Sustainable Conservation Management Research Articles

BEHAVIOR OF THE DIAMETRIC DISTRIBUTION OF ECOLOGICAL GROUPS IN A MIXED OMBROPHILOUS FOREST FRAGMENT

The Mixed Ombrophilous Forest is one of the most threatened ecosystems in Brazil. It is thus necessary to understand its dynamics of growth over time so that sustainable use and conservation management strategies be proposed. The objective of this study is to evaluate the behavior of the diametric distribution of two pioneer and non-pioneer ecological groups in a fragment of Mixed Ombrophilous Forest considering four years of evaluations: from 2002 to 2017. Exponential, Gamma, Weber and Weibull 3P density probability functions were adjusted. The diametric behavior of the forest and the ecological groups analyzed remained negative exponentially, being a characteristic of natural forests. The distributions that best adjusted were Weibull 3P for the forest as a whole and for the group of pioneers, and Weber for non-pioneers. We concluded that ecological groups have the same pattern of diametric distribution as the forest as a whole. However, different forest management strategies are necessary considering the intrinsic characteristics of each group.

Water and cattle shape habitat selection by wild herbivores at the edge of a protected area

AbstractUnderstanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of human‐wildlife interfaces is important for the sustainable management of protected areas and wildlife conservation. We investigated the drivers of domestic and wild herbivore habitat selection at the edge of an unfenced protected area adjacent to Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. We used GPS data to quantify the movement patterns of elephant bulls, buffalo and cattle at multiple scales and according to seasonal changes of surface water availability. Cattle, elephant and buffalo prefer open grassland habitats found close to water but elephant and buffalo avoid cattle differently. During the rainy season, cattle enter the protected area daily; buffalo avoid cattle completely at the home range scale, whereas elephant bulls avoid cattle at finer scales by favoring temporal niche shift. Elephant bulls avoid direct encounters with cattle (or people) during the day but come closer to the boundary and to water at night when cattle are kept in enclosures close to the homesteads. During the dry season, when cattle range further into the protected area in search of forage, buffalo and cattle spatial overlap increases as water dependence takes precedence over avoidance. Elephant bulls range closer to the boundary at night and increase the number of excursions into the Communal Area. Cattle herding creates a buffer zone between wildlife areas and human settlements because wild herbivores strongly avoid livestock and people. However, avoidance only lasts as long as resources are abundant. Our study suggests that long‐term planning of both artificial water provisioning and traditional cattle herding practices could help maintaining spatial segregation and thus mitigate conservation conflicts such as pathogen transmission, crop raiding or livestock depredation.

Consistency and Coherence of Turtle Conservation Policies in Venu Island Wildlife Sanctuary, Kaimana, West Papua

Policy management of turtle conservation in the region of Venu Island Wildlife Sanctuary , Kaimana, West Papua is indispensable. Therefore, this study aimed at examining the turtle conservation policy and it’s implementation, both the consistency and coherence. The analytical method used is content analysis and simple mathematic statistics. The consistency of turtle conservation management policies is found inconsistent in implementation. Similarly, coherence between the policy on turtle conservation management with government policy is found incoherent, as it is more oriented to economic growth compared to turtle conservation management. This is due to weak management, among others: communication, resources, attitudes and behavior , and bureaucratic structures. Management Authority Multi-stakeholder was found as a form of the collaborative approach in carrying out the turtle conservation among institutional managers with other key stakeholders. Consolidation of these institutions need to be carried out by non-governmental organizations, i.e ., Conservation International (Indonesia) Corridor Kaimana and local government, i.e ., the Department of Marine and Fisheries, Department of tourism and culture along with Indigenous Peoples. So policy integration among sectors as well as the consistency and coherence should be coherent in the approach to building synergy with policies of sustainable management of turtle conservation in the region of Venu Island Wildlife Sanctuary , Kaimana, West Papua.

Evaluating renewable natural resources flow and net primary productivity with a GIS-Emergy approach: A case study of Hokkaido, Japan.

