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Abstract
The largest reed field in the world, with an area of 1000 km2 in 1953, is located in the Liaohe Delta, which lies in the five-point-in-a-line economic strategic zone of northeastern China. However, the area of reeds has declined dramatically in recent years to accommodate oil field infrastructure and societal developments. Although the direct and indirect services provided by such wetlands make valuable contributions to human welfare, wetlands are often given little weight in policy decisions, because ecosystem services are not fully “captured” in commercial markets or adequately quantified in terms comparable with the values of economic services and manufactured capital. In this study the value of 10 of 17 ecosystem services provided by the reed wetlands in the Liaohe Delta was estimated by using market pricing, shadow projects, and benefit transfer methods. The value of the 10 services provided by the 800 km2 of reed wetland totaled approximately US $2.68 billion. Remarkably, aquaculture and the production of pulp from reeds accounted for only 19% of the total value of the reed wetland services. About 32% of the value of the ecosystem services was attributed to non-consumptive recreation, an easily perceived service that may act as a powerful incentive for sustainable management of this wetland ecosystem. The results of this study should help not only to guide management decisions with respect to this particular wetland but also to serve as an example of the approach to be taken with respect to valuation of similarly endangered wetlands throughout China.
Highlights
In China, water is a scarce resource
For more than 50 years, the work of the Panjin Wetland Science Research Institute (PWSRI) in Panjin City, Liaoning province has been centered around understanding the ecology of the coastal wetland ecosystems in the Liaohe Delta (LHD), with the aim of developing a comprehensive plan for utilization of the wetland resources, while at the same time protecting the wetland environment and the many ecosystem services provided by the wetlands
The principal difference between the two estimates is the value of non-consumptive recreation, which we estimate to account for about 32% of the total value of the ecosystem services provided by the wetlands in the LHD
Summary
In China, water is a scarce resource. Compared to other countries on a per capita basis, China receives about 53% as much precipitation as India, 21% as much as the United States, and 15% as much as Russia. Northern China has only about 20% of the per capita water supply of southern China [1] and since 1950 precipitation in that region has averaged only about 355 mm∙y−1 [2]. Use of groundwater for irrigation in northern China has resulted in the over drafting of aquifers, the result being a steady lowering of the water table. The philosophy behind the research and management scheme developed and practiced at the PWSRI has been that optimization of possible economic opportunities for exploiting the coastal wetland resources in an environmentally friendly manner is the best way to protect the coastal wetlands of China. Papermaking from reed biomass is considered a valuable economic product of the ecosystem services provided by the wetlands and an incentive for the creation, restoration, and protection of wetlands. A second workshop on 7 August 2013 included Dr Haifeng Jia (Tsinghua University), an expert on the use of wetlands for wastewater treatment, who provided input on the value of wetland services with respect to wastewater treatment based on current market prices
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