Chinese cropping system not only provides people grains

vegetables

etc.

but also takes an important role in soil conservation. First

crops reduce soil erosion through increasing soil penetrability and reducing runoff. Second

Chinese farmers invented many of measures for soil conservation in the long term of farming practice

such as terrace

check-dam

contour farming

straw mulch

etc.

all of these are proved effective in soil conservation and crops yield improvement. According to the calculated results in the paper

the weight of soil conserved by Chinese cropping system is 101.910~8 t per year

and cropping systems in Southwestern China

Loess Plateau and Northeastern China are outstanding in soil conservation. Monetary value of soil held by Chinese cropping system is also calculated by methods of market price

opportunity cost and shadow cost. The results show that the total monetary value is 4 626.6610~8 yuan per year

which accounts for 32.08% of the mean output value of Chinese cropping production during 20002002. The values of keeping soil nutrients

reducing soil abandon and alleviating sedimentation are 4 408.5010~8 yuan/a

164.0910~8 yuan/a and 53.7410~8 yuan/a

respectively. The monetary value in Northeastern China

Loess Plateau and Southwestern China are greater

and sum of them is 2 851.810~8 yuan/a and accounts for 61.6% of total monetary value of soil conservation service provided by Chinese cropping system.