Renewable natural resources, such as solar radiation, rainfall, wind, and geothermal heat, together with ecosystem services, provide the elementary supports for the sustainable development of human society. To improve regional sustainability, we studied the spatial distributions and quantities of renewable natural resources and net primary productivity (NPP) in Hokkaido, which is the second largest island of Japan. With the help of Geographic Information System (GIS) software, distribution maps for each type of renewable natural resource were generated by kriging interpolation based on statistical records. A composite map of the flow of all types of renewable natural resources was also generated by map layer overlapping. Additionally, we utilized emergy analysis to convert each renewable flow with different attributes into a unified unit (i.e., solar equivalent joules [sej]). As a result, the spatial distributions of the flow of renewable natural resources of the Hokkaido region are presented in the form of thematic emergy maps. Thus, the areas with higher renewable emergy can be easily visualized and identified. The dominant renewable flow in certain areas can also be directly distinguished. The results can provide useful information for regional sustainable development, environmental conservation and ecological management.

Carbon Measurement: An Overview of Forest Carbon Estimation Methods and the Role of Geographical Information System and Remote Sensing Techniques for REDD+ Implementation

Many scientists and policy makers consider payment for environmental services, particularly carbon payment for forest management, a cost-effective and practical solution to climate change and unsustainable development. In recent years an attractive policy has been discussed under the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), sustainable management of forest, and conservation and enhancement of carbon in developing countries. This could potentially reward forest-managing communities in developing countries. One of the challenging tasks for the successful implementation of this policy is setting up reliable baseline emissions scenarios based on the historical emissions as input for business as usual projections. Forest biomass measurements, the quantification of carbon stocks, their monitoring, and the observation of these stocks over time, are very important for the development of reference scenario and estimation of carbon stock. This paper reviews a numbers of methods available for estimating forest carbon stocks and growth rates of different forest carbon pools. It also explores the limitations and challenges of these methods for use in different geographical locations, and suggests ways of improving accuracy and precision that reduce uncertainty for the successful implementation of REDD+. Furthermore, the paper assesses the role of remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) techniques in the establishment of a long-term carbon inventory.Journal of Forest and Livelihood 13(1) May, 2015, Page:69-86

Nepal’s REDD+ Readiness Preparation and Multi-Stakeholder Consultation Challenges

Nepal is currently undergoing a Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, sustainable management of forest, and conservation and enhancement of carbon (REDD+) readiness process. The Government of Nepal has announced a high level political commitment, willingness and preparedness to attract diverse interests in policy deliberation for its REDD+ process. This paper examines Nepal’s REDD+ policy deliberation process from a political ecology perspective, focusing on expressions of discursive power and representation within Nepal’s ongoing multi-stakeholder REDD+ preparation. The analysis is based on interviews, policy document reviews and observations of public consultations to solicit comments for REDD+ strategy during the year 2013-2014. The analysis found that Nepal’s institutional REDD+ planning structure is highly dominated by techno-bureaucratic top-down practices representing government interests and international donors’ requirements, while sub-national and non-governmental stakeholders often find themselves to be merely used to legitimize the policy process rather than to actively shape it. A considerable share of policy preparations is left to the outsourced experts, and the multi-stakeholder consultation meetings have proven to be ineffective to bring the weak actors’ perspectives that actually participate in those meetings. Both the ‘geographical space’ and ‘political space’ offered in the consultations are not favourable for the local actors, but are controlled by the dominant actors. Overall, our analysis highlights important challenges and an urgent need to improve design and practice of the consultation process in order to ensure a sound multi-stakeholder process so as to meet the demands of the local forest realities as well as those of the international REDD+ requirements.Journal of Forest and Livelihood 13 (1) May, 2015, Page :30-43

Discourse Analysis as a Means to Scrutinize REDD+: An Issue of Current Forest Management Debate of Nepal

This article shows how discourse analysis can be a methodological tool to scrutinize texts under the aegis of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, sustainable management of forest, and conservation and enhancement of carbon (REDD+). A discourse is a perspective of an individual or an organization, which always tries to achieve a dominant position in the society. Texts used in discourses are impossible to understand properly in isolation. They are the reflections of social practices. Discourses, which contain multiple meanings, are also used as devices to make texts meaningful in regular communication. Analysis of discourses is called discourse analysis. Laclau and Mouffe (1985) believe that social structures (norms, rules and institutions) are created by pre-existing discourses of society, thereby we humans conceive objective reality according to the existing discourses. Alternatively, Fairclough (1995) believes that discourses not only reflect social structure but are also bounded by them. Both perspectives have been used as methodologies to analyse discourses, nonetheless Fairclough’s discourse analysis is more pragmatic than Laclau and Mouffee’s. The term ‘REDD+’ implies a discourse about forming new forestry institution in developing countries like Nepal, which is articulated in the name of mitigating deteriorating climate of the world. We suggest combining both perspectives to scrutinize the issue like REDD+. We found that discourse analysis is a suitable method to scrutinize REDD+ in the Nepalese context where people consider forest as a vital source of earning livelihoods and the foundation of sustaining local environment.Journal of Forest and Livelihood 13(1) May, 2015, page: 44-55

