Understanding the ecology and management of FMAS is important
because of their role in food production and income generation,
as well as their potentially significant role in sustaining key ecosystem
services and aquatic biodiversity in rice farming landscapes.
Active management of FMAS for aquatic resources has the potential
to enhance production of SRS and/or CS. Identifying management
practices that are effective within particular types of FMAS therefore
is an important topic for research and extension. Moreover, FMAS
are intimately linked to the agricultural landscape and influenced by
farming practices. Intensification of rice farming practices with irrigation
and increased use of agrochemicals may be expected to interact
with aquatic resource diversity and productivity in FMAS (Tilman
et al., 2002; Lorenzen et al., 2007). Characterising FMAS, documenting
their value, and exploring their linkages with the wider agroecosystem
therefore is another research and extension priority.
Our study aimed to investigating the characteristics and importance
of FMAS in selected areas of three Southeast Asian rice farming
countries: southern Cambodia, northeast Thailand, and northern Vietnam.
Using a consistent research framework in these contrasting
regions, we derive an empirical typology of FMAS and elucidate how
FMAS characterstics are influenced by their ecological and socioeconomic
context. Further details on FMAS management measures
and their effectiveness are provided in a companion paper (Amilhat
et al., Companion paper II)