Pathways of assessing agroecosystem health and agroecosystem management

Intrusive agriculture development, searching for higher profitability, has inflicted permanent damage to agroecosystems. Rapid deterioration of structure and functional properties in agroecosystems has intensified the need for research on agroecosystem health and agroecosystem management. This paper describes the concept of agroecosystem health which plays an important conceptual role in evaluating agroecosystem and agricultural research. Firstly, the development of agroecosystem health research is reviewed, and agroecosystem health from various dimensions is provided. Then, the methods and general criterias of agroecosystem health assessment are outlined, and a model for evaluating agroecosystem health is established. Finally, pathways of agroecosystem management from a holistic dimension are proposed to promote agroecosystem health and provide a scientific basis for making science-based policy decisions and formulating new plans in agricultural development.