Photogrammetry using in-field calibration: a non-invasive tool for predicting sex and life stages tested on Hector's dolphins in the wild

ABSTRACTAccurate data on sex and life stage are essential for building realistic population models, which in turn are essential for sustainable conservation management. This case study develops and validates an improved photogrammetry method that allows for in-field calibration. The method was used to measure Hector's dolphins’ dorsal fins in the wild. Seven independent measurements of one dolphin resulted in a coefficient of variation of 1.39% for fin base length and 2.33% for fin height. Test measurements on shore at different distances and angles resulted in a mean error smaller than 1% up to a distance of 10 m and an angle of 40°. Dorsal fin dimensions from necropsied Hector's dolphins were analysed to evaluate the potential of predicting sex and life stage based on a dorsal fin measured in the wild. Dorsal fin shape was significantly related to sex. However, sex estimations based on this model turned out to be not accurate enough to replace traditional sexing methods for Hector's dolphins. Fin base length was significantly related to life stage for females. Estimations based on this model appear to be accurate.

Gestão ambiental e sustentabilidade na macrometrópole paulista - Bacia do Rio Paraíba do Sul

RESUMO Situada no sudeste brasileiro, a bacia hidrográfica do rio Paraíba do Sul possui elevada importância para abastecimento dos estados de São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro e Minas Gerais. Os recursos hídricos da bacia, no entanto, estão ameaçados devido à intensa expansão demográfica e ao desenvolvimento diversificado que se deu na região. Este trabalho baseia-se no diagnóstico das potencialidades e fragilidades da bacia hidrográfica em questão e tem como proposta a elaboração de cenários que visem à gestão sustentável dos recursos hídricos e sua conservação ambiental. Foi utilizada a metodologia Pressão-Estado-Resposta, desenvolvida pela OECD, a qual seleciona indicadores, tomando como base sua confiabilidade, mensurabilidade, utilidade aos usuários e relevância política. Foram elaborados cenários a fim de possibilitar a compreensão da dinâmica vigente na bacia do rio Paraíba do Sul, bem como delinear ações necessárias para garantir sua sustentabilidade no futuro.

Stakeholders’ Attitude on the Willingness-To-Pay Value for the Conservation of the George Town, Penang World Heritage Site

The objective of this research is to test the significant relationship between the attitudes and responses of the stakeholders, and the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for the conservation of the George Town Penang World Heritage Site (GTWHS). This research applied a contingent valuation survey questionnaire in collecting the data. A total of 300 local residents and 150 tourists were randomly interviewed in the George Town Conservation Zone area. From the study, there was a positive relationship between the principal stakeholders’ attitude towards the UNESCO WHS status, the importance of preserving the non-use value and the conservation management of the GTWHS. It was proves that there was an awareness among the stakeholders towards conserving their cultural heritage. This research study has found that the stakeholders’ attitude towards the WHS status, cultural tourism and the important of preserving the non-use value as a local resource is vital in establishing a sustainable conservation management of the GTWHS. This could give a fair view of the attitude of the interest groups with a stake towards the cultural heritage and development, common level of cultural understanding and consciousness of the community. Analyzing values through a participatory process which have involved the various interest groups with a stake in a place or object could help promote the sustainability of the conservation efforts of the GTWHS.

