Abstract
Guizhou Province is one of the most expansive and important forest regions in China. Traditional Miao people have inhabited the mountains and managed the forest resources of this region for more than 1000 years. In the 1980s, the Chinese government transferred many collectively owned forests to individual household control. Since then, there have been 3 forest tenure types in Miao areas: state forests, collective forests, and household forests. The Collective Forest Tenure Reform was implemented nationwide starting in 2005, and in Guizhou in 2007, to develop and stabilize the forest tenure institutions. To investigate the effect of tenure type on the floristic composition and size structure of local forests, we conducted inventories in replicate forests under each type of tenure in 3 traditional Miao villages in Leishan County. Results showed that tree species richness and diversity were significantly higher in state and collective forests than in household forests; no significant differences were detected among villages. Cunninghamia lanceolata, an important local timber species, was most abundant in household forests, while higher proportions of associated broadleaf and pine species were recorded in state and collective forests. The lack of significant differences between state and collective forests for most measurement variables suggests that the inherent similarities between these 2 tenure types created by long-term use and management by the Miao have largely overshadowed the effects of more recent management efforts by the state. Each tenure regime offers different benefits, and a portfolio including all 3 tenure types would best provide the ecosystem services and economic opportunities required by forest-dependent communities.
Highlights
Over the past few decades, there has been a growing global effort to better develop sustainable forest management
Almost half of the forests are in the southwest and northeast, where most ethnic minority groups reside (Li 2004), including the Miao and Dong people in Guizhou Province, the Dai and Akha people in Yunnan Province, and the Li people in Hainan Province (Davies and Wismer 2007; Sturgeon 2010; Song 2013)
Forest structure The results of the one-way analysis of variance showed that tree density per transect was not significantly different among villages or forest tenure types (Table 1)
Summary
Over the past few decades, there has been a growing global effort to better develop sustainable forest management. In China in the 1980s, like in many developing countries, state control of forests failed to manage land efficiently (Mayers and Bass 1999; White and Martin 2002). Since the 1980s, the major trend in Chinese forest governance has been toward decentralization, gradually shifting forest management from the government to individual households (Agrawal et al 2008). Other forested nations such as India and Nepal have reformed forest tenure (Agrawal and Ostrom 2001; Liu 2001). Local community or private forest management by minority people has been recognized as a potential approach for achieving forest sustainability (Wiersum 1997; Pagdee et al 2006)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
