关键词: 冷凉区, 冷凉型农业, 农业类型, 大食物观, 甘肃省

Abstract:

The cold climate of the mountainous areas of northwest China is a vital resource for transforming agriculture and developing a characteristic agricultural economy. In particular, Gansu Province has emerged as an area where the strategic utilization of cold and cool climatic conditions significantly contributes to high-quality advances in agriculture. This study, guided by the holistic “Greater Food” perspective, aims to construct a comprehensive theoretical framework for enhancing the cold and cool-climate agricultural practices in Gansu Province. A robust methodological approach was adopted to identify regions suitable for cold-climate agriculture. This approach integrates eight categories of natural indicators and analyzes their spatial overlap to identify regions in Gansu Province that offer suitable cool climate conditions. For further refining the analysis, K-means clustering was applied to classify 169249 fishing nets, each with 1 km precision, to delineate specific agricultural function zones within these cool areas. This meticulous analysis revealed that the cold and cool regions in Gansu Province together cover an area of approximately 1.69×10⁵ km², which constitutes about 41.97% of the total land area of the province. These regions are distributed across 12 cities (autonomous prefectures), 68 counties (districts), and 1034 townships. The agricultural activities in these areas are predominantly focused on animal husbandry and plantation, with limited forestry practices, highlighting the potential of this region for specialized agricultural development. These cold and cool areas were further categorized into seven types of agricultural development zones: the alpine pastoral area of the Beishan Desert, the dry and cold pastoral area of the Qilian Mountains, the dry and cold pastoral area of the Loess Plateau, the wet and cold pastoral area of the Gannan Plateau, the warm and cold cultivation area of the Hexi Corridor, the warm and cold agricultural and animal husbandry area of the Longzhong Mountain, and the wet and cold agricultural, forestry, and animal husbandry area of the Longnan Mountain. Among these zones, four are primarily dedicated to pastoral activities, one is primarily used for farming, and two support a mix of agricultural and animal husbandry practices. The statistical analysis based on 1 km fishing net units revealed that cool pastoralism dominates 56.22% of the land use, while plantation agriculture and mixed agriculture account for 16.30% and 27.49%, respectively. On an administrative unit scale, the distribution of these agricultural types is more balanced, with each representing around 30% of the townships and districts. In conclusion, the development of cold- and cool-climate agriculture in Gansu Province presents a strategic opportunity to leverage regional comparative advantages. Effective utilization of these areas can enhance agricultural productivity, promote sustainable land use practices, and foster economic growth in the mountainous regions in Gansu Province. This comprehensive zoning analysis provides a foundational framework for policymakers and stakeholders to implement targeted agricultural strategies, maximizing the benefits of cold-climate agriculture and driving the high-quality development of agriculture in the province.

Key words: cold and cool area, cold and cool type agriculture, agricultural type, Greater Food approach, Gansu Province