Persistence of Two Small Antelope Species in the Degraded Mutara Rangelands (Akagera Ecosystem) Based on Pastoralists’ and Farmers’ Perceptions

For many endangered wildlife populations, scientific information necessary for sustainable conservation management is insufficient and difficult to obtain. In such cases, possible alternative sources of information on wildlife populations and their habitats should be sought out, evaluated, and integrated into management decisions and monitoring programs (Nadasdy 1999; Gilchrist et al. 2005). Traditional and local ecological knowledge are increasingly recognized as potential sources of information to complement conventional scientific approaches (e.g., Chemilinsky 1991; Berkes et al. 2000). Human communities, especially those living in and around protected areas, often have intimate and long-standing relationships with those areas (Trakolis 2001; Uddin and Foisal 2007), and their local knowledge is increasingly integrated in conservation biology, ecosystemmanagement, and ecological restoration (Berkes et al. 2000; Kimmerer 2002; Charnley et al. 2008). For example, rangeland pastoralists, through their practical experience and ongoing relationship with their environment, are capable of successfully categorizing landscapes with respect to seasonal changes in grazing capacity (Oba and Kotile 2001). Several studies have highlighted the role of pastoralists’ ecological knowledge as it relates to the utilization of rangelands (e.g. Spooner 1973; Nyerges 1982; Bollig and Schulte 1999; Fernandez-Gimenez 2000; Spencer 2004; Roba and Oba 2009). Moreover, some studies tested whether interviewbased abundance estimates reflect abundances established by using conventional methods (e.g. Gros et al. 1996; Gilchrist et al. 2005; Anadon et al. 2009; Gandiwa 2012). African rangelands are nowadays often characterized by dramatic alterations of landscape structure, with a predominance of few(er) vegetation types as a result of human activities such as livestock (cattle and goat) grazing and subsistence agriculture, which are typically accompanied by pronounced changes in the communities of ungulates (Archer 2010). Nevertheless, two small-bodied ungulate species, the common duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia; 10–14 kg body mass) and the bushbuck (Tragelaphus sylvaticus; 35–80 kg) have been shown to subsist in heavily impacted areas of today’s rural Africa (Schmidt Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10745-015-9753-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Genetic population structure and demographic history of an endangered frog, Babina holsti

Babina holsti is a ranid frog that occurs on northern Okinawa (Yanbaru) and Tokashiki Islands of southwest Japan. Because of its narrow distribution and recent habitat destruction, its population size is believed to have decreased, and the species has been listed as an endangered species on the IUCN Red List. To promote effective conservation management, we examined the population structure, gene flow, and demographic history of B. holsti using a mitochondrial gene and 12 microsatellite loci. The population structure analyses first distinguished the Tokashiki Island population from the Yanbaru ones. The Yanbaru populations were further divided into main and southernmost populations. Large genetic differences were detected between the Tokashiki and Yanbaru populations, and their divergence time was estimated as 0.38 Mya. Based on demographic analyses on Yanbaru, population expansion generally occurred after the last glacial period and then decreased rapidly. Specifically, only the southern Yanbaru populations have experienced a population decline within the past 5000 years. These results suggested that prehistoric geographic events may have affected the historical population decline on Yanbaru. On Tokashiki, the lowest genetic diversity and a significant population bottleneck were detected, both probably caused by scarcer environmental resources. These results are beneficial to sustainable conservation management of B. holsti, especially the conservation priority of the populations in Tokashiki and southern Yanbaru.

Inventory of threatened plants of Bangladesh and their conservation management

The study aimed at inventorying of threatened plant species of Bangladesh to determine their status of occurrence for emphasizing the setting-up of national conservation strategies and sustainable management. Complete inventory of two families, the Apocynaceae and Vitaceae, has been made and recognized 28 threatened species facing environmental threats, and need sustainable conservation management. The study was based on long-term field investigation, survey of relevant floristic literature and examination of herbarium specimens. An enumeration of threatened taxa is prepared with updated field data on conservation status to include into Red Data Book of Bangladesh. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ije.v3i1.9951 International Journal of Environment Vol.3(1) 2014: 141-167

Population structure of Coilia nasus in the Yangtze River revealed by insertion of short interspersed elements

Coilia nasus is found in the Yangtze River and the coastal waters of China, Korea, and Japan. Two ecotypes (anadromous and freshwater-resident populations) are distributed throughout the Yangtze River basin based on their ecology and behavior, but relatively little is known about the population structure of this species. Analysis of short interspersed element (SINE) insertions, which vary among individuals, has been acknowledged to provide a unique way to study population divergence. SINEs isolated from C. nasus were characterized, and this enabled analysis of the SINE insertion pattern in six populations distributed throughout the Yangtze River basin. In all populations, four SINE loci displayed individual polymorphism, and two SINE loci showed a stochastic loss in all individuals of two resident populations. The correlation between genetic and geographic populations indicated a degree of genetic isolation in this species. In contrast with Coilia grayii and Coilia mystus, two SINE loci appeared only in C. nasus. Sequencing analysis indicated that the high insertion variability of SINEs was attributed mainly to the tails, which contained various repeat copies. The results in this study will be useful for sustainable management of fishery resources and conservation of this species.

