Forest soil conservation based on eco-service provision unit method and its value in Anji County, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China

Abstract

We propose an eco-service provision unit method for estimating the benefit and spatial differences of forests in controlling soil erosion. A total of 197 eco-service provision units were grouped on 1424.43 km² of forest according to differences in vegetation, slope, soil, and rainfall. The amount of soil conservation and its economic value were estimated. The forests in Anji County prevent 4.08 × 10⁵ tons of soil from eroding annually, thereby avoiding 1.36 × 10⁴ tons of nutrient loss (on-site cost) and preventing 149 tons of nutritive elements from entering water systems (off-site cost). From an economic perspective, the soil nutrient conservation in the forests of Anji County generated an annual benefit of 43.37 million RMB (Chinese Currency, 6.20 RMB = US$1). On average, each hectare of ecological forest contributed up to 436 RMB annually because of soil conservation. Ecological complexes with higher rainfall intensity, such as broadleaf forest and red soil on slope gradients >25°, contributed the highest soil conservation benefits. This study identified and quantified the dominant contributors and magnitudes of soil conservation provided by forests. This information can benefit decision making regarding differentiated ecological compensation policies.

Keywords

Soil erosion and conservation / Eco-service provision unit (ESPU) / Rainfall erosivity / Soil erodibility / Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE)

References

[1] Antic L, Jablanovic V. Criteria for evaluating transfer pricing methods. Econ Org, 2000, 1(8): 61-70.

[2] Bu ZH, Yang LZ, Bu YH, Wu JY. Soil erodibility (K) value and its application in Taihu Lake catchment. Acta Pedol Sin, 2002, 39(3): 296-300. (in Chinese)

[3] Cao H, Yang H, Zhao QG. Soil erosion and nutrients loss on the typical slope in hilly region of Taihu Basin. J Lake Sci, 2002, 14(3): 242-246. (in Chinese)

[4] Chen L, Xie GD, Pei S, Zhang CS, Fan N, Zhang CX, Li SM. Ecosystem’s soil conservation function and its spatial distribution in Lancang River Basin, Southwest China. Chin J Appl Ecol, 2012, 23(8): 2249-2256.

[5] Cheng HG, Hao FH, Ren XY, Yang ST, Xiong W, Lei SP. The study of the rate loss of nitrogenous non-point source pollution loads in different precipitation levels. Acta Sci Circumst, 2006, 26(3): 392-397. (in Chinese)

[6] Dong DY, Zhang B, Zhang CQ, Yang YG, Pan CX, Wang B. Assessment on soil nutrients loss of forestland in Anji County of the Taihu Basin. Resour Sci, 2011, 33(8): 1608-1612. (in Chinese)

[7] Feng XL, Zhang HJ, Wang LX. Quantitative evaluation of effects of water conservation forest on conserving soil and water in the Upper stream of Miyun Reservoir. J Beijing For Univ, 1998, 20(6): 71-77. (in Chinese)

[8] Fu SH, Liu BY. Evolution of the soil erosion model. Adv Earth Sci, 2002, 17(1): 78-84. (in Chinese)

[9] Gassman PW, Osei E, Saleh A, Rodecap J, Norvell S, Williams J. Alternative practices for sediment and nutrient loss control on livestock farms in northeast Iowa. Agric Ecosyst Environ, 2006, 117: 135-144.

[10] Grant J, Laffan M, Hill R, Neilsen W. Forest soils of Tasmania. 1995, Hobart: Forestry Tasmania, 12 15

[11] Guo ZW, Gan YL. Some scientific questions for ecosystem services. Biodivers Sci, 2003, 11(1): 63-69. (in Chinese)

[12] Guo ZW, Xiao XM, Li DM. An assessment of ecosystem services: water flow and hydroelectric power production. Ecol Appl, 2000, 10: 925-936.

[13] Guo ZW, Xiao X, Gan YL, Zheng YJ. Ecosystem functions, services and their values-a case study in Xingshan county of China. Ecol Econ, 2001, 38: 141-154.

