecosystem managers responsible for increasing food production while simultaneously reducing associated negative environmental impacts. However, research investigating how farmers’ agricultural management practices are influenced by values they assign to services is scarce in South Africa. To address this gap, a survey of and assigned towards was conducted Eastern Cape, Results from show that high value on provisioning compared other services. Irrigation fertiliser decisions were mostly based achieving maximum crop yields or good quality. The majority (86%) indicated willingness receive payments (PES) manage their farms more ecosystems-oriented manner. encourage shift managing ecosystems single such as provision multiple services, market-oriented plans PES may be employed. Effective measures sustainable intensification will depend inclusion development land strategies well awareness knowledge concept.