Effect of global warming on the life history and population dynamics of Japanese chum salmon

We have reviewed the effects of long-term climatic/oceanic conditions on the growth, survival, pro- duction dynamics, and distribution of Hokkaido chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta in Japan during the period 1945-2005 using path analysis, back-calculation, and scale analyses, and applied a prediction method based on the SRES-A1B scenario of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. The populations of Hokkaido chum salmon were found to have had high growth rates at age 1 year since the late 1980s. Path analysis indicated that the growth at age 1 year in the Okhotsk Sea was directly affected by warm sea surface temperature associated with global warming, with the increased growth at age 1 year resulting in higher rates of survival and large population sizes. Predictions on the global warming effects on the chum salmon were (1) decreased carrying capacity and distribu- tion area, (2) occurrence of a strong density-dependent effect, and (3) loss of migration route to the Sea of Okh- otsk, especially for Hokkaido chum salmon. We have also outlined the future challenges of establishing a sustainable conservation management scheme for salmon that include adaptive management and precautionary principles, as well as conservation of natural spawning populations and recovery of natural river ecosystems in Japan despite the warming climate.

Best Practice Criteria for Sustainable Maintenance Management of Heritage Buildings in Malaysia

Sustainable development and heritage conservation have become guiding principles for our modern industrial society. In order to achieve a sustainable management of heritage building conservation in Malaysia, it is vital that maintenance takes a leading role in conserving the heritage values of the buildings. However, there has been no published work on assessment of the relative importance of each best practice criteria for sustainable maintenance management of heritage buildings in Malaysia. Thus, this paper is aimed at identifying and ranking the criteria that support sustainable best practice. Data collected through questionnaire which covered a selected sample of experts in the field of heritage building conservation. Data were analyzed using Relative Importance Index (RII), Kendall's concordance test, and Pearson's Chi-Square test. The results show that maintenance staff training and expertise was the most important criterion considered crucial by the respondents in supporting sustainable best practice. The paper is a pioneering attempt at establishing the criteria that support sustainable best practice in the maintenance management of heritage buildings in developing countries like Malaysia.

Current plantation practices have negligible genetic effects on planted dipterocarps in the tropical rainforest

AbstractDipterocarp trees are ecologically and commercially important in Southeast Asian tropical rainforests. For sustainable management of forest ecosystems and conservation of biodiversity, it is essential to establish plantation methods ensuring that genetic variation of the planted trees is equivalent to that in natural forests. The genetic diversity and differentiation of Shorea leprosula and Shorea parvifolia on plantations managed by a private-sector forestry company in Indonesia and those in natural populations were compared using microsatellite markers. Genetic diversity in the planted populations was as high as that in the natural populations. No clear genetic differences between each planted population and the natural forest populations were found. The genetic variation present in planted S. leprosula and S. parvifolia populations did not appear to deteriorate in the planting system implemented in Indonesia, known as Tebang Pilih Tanam Jalur (TPTJ). These results indicate that the current plantation method practiced in the region is suitable for maintaining the original genetic composition and achieving sustainable use of tropical rainforests.

