Using the socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes framework to assess the resilience of agroecosystems in three distinct agricultural production systems in China

Biological diversity in food and agriculture, and the resilience of agroecosystems and sustainability are vital for food security. However, economic development and urbanization have led to landscape fragmentation, eroding biodiversity and threatening its conservation. This study assessed the resilience of agroecosystems in three distinct communities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region of China: WangJinzhuang (Shexian County), Yuershan Farm (Fengning County), and Qingguang Village (Tianjin). The assessment applied the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs with the Global Biodiversity Model for Policy Support (InVEST-GLOBIO) model to evaluate mean species abundance (MSA) and the Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS) framework to assess the resilience of agroecosystems. Between 1992 and 2022, WangJinzhuang’s MSA declined slightly from 0.445 to 0.444, Yuershan Farm saw a larger drop from 0.129 to 0.110, while Qingguang Village improved from 0.037 to 0.051. WangJinzhuang had the highest MSA and resilience score (3.9), followed by Qingguang Village (3.84), while Yuershan Farm had the lowest (3.28). The findings highlight higher the resilience of agroecosystems in WangJinzhuang and Qingguang Villages’ self-sufficient systems compared to Yuershan Farm. To promote agrobiodiversity conservation, locally tailored policies and strategies must include: adopting eco-friendly farming; optimizing farming systems for regional planning; enhancing agro-ecotourism, and establishing agrobiodiversity conservation compensation mechanisms. Addressing community-specific challenges, while fostering agroecosystem resilience and sustainable development, highlights the critical interplay between human livelihoods and ecological systems, paving the way for long-term, adaptive management in rural and transitional landscapes. • We assessed resilience using the Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes framework. • Thirty-year biodiversity shifts were modeled through species abundance metrics. • Traditional terraces had higher resilience and biodiversity than modern intensive farms. • Biodiversity strongly correlated with resilience, confirming its role in sustaining landscapes. • Locally adapted strategies enhanced long-term resilience in diverse rural communities.