Final Report - Asian Development Bank

8
TA 4721-PRC: Preparing the Shaanxi-Qinling Mountains Integrated Ecosystem Management Project
Final Report Appendix 4
43. Natural Forest Protection Program (NFPP) launched in 1998. At the core of this program is a
logging ban on 30.38 million ha of natural forest area. This program, which demands a complete
moratorium on logging and timber cutting, is applied to the whole of the forest area of the Qinling
Mountains. This amounts to approximately 50,500 km² of which 13,635 km² is high forest.
44. Sloping Land Conversion Program (SLCP) (“Grain for Green”) initiated in 1999. This is
applied in the Qinling Mountains to sloping land of 25° and above. As a consequence, an area
corresponding to between 30–40% (6,170–8,266 km 2 ) is subject to this program in the Qinling
Mountains.
45. Within the Qinling Botanic Garden project area, these two programs have been applied. This
has resulted in positive and negative consequences both for the environment and for the communities
living in the area, and consequential implications for long term conservation based land management.
46. Although the Natural Forest Protection Program has focused on natural regeneration, such
restoration does not necessarily restore the naturally occurring climax habitats that have been lost.
This is due to the fact that in many areas the climatic (overstorey) trees have been progressively
removed and are no longer present to regenerate. Unfortunately this would mean that the restored
forest would consist only of natural understorey species. Under these circumstances the biodiversity
representative of the natural habitat will not be restored without forest management such as felling of
secondary species in order to allow the replanting of the climatic forest species. Under the current
regulations this cannot be achieved as no interventions are permitted.
47. For the community, the “Grain for Green” program creates implications for livelihood
opportunities. Whilst compensation payments are made to farming families participating in the
scheme for the first eight years, the ability of some farmers to meet the loss of income through other
farming or tertiary activities may not be feasible. Secondly, income from the land subject to “Grain for
Green” which has been revegetated or attempted to be revegetated may not be able to support the
farmer when the compensation period expires. Developing alternative production systems based on
maintaining permanent vegetation cover should be addressed and opportunities such as agri-forestry,
medicinal plants, coppicing systems etc. should be investigated.
48. To meet the challenge of applying the LSMA approach to the project area an opportunity
arises to devise and demonstrate systems that strike a balance between improving ecological
integrity, restoration of the naturally occurring habitats, and enhancing peoples’ livelihoods, these
experiences and recommendations of ‘good practice’ can then be replicated to other locations within
the Qinling Mountains.
49. Prospective pilot area LSMA projects for Qinling Botanic Garden QBCDA area with potential
for replication and wider adoption within the Qinling Mountain System:
(i) Monitoring and adaptive management to determine the ecological or socio-economic
effectiveness of the NFPP and SLCP programs within the project area. Establish
monitoring plots to assess the effectiveness and medium / long term environmental
and biological implications of the programs. Undertake socio-economic analysis to
assess livelihood implications current and long term. Support and develop capacity at
the systemic level in order to make necessary adjustments to NFPP and SLCP
programs (policy, legislation) and provide best practice guidelines.
(ii) Development of management systems for mountain forest habitat restoration that
encompass technical and silvicultural requirements and the institutional change
necessary to relax the NFPP in order to allow pilot projects to commence. Establish
monitoring systems for pilot areas. Investigate the economic potential of linking some
selective forest restoration areas to livelihood development (creating symbiotic
relationships) through adoption of sustainable silvicultural systems such as irregular
shelterwood systems that can encourage habitat improvements, and increase
potential for NTFPs and small round wood craft products.
(iii) Development of management systems for riparian habitat restoration that encompass
technical and river management requirements. Establish monitoring systems for the