Search

Graphical abstract Highlights • The net ecosystem services value can reveal the real benefits of an ecosystem. • The net ecosystem services value provides superior support for land use policy. • The net value is more practical than the payment for ecosystem services. Abstract Environmental protection can maintain ecosystem health, improve the provision of ecosystem services, and increase human welfare. However, traditional calculations of the value of ecosystem services (VES) exclude their cost, thereby undermining plans to achieve a combination of environmental protection with sustainable socioeconomic development. To understand the difference between VES and the net value after accounting for costs (NES), we evaluated the evolution of the main ecosystem services in China. When costs are accounted for (i.e., when they are subtracted from VES), NES averaged 10.0 × 103 RMB·ha−1·yr−1 for China as a whole (35.1% of VES), with values of 39.0 × 103, −0.7 × 103, 27.7 × 103, and 13.0 × 103 RMB·ha−1·yr−1 for wetland, grassland, farmland, and forest ecosystems, respectively. These values represent decreases of 36.4, 114.9, 52.7, and 70.6% from the corresponding VES values. To achieve sustainable development and ecological restoration, China's government must base decisions on NES, not VES, to ensure that they account for the associated costs. Applying the present results in China and elsewhere in the world should increase the net benefits of ecological restoration while still permitting socioeconomic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The net ecosystem services value can reveal the real benefits of an ecosystem. • The net value is more practical than the payment for ecosystem services. • The net ecosystem services value provides decision-making for ecological conservation and environmental protection. Abstract To understand the difference between the value and the net value of ecosystem services (VES and NES , respectively), we used government statistics and data from published papers about the values and costs of grassland services to calculate their VES and NES in China. We found that when the associated costs (investment in ecological conservation and restoration, reduction of the risk of natural disasters, water consumption, and land rent) are subtracted from this total, the NES of China's grassland ecosystem services equaled −0.12 × 103 RMB ha−1 yr−1. Except for northeastern China and Inner Mongolia, which have abundant natural resources and lower population and livestock pressure, China's other seven regions had a negative grassland NES. The pressure on grassland by livestock has increased steeply (by 1066.1%), from 29.2 × 106 sheep units in 1977 to 340.5 × 106 sheep units in 2014. This strongly suggests that China's grasslands are being heavily overexploited. In contrast with China's well-funded afforestation programs, the low investments in grassland restoration and management have combined to produce severe degradation of grasslands. China's government should re-examine the benefits of livestock culture by accounting for the costs of this land use and of various restoration methods, and should take measures to preserve and restore the country's fragile grasslands. Our results provide a warning for managers of other ecosystems around the world where calculations of grassland VES may be ignoring significant costs of ecological restoration and preservation, leading to overuse and degradation of the ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetlands generate a wide range of ecosystem services that support human well‐being and socioeconomic development. However, calculation of the value of these services generally fails to account for their costs. In order to understand the difference between the value and the net value of ecosystem services (VES and NES, respectively), we used government statistics and data from published papers about the values and costs of wetland services to calculate their NES in mainland China. After accounting for the opportunity costs, investment in wetland conservation and protection, and management to prevent natural disasters, the NES of China's wetlands totaled 828.1 × 109 RMB in 2014, which is 36.4% less than the VES of 1,301.9 × 109 RMB calculated using the traditional approach. From 1952 to 2014, the NES of wetlands across the country (adjusted for inflation) decreased from 2,215.9 × 109 RMB to 828.1 × 109 RMB. Accounting for the costs to determine the net value of ecosystem services will provide a better foundation to support land planning and utilization. Plain Language Summary: Calculating the value of ecosystem services is important to support planning and land utilization. However, the traditional valuation approach fails to account for the costs of these services, and the resulting overestimated values may lead to unwise decisions. In this paper, we propose a model to estimate the costs of wetland ecosystem services, which include the opportunity costs of water and land, investments in wetland conservation and protection, as well as management to prevent natural disasters, thereby providing a better (more holistic) estimate based on the net value. The net value provides stronger support for decision‐making to support ecological conservation and environmental protection and will provide guidance for future land management. Key Points: The net ecosystem services value can reveal the real benefits of an ecosystemThe net value is more practical than the payment for ecosystem servicesThe net ecosystem services value provides decision‐making for ecological conservation and environmental protection [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem degradation is caused by interactions among multiple factors, including climate change and human activity. Therefore, we must understand the key factors that underlie ecological degradation and determine their impacts on ecosystem change before we can undertake ecological restoration. To test this hypothesis, we proposed a measure that we call “targeted measures to control ecological restoration”. This approach calculates the contribution of every key factor and control measure to ecosystem change during ecological restoration; by identifying the key factors, it helps managers to design an effective restoration strategy based on those factors. To test this approach, we performed a case study from 2000 to 2016 in four towns of Changting County, Fujian Province, China. Although the vegetation cover decreased by 3.1% from 1984 to 1999, vegetation cover and vegetation species richness increased by 94.8 and 616.7%, respectively, in the test areas where new measures were implemented from 2000 to 2016. These rates were 4.5 and 148.2 times those in the control area, respectively. Our new approach focuses on repairing degraded ecosystems rather than creating new ones. The case study suggests that understanding ecosystem dynamics can help us deal