Environmental management and sustainable development in forested mountain areas of northeast China

Abstract

This paper studied the sustainable development through a reasonable management of the social, economic and natural environment in a forested mountain area of northeast China. In order to show the local people how to manage their most important forest resource, we analyzed the life-history process of the key species and the influencing factors that were associated with the forest regeneration and sustainability. Pollination and fertilization were mainly affected by weather conditions. Light intensity under the forest canopy was the key factor that controlled seedlings growth and saplings survival. Periodic seeds setting caused the fluctuations of rodents and other related animals in the food chain. Squirrels played a very important role in the forest regeneration, theses animals were the absolutely indispensable components of the forest ecosystem. How to understand the co-evolutionary relationships among species in the forest ecosystems was very important for the conservation of biodiversity and maintenance of ecosystem itegrity. In conservation of the natural resources, we studied the social and economic environment of the forested mountain area. It is very hard to effectively protect the forest resources and maintain the normal life of the local people under the regime of the “unified administration and enterprise system”. Reforms are needed both in administrative institutions and in enterprise management. In the end, this paper proposed that we should not only protect the trees, the related animals, the ecological habitats, and the whole forest ecosystems, but also consider the human activities and their basic requirements so as to realize a sustainable development in the forested mountain areas.

Keywords

Sustainable development / Life-history / Environment / Resources / Administration

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