Land ownership drives stand structure and carbon storage of deciduous temperate forests

In European cultural landscapes, forest area is subdivided into a mosaic of stands of different ownership types and sizes. Differences in ownership and different goals of the owners have a potentially decisive influence on the provision of forest ecosystem services and the implementation of instruments for the conservation of biodiversity. This study hypothesizes that forest ownership is an indirect determinant of forest management approaches and is thereby relevant for biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration. We compared structure and species composition of forest stands in clusters of different ownership types, namely state-owned, municipal and small-scale private forests, in southwestern Germany. Although close-to-nature management has been practiced in public forests for some time, our study demonstrates that tree species diversity does not vary significantly between ownership types but is correlated with biogeographical factors. However, small-scale private forests comprise significantly higher levels of structural diversity, more dead wood and greater carbon storage capacity than both categories of public forests. This is contrary to other studies, where publicly owned lands were found to host higher biodiversity, and differs from the global trend, where continued fragmentation of private lands threatens forest sustainability. The importance of small-scale private forests, e.g. for the conservation of old-growth and dead wood dependent species, seems due to less intensive and more diverse forest management. The role of such forests for biodiversity conservation and carbon regulation may be jeopardized through forest conversion and wood mobilization initiatives accompanying rising natural resource prices. To safeguard forest biodiversity and ecosystem services, ownership-specific incentive schemes should be coordinated and refined. In public forests, close-to-nature management approaches should be complemented with binding goals aimed at promoting old-growth forest attributes and allowing site-specific variation in management practices. To conserve diversity in small-scale private forests, financial incentives and remuneration schemes for the provisioning of forest biodiversity and ecosystem services should be developed. Moreover, consulting and the provision of information on sustainable forest and conservation management should be intensified.

The demography and ecology of the European shagPhalacrocorax aristotelisin Mor Braz, France

An integrated research program was initiated to evaluate if the European shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis can be used as a robust indicator of the marine environment in Mor Braz, Brittany, France. This program focuses on aspects of the ecology of the shag including its abundance, demography, diet and at-sea distribution measured at three breeding colonies. The annual population growth rate was estimated at 1.01 for the period 1987-2009. The number of breeding pairs (mean: 565) was highly variable from year to year. Part of this interannual variation was explained by variations in sea surface temperature and sea surface height in winter and spring: the number of breeding pairs was negatively related to sea surface temperature and sea surface height. First year, second year and adult survival probabilities were 0.44, 0.76 and 0.81, respectively. Juvenile survival rate varied between colonies, despite the short distances separating these islets. Average productivity was one young fledged per nest, but it varied between years and islets. Density of individuals at sea varied between 1.40 ind.km −2 during the breeding season and 3.08 ind.km −2 after the breeding season had ended. Individuals foraged up to 7 km from the nest and performed on average 2.7 foraging trips per day. The average number of dives deeper than 5 m varied from 126 to 400 per day. Mean diving depth, dive duration and time spent at bottom were 13 m, 28 s, and 19 s respectively. Regurgitated pellets were collected regularly. Four fish families (Gadidae, Gobiidae, Atherinidae and Labridae) represented more than 65% of the preys throughout the year, a percentage reaching more than 95% of the prey from May to October. The other fish in the diet were Cottidae, Ammodytidae, and Clupeidae. The diet of the European shag consisted of benthic fish throughout the year, and also included pelagic fish more frequently between June and October. The synchronous variations of productivity between colonies suggest that some common environmental factors affect this demographic parameter at the regional scale. Thus, the European shag has a good potential for being a reliable ecological indicator of the state of this marine environment. Finally, improved knowledge on the foraging ecology of shags will be useful in the process of designing Marine Protected Areas in the Mor Braz to help ensure sustainable management of marine resources and biodiversity conservation.

Soil loss tolerance in the black soil region of Northeast China

Soil loss tolerance (T) is the maximum rate of annual soil erosion that is tolerated and still allows a high level of crop productivity to be sustained economically and indefinitely. In the black soil region of Northeast China, an empirically determined, default T value of 200 (t/km2·a) is used for designing land restoration strategies for different types of soils. The objective of this study was to provide a methodology to calculate a quantitative T for different black soil species. A field investigation was conducted to determine the typical soil profiles of 21 black soil species in the study area and a quantitative methodology based on a modified soil productivity index model was established to calculate the T values. These values, which varied from 68 t/km2·a to 358 t/km2·a, yielded an average T value of 141 t/km2·a for the 21 soil species. This is 29.5% lower than the current national standard T value. Two significant factors that influenced the T value were soil thickness and vulnerability to erosion. An acceptable reduction rate of soil productivity over a planned time period of 1% is recommended as necessary for maintaining long-term sustainable soil productivity. Compared with the currently used of regional unified standard T value, the proposed method, which determines T using specific soil profile indices, has more practical implications for effective, sustainable management of soil and water conservation.