[14] Guto SN, Pypers P, Vanlauwe B, de Ridder N, Giller KE. Tillage and vegetative barrier effects on soil conservation and short-term economic benefits in the Central Kenya highlands. Field Crops Res, 2011, 122: 85-94.

[15] Hansen L, Ribaudo M (2008) Economic measures of soil conservation benefits: regional values for policy assessment. TB-1992.U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Econ Res Serv pp 1–22

[16] He X, Li Z, Hao M, Tang K, Zheng F. Down-scale analysis for water scarcity in response to soil-water conservation on Loess Plateau of China. Agric Ecosyst Environ, 2003, 94(3): 355-361.

[17] Jiang WW, Zhou GM, Yu SQ, Qian XB, Sheng, WM (2004) Research on nutrient status of soils under main forest types in Anji mountainous region. J Soil Water Conserv 18(4):73–100 (in Chinese)

[18] Kong WJ, Zhou BZ, Fu MY, Li ZC, Xie JZ, Wu M. Effects of different land-use on characteristics of soil and water conservation. J Nanjing For Univ (Nat Sci Edn), 2009, 33(4): 57-61. (in Chinese)

[19] Kuhlman T, Reinhard S, Gaaff, A (2010) Estimating the costs and benefits of soil conservation in Europe. Land Use Policy 27:22–32

[20] Laffan MD, McIntosh PD, Neilsen W. Forest soils derived from granite in northern Tasmania: an overview of properties, distribution and management requirements. Tasforests, 2003, 14: 1-14.

[21] Li HP, Liu XM, Huang WY. The non-point output of different landuse types in Zhexi Hydraulic region of Taihu Basin. Acta Geogr Sin, 2004, 59(3): 401-408. (in Chinese)

[22] Li HP, Liu XM, Liu XM, Yang GS. Nutrient pollutant load analysis of Xitiaoxi Watershed in Taihu region. J Lake Sci, 2004, 16((Suppl.)): 89-98. (in Chinese)

[23] Li ZF, Yang GS, Li HP. Effects of land use on nitrogen export in Xitiaoxi watershed. Chin J Environ Sci, 2006, 27(3): 498-502. (in Chinese)

[24] Li LL, Huang GB, Zhang RZ, Bellotti B, Li GD, Chan KY. Benefits of conservation agriculture on soil and water conservation and its progress in China. Agric Sci China, 2011, 10(6): 850-859. in Chinese)

[25] Liu N, Wang KL, Zhang W, Zhang XN. Progress on the study of soil erosion, evaluation and validation. Chin Agric Sci Bull, 2011, 27(18): 1-6. (in Chinese)

[26] Luck GW, Daily GC, Ehrlich PR. Population diversity and ecosystem services. Trends Ecol Evol, 2003, 18: 331-336.

[27] McIntosh P, Laffan M. Soil erodibility and erosion hazard: extending these cornerstone soil conservation concepts to headwater streams in the forestry estate in Tasmania. For Ecol Manage, 2005, 220: 128-139.

[28] Morgan RPC. Soil erosion and conservation. 1995, London: Longman

[29] Page T, Haygarth PM, Beven KJ, Joynes A, Butler T, Keeler C, Freer J, Owens PN, Wood GA. Spatial variability of soil phosphorus in relation to the topographic index and critical source areas: sampling for assessing risk to water quality. J Environ Qual, 2005, 34: 2263-2277.

[30] Pimentel D, Harvey C, Resosudarmo P, Sinclair K, Kurz D, McNair M, Crist S, Shpritz L, Fitton L, Saffouri R, Blair R. Environmental and economic costs of soil erosion and conservation benefits. Science, 1995, 267(5201): 1117-1123.

[31] Qin YH, Kang MY. A review of ecological compensation and its improvement measures. J Nat Resour, 2007, 22(4): 557-567. (in Chinese)

[32] Rejani R, Yadukumar N. Soil and water conservation techniques in cashew grown along steep hill slopes. Sci Hortic A, 2010, 126: 371-378.

