Ecologists predict, as a rough guide, that if more than 30% of the area of a given landscape is under intensive agricultural production, then major ecosystem functions will likely be compromised, and if this level reaches 60%, then it will be a difficult challenge to conserve key ecosystem functions. (Daily et al 2001, Dauber, et al 2003; Estrada and Coates-Estrada 2001, Forman and Collinge 1996, Hietalu-Koivu et al 2004, van Noordwijk et al 2007).
The Cropland Intensity indicator measures the proportion of cropland in agricultural landscapes, and sets a target of 40% uncultivated land in areas of crop production. Since uncultivated land includes land left fallow, grazing land, and settlements, this target is quite conservative.
The indicator does not assume that it is better to have mixed mosaics than to have large protected areas. The indicator considers only whether each cell where cropping occurs has at least 40% land uncultivated, “making space” for other ecosystem functions. All 1×1 km grid cells without any cropland are excluded. Large blocks of uncultivated land or wilderness near agricultural areas will not impact a country’s performance in this indicator. Only countries that have significant agricultural area covered horizon-to-horizon with cultivated crop fields score poorly for the indicator.
Each dot in the histogram is a single country’s proximity-to-target score for this indicator. The tinted box represents the inner quartile range of country values, or points lying between the 25th and 75th percentiles. The small triangle marker at the bottom of the chart indicates the median of country scores.
