International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development

author(s)
Shraddha Sudhesh, Razia Fathima, Allan Thomas, Jayalekshmi G and Archana Raghavan Sathyan

abstract
This study assesses the impact of land-use and cropping pattern changes on ecosystem services in the paddy wetlands of Kuttanad in Kerala, India, during 2024-25, focusing on farmers' perceptions of ecosystem services and the socio-economic factors influencing land-use changes. By using a multistage random sampling technique, a total of 180 farmers were selected from the major rice-growing tracts of Kuttanad, which spreads over the districts of Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Pathanamthitta. Primary data were collected through a structured interview schedule, using a five-point Likert scale to assess the perceived importance of ecosystem services and a five-point continuum to rate the degree of severity of land-use change drivers. Statistics including descriptive method, Spearman’s rank correlation, Mann -Whitney U test, and multiple linear regression, were applied to analyse the data thus obtained. The findings show that environmental stressors, particularly declining soil fertility, climate variability, and groundwater depletion due to overuse, are perceived as the most significant drivers of land-use change. Spearman’s correlation showed a significant positive relationship between land-use change and regulating services (r = 0.256) and supporting services (r = 0.226), implying that as land-use change increases, farmers place higher value on ecological functions such as flood regulation, groundwater recharge, and soil fertility. The correlation with provisioning services (r = 0.089) and cultural services (r = - 0.049) was weak and not significant. Mann -Whitney U test results showed significant differences in supporting services between farmers who reported land-use change (mean = 3.18) and those who did not (mean = 2.95). This implies that farmers exposed to land-use change have increased awareness of ecosystem functions such as soil fertility, biodiversity, and water regulation. Income and landholding size were found to be significant predictors of awareness regarding land-use change, with affluent farmers recognizing greater degree of ecological degradation. The study highlights the need for policies integrating land-use planning, paddy land restoration, and farmer participation to sustain both crop productivity and ecosystem services, thereby contributing to a deeper understanding of sustainable wetland management and elucidating how land-use transformation influences the socio-ecological dynamics of this Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS).