Abstract
Research Highlights: The reasons for persistence of forest fragments in human-dominated landscapes have rarely been examined, despite their importance in biodiversity and ecosystem services. We determined these reasons for forest fragments on collective land in Xishuangbanna prefecture, southwest China. Background and Objectives: Reconciling economic development with biodiversity conservation has been a major challenge in China’s small tropical land area, where local realities have often been in conflict with national policies. In Xishuangbanna, much of China’s most biodiverse forest area has been replaced by cash crops in recent decades, but numerous small forest fragments remain on collective land. Our objective was to find out why these fragments have not been cleared. Methods: We used a combination of semi-structured interviews with 600 households in 69 villages representing nine ethnic groups and information from key informants. Results: Overall, 64% of individual households retained forest fragments on the land allocated to them, and 93% of villages retained larger areas managed as a collective forest. Most (71%) interviewees said that fragments on their own land were on sites of low agricultural value and were retained as fuelwood sources. They were also often (33%) underplanted with crops and supplied other forest products. All interviewees attributed the retention of collective forests to policy restrictions on clearance, with most (96%) mentioning cultural and religious uses and many recognizing environmental benefits. Most were also used as sources of wild edible plants (61%) and other forest products. Many said these collective forests had shrunk over time, particularly in areas suitable for profitable cultivation. Conclusions: China’s new ecological redline policy will protect most larger patches of forest in Xishuangbanna, but the smaller fragments on land allocated to individual households are also of conservation value, particularly in areas with no other forest. Some form of compensation scheme is needed to encourage their continued retention.
Highlights
Introduction700 m above sea-level, meaning that it is largely frost-free
3.6% of China’s huge land area is in the tropics, and less than two-thirds of this is below700 m above sea-level, meaning that it is largely frost-free
China’s new ecological redline policy will protect most larger patches of forest in Xishuangbanna, but the smaller fragments on land allocated to individual households are of conservation value, in areas with no other forest
Summary
700 m above sea-level, meaning that it is largely frost-free. Forests 2020, 11, 159 conservation are generally incompatible land-uses in tropical forest regions, and a focus on crops over the last 50 years has resulted in large and on-going declines in wild species in the Chinese tropics [1,2,3]. Reconciling economic development through agriculture with biodiversity conservation through forest protection requires both good national policies and their careful application at regional and local levels. Reforms since the late 1990s extended household rights over these devolved forests, allowing secure long-term use and transfers of use rights, the collectives have retained official ownership [4]. There were reductions in taxes and fees related to forests, financial incentives for reforestation, and reforms in the allowable annual cut of timber
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