Affiliations: Department of Ecology System, Research Center for Eco-
Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085,
China
Abstract: This paper studied the distribution and utilization status,
reasonable exploitation patterns and potential productivity, and sustainable
development of marginal lands in the Three Gorge Reservoir Areas. It has been
pointed that problems of the soil fertility degradation, poor productivity in
crop lands, natural disasters and environmental deterioration existed in all
the exploited marginal lands. In order to maintain the sustainability of the
marginal lands, following measure have been proposed: prohibiting cultivation
in the crop lands with a slope more than 25º, restoring vegetation in the
slope more than 25º, strengthening the basic agricultural construction,
establishing the production base of woody feeds and oils, establishing a
multi-dimensional management model with reasonable structure and
optimumfunction for forestry, agriculture and fishing.