[33] Renard KG, Freimund JR. Using monthly precipitation data to estimate the R-factor in the revised USLE. J Hydrol, 1994, 157: 287-306.

[34] Renard KG, Foster GR, Weesies GA, McCool DK, Yoder DC. Predicting Soil Erosion By Water: A Guide to Conservation Planning with the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE)—USDA Agricultural Handbook 703. 1997, Washington DC: U.S Department of Agriculture

[35] Seckler D. Economic costs and benefits of degradation and its repair. 1987, London: Land Degradation and Society Methuen and Co. Ltd.,

[36] State Forestry Administration of China Specifications for assessment of forest ecosystem services in China. 2008, Beijing: Standards Press of China (in Chinese)

[37] Tack Force on Eco-compensation Mechanisms and Policies Eco-compensation mechanisms and policies in China. 2008, Beijing: Science Press

[38] Wang JL, Pu LJ, Jin PH, Wang YF, Pan S, Zhou F. Soil erosion using ¹³⁷Cs method in upper reaches of Taihu Lake Basin: a case study of Xitiaoxi River Basin in Anji County Zhejiang Province. J Nanjing Univ (Nat Sci), 2003, 39(6): 788-796. (in Chinese)

[39] Wang ZH, Cai LL, Guan QW, Cai X. Evaluation of forest ecosystem services in Chun’an County. J Zhejiang For Coll, 2010, 27(5): 757-761. (in Chinese)

[40] Wischmeier WH, Smith DD. Predicting rainfall erosion losses. Agricultural Handbook 537. 1978, Washington, DC: USDA

[41] Xie HB, Yu XG, Zhang YL. Preliminary study on the coincident relationship between water environment and human activity in Taihu Lake Basin. Resour Environ Yangtze Basin, 2001, 10(5): 393-400. (in Chinese)

[42] Yu Z, Wang L. Benefits of water conservation forest. 1999, Beijing: China Forestry Press (in Chinese)

[43] Yu XX, Yang GS, Ou WX. Impacts of non-point source pollution on the water environment of Xitiaoxi watershed, upper Taihu Basin. J Lake Sci, 2003, 15(1): 49-55. (in Chinese)

[44] Zeng HA, Wu JL, Lin L. Using 137Cs tracer technique to investigate soil erosion distribution and total erosion amount in Taihu Lake catchment. Mar Geol Quat Geol, 2008, 28(2): 79-85. (in Chinese)

[45] Zhang MK, Han CC. On antierodibility of hilly soils in Zhejiang Province. Acta Agric Zhejiangensis, 2000, 12(1): 25-30. (in Chinese)

[46] Zhang B, Li WH, Xie GD, Xiao Y. Comprehensive assessment of soil conservation capacity of forest ecosystems in Beijing. Res Soil Water Conserv, 2009, 16(1): 240-244. (in Chinese)

[47] Zhang B, Li WH, Xie GD. Ecosystem services research in China: progress and perspective. Ecol Econ, 2010, 69: 1389-1395.

[48] Zhang CQ, Zhang B, Yang YG, Wang B. Research on soil nutrients of forest nearby Xitiaoxi River in the upper reaches of Taihu Lake Basin. J Soil Water Conserv, 2011, 25(5): 53-58. (in Chinese)

[49] Zhao JF, Huang GB, Xin P, Xie KZ, Xu AX. Conservation tillage effects on run-off and soil erosion. Bull Soil Water Conserv, 2007, 27: 16-19. (in Chinese)

[50] Zhou BZ, Fu MY, Xie JZ, Yang XS, Li ZC. Ecological function of bamboo forest: research and Application. J For Res, 2005, 16(2): 143-147.

[51] Zobeck TM, Schillinger WF, Schillinger WF. Soil and water conservation advances in the United States. 2010, Madison: SSSA Special Publication # 60, 301.