more effectively with the simultaneous effects of climate change and human activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protection of the ecological environment is an effective strategy for maintaining ecosystem health, improving provision of ecosystem services, and increasing human well-being. However, traditional calculations of the value of ecosystem services (VES) provide weak guidance because they ignore the costs of these services, leading to economically inefficient strategies. To understand the difference between VES and the net ecosystem services value (NES, after subtracting costs from VES) and to improve evaluations of ecosystem services, we estimated NES for mainland China (including farmland, grassland, forest, and wetland). NES totaled 10.0×103 RMB ha−1 yr−1 in 2014, which is only 35.1% of the corresponding VES. Grassland NES was-0.7×103 RMB ha−1 yr−1, in contrast with a positive grassland VES. NES of farmland, grassland, forest, and wetland in 2014 totaled 7.2×1012 RMB, accounting for 27.0% of China’s GNP. Recent Chinese planning based on VES emphasizes forest conservation and ignores the conservation of other important ecosystems, such as grassland, leading to a continuing loss of China’s natural capital. Due to regional differences in economic conditions, resource endowments, and geographical characteristics, VES and NES differ among regions. To maximize the ecological benefits from conservation, it is necessary to account for these differences by comparing strategies based on NES, thereby choosing projects that maximize both economic and ecological benefits. To maintain the ecological balance, ecological restoration and socioeconomic activities should account for the costs of providing ecosystem services. This is essential to minimize the costs and maximize the benefits of projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental Kuznets curve theory predicts that rapid economic development will initially and unavoidably create environmental problems until these problems are solved at higher development levels. However, because different economies face different impacts from economic growth, some may find ways to shorten the environmental Kuznets curve. To understand the characteristics of a “Kuznets curve” based on Chinese environmental attitudes and the factors that influence these attitudes, we interviewed 3000 randomly selected Chinese adults in 2014 using stratified random sampling in six areas (four provinces and two provincial-scale municipalities) that had been affected by the national Grain for Green program. Our goal was to determine their opinions on China’s environmental policy. Based on their responses, we calculated that the minimum value of the environmental Kuznets curve (the income at which priorities change from income to environmental protection) occurred at a per capita income of between 20 200 and 27,000 RMB (an increase of 61.6% compared with results from a similar survey in 2004). We found significant impacts of income, education level, age, gender, employment, and region on Chinese environmental choices. To achieve sustainable socioeconomic development, China’s government must account for how these factors affect public responses to its policy initiatives. China’s government must also find ways to increase personal income faster to speed China’s progress along the environmental Kuznets curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rather than attempting to balance the environment with the economy (i.e., a zero-sum game), a theoretically better long-term approach would be to achieve harmonious development in which both the environment and the economy benefit. To provide insights into this suggestion, we analyzed the relationships between environmental quality and economic development in China through a threshold regression model based on panel data from 292 cities from 2007 to 2018. We found that the relationship between environmental quality and economic development represented a negative interaction before or after the relationship passed through a zone of temporary balance, but that attaining a high urbanization level (in this case study, 81.0%) could improve the efficiency and capital utilization rate of environmental governance and change the impact from negative to positive, thereby achieving harmonious development rather than a zero-sum game. The government should therefore take measures to increase urbanization so as to achieve more harmonious development of the environment and economy (i.e., a win–win situation). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Land degradation and poverty are problems that must be tackled together for environmental conservation to succeed. However, it is rarely possible to move a population from degraded land to another area where the people can be more easily sustained. To find a new strategy that achieves both conservation and economic gains without the need to relocate a population, we examined/investigated a sustainable combination of ecological and economic development suitable for the restoration of areas of China with collapsing gullies, where the frequent steep slopes make restoration difficult. The results showed that the degraded land may contain significant benefits that were previously unappreciated, thereby transforming a problem into an opportunity. Our results suggest that the new approach can both improve the livelihoods of local citizens and promote environmental conservation, leading to successful ecological restoration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Cliff ecosystems are important for biodiversity protection because these sites often support surprisingly ancient and diverse communities, including rare plants and lichens, trees, birds, and small mammals. To protect Chinese cliff ecosystems, an ancient cliff road construction technique is now being used. To understand the environmental benefits of this approach, we monitored eight cliff road sites in the warm Shennongjia region of China''s Hubei Province from June 2006 to July 2009 during road construction. Compared with the traditional filling in of roadside slopes or bridge construction formerly used for highway construction in this area, the cliff highway technique, which combines cantilevered slab roads along the edge of the cliff with bridge support structures where additional support is required, reduces environmental damage and represents a good option for the conservation of fragile cliff ecosystems, while greatly reducing the construction cost. In such areas, the basic objectives of road construction must include biodiversity protection and careful control of the construction process and subsequent cleanup of the site, which cannot be ignored as a result of concentrating on the goal of using the roads to promote regional economic and tourism development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: There are many factors have