Ecosystem Services of Paddy Fields in Isan A Case Study of Ban Ponngam Tambon Ponngam Amphoe Kosumpisai Mahasarakham Province

Abstract

Paddy fields are man-made agriculture area for growing rice. Apart from producing rice, paddy fields provide other benefits; for example, they are sources of other nutrients due to biodiversity, and they are home to living things as a result of dynamic and seasons in the landscape. At present, the farming process has changed from the rain fed paddy fields (done once a year) to the irrigation paddy fields (done twice a year) in order increase economic outcomes. As a result, the benefits of paddy fields have been reduced. The objective of this research is to study the landscape and dynamic of paddy fields to indicate benefits of paddy fields to men’s survival by investigating into landscape ecology theories to understand the fundamentals of landscape, ecosystem services theories and communal economy theories to understand benefits of landscape and relationship between men and resources, rural development theories and green economic theories to propose rural development guidelines based on resources in order to create sustainability in the community.

In this research, data were collected in the area of Ban Ponngam, Tambon Ponngam, Amphoe Kosumpisai Mahasarakham Province in order to examine the overall components by using field data collection method which included participant and non- participant observations in order to obtain activity data in the area and in-depth interviews in order to identify differences in terms of ecosystem services of rain fed paddy fields and irrigation paddy fields affecting the communal and household economy.

The findings revealed that both types of the paddy fields differed in that the rain fed paddy fields still had benefits and ecosystem services, while the irrigation paddy fields was a change of farming process which was not in compliance with the dynamic of landscape. As a result, the benefits and ecosystem service in the paddy fields were reduced, and it affected the villagers’ ways of life and household and communal economy. Thus, it can be concluded that the benefits and ecosystem services in the paddy fields declined when the irrigation paddy fields were done as a result of economic development and modern technology which contributed to the change since the labor was reduced and the production was increased.