contributed to China''s environmental crisis and are hindering environmental recovery campaigns. In particular, the implementation of government policy has played a strong role, both because of a government''s natural slowness to change and because of structural impediments. Competition for a share of the huge investments that are being made to support environmental protection among various governmental departments and with local governments has also slowed progress. The conflicting socioeconomic policies that can result from this competition have undermined the large investments in environmental programs by failing to consider the environmental consequences of the conflicts, leading to inappropriate actions and compromising the ability to achieve environmental restoration goals. To improve governance and the ability to meet environmental goals, governments at all levels must understand the problem created by the competition that leads to weak coordination of efforts and must formulate revised policies that encourage sustainability by balancing economic growth with a careful consideration of the need for all groups, whether governmental or private sector, to benefit from these policies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Forests generate a wide range of ecosystem services that support human well-being and socioeconomic development. However, traditional calculations of the value of these services generally failed to account for their costs. To understand the difference between the value (VES) and the net value (NES) of forest ecosystem services, we used government statistics and data from published papers about the values and costs of these services to calculate the NES of China's forest ecosystems. After accounting for the opportunity costs (water consumption and land rent), the investments in conservation and restoration of forests, and the cost of management to prevent natural disasters, China's forest NES averaged 13.3 × 103 RMB ha−1 year−1, which is only 30.1% of the average VES of 44.2 × 103 RMB ha−1 year−1 calculated using the traditional approach. We also found NES was negative in parts of eastern China because of the region's excessive investments in forests. Accounting for the costs to determine the true (net) value of ecosystem services suggests that this region should reconsider the size and nature of its investments to optimize its land use. Our findings provide a reference for the management of other ecosystems in the world where VES calculations may ignore significant costs of ecological restoration and conservation, resulting in inappropriate investments in ecosystems and improper planning of land use. The methods we describe can help restoration managers identify and solve these problems. • The net ecosystem services value can reveal the real benefits of an ecosystem. • The net value provides stronger support for decision-making for ecological conservation. • The net value is more practical than the payment for ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Flash floods from the Tibetan Plateau threaten many dryland communities. • Rethinking floods as resources can promote sustainable development in these drylands. • Involving all stakeholders in the project was essential to the project's success. The uneven spatial and temporal distributions of water resources have made regional scarcities of water resources an increasingly prominent problem around the world. This problem seriously affects food security, desertification, land degradation, and sustainable socio-economic development. Simultaneously, flood disasters caused by excess water resources cause high human and economic losses. Therefore, how to more effectively use the available water resources (e.g., to divert water from regions with an excess to regions with a deficit) is a major issue for the world to solve. For example, the Tibetan plateau generates 392.4 × 109 m3 of freshwater annually in the form of floods in downstream regions below the plateau, greatly harming people in the lower reaches of the many large Asian rivers that originate on the plateau. However, many rivers have been managed to capture billions of m3 of floodwater in their reservoirs. If we could use even half of this stored floodwater for irrigation, this would support cultivation and vegetation restoration in 31.1 × 106 ha surrounding these rivers, greatly increasing food security and improving the regional ecological environment through improved vegetation cover. However, the plateau's water distribution shows obvious regional heterogeneity and seasonal variation that must be accounted for. Rational utilization of the plateau's water resources could potentially improve the lives of hundreds of millions of people, but serious risks must be avoided to achieve this goal. By analyzing the benefits and risks of utilizing the plateau's water resources, we provide guidance for future utilization of this water and suggest future research directions. The countries around the plateau and researchers from around the world should form a multidisciplinary international organization to comprehensively examine the proposals for floodwater use and ensure safe utilization of this water. It is essential to establish a transnational water resource management organization to balance the interests of the different regions and countries that depend on Tibetan Plateau water to reduce the risk of political conflict and of adverse environmental consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Grain for Green Program (GGP) that the Chinese government has implemented, the world's largest ecological restoration plan, has an important component based on payments for ecosystem services. However, the program's net benefits (which include compentation payments) remain unclear. To solve this problem, we proposed an improved cost–benefit analysis method that reveals the specific relationship between the benefits of each type of restoration and the multiple costs that must be incurred to generate those benefits. The results showed that the benefits and net benefits of GGP were 1749.2 × 109 RMB and 637.2 × 109 RMB, respectively in 2017. These were equivalent to total and net benefits that averaged 60.17 × 103 RMB·ha−1·yr−1 and 21.92 × 103 RMB·ha−1·yr−1, respectively, across the four methods. Afforestation of degraded land had the biggest total cost (509.1 × 109 RMB·yr−1), whereas establishing fruit tree plantations produced the highest net benefit (244.2 × 109 RMB·yr−1), but the best cost–benefit ratio was obtained by natural forest conservation (366.8%). To improve the net benefits of GGP while balancing the relationship between environmental protection and economic development, the GGP must be adapted so that managers plan program implementation based on net benefits; to do so, planners should choose the method for each site that maximizes the program's benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]