Ecological Consequences of Changing Fuelwood Consumption Patterns in Remote Villages of Northwestern China

Abstract

Abstract. Consumption of ecosystem goods and services is the foundation of coupled human-natural systems. This paper reported the change in fuelwood consumption in remote northwestern Chinese villages and the ecological consequences that have occurred as a result of the Sloping Land Conversion Program (SLCP), one of China's biggest ecological restoration programs. We conducted this study using structured questionnaires that collected data on fuelwood consumption in 1999 and 2008. For these villages, fuelwood was the most important fuel source (84% of total fuel consumption in 1999). The SLCP restricted cutting of forests, so fuelwood consumption decreased to 39% of the 1999 total by 2008. In response to this decrease and increased planting of trees, the forest area increased. However, a spatial imbalance in fuelwood consumption persisted; the remaining demand for fuelwood meant that forests near villages were under high pressure, with harvesting often exceeding the natural productivity. To meet the demand for fuel and replace the fuelwood, coal consumption increased by 562%. The switch from fuelwood to coal increased CO 2 emissions by 339% from 1999 to 2008. These results have clear consequences for the region's ecology and suggest the need to take measures to account for the consequences of the SLCP.

Assessment Of Anthropogenic Impact On Forest Ecosystem: A Case Study Of Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, India

“…There is a positive correlation between population growth and decreasing forests (Corvalan et al 2005;McMichael 2013). Global to local scale, humans use forests to fulfill the demand for commercial and household goods and services (Thomas et al 2006;He GM et al 2009;Salerno et al 2010;Swanson et al 2011;Pan et al 2012).…”

Sustainable family development: How changes in family life cycle influence household low-carbon use behavior through changing motivations

“…Household lowcarbon behavior decisions belong to the category of household consumption decisions, and are joint decisions of multiple decision makers and collective decisions arising from the interactions among family members (Bertocchi et al, 2014;Simpson et al, 2012). Collective decisions are made around the goals or tasks of the household at its current stage of development (Jiang, 2018;Pan et al, 2012). As a result, the household low-carbon use behavior is likely to vary with the current stage of the family.…”

Influence of human pressure on forest resources and productivity at stand and tree scales: The case study of Yunnan pine in SW China

“…Globally and locally, the harvesting of forests for commercial use on public lands, the active management of forests, such as the use of fire or its suppression, or the cutting of trees and shrubs to meet the demands of local households, all generate frequent conflicts and their solutions are difficult (Thomas et al 2006; He et al 2009; Salerno et al 2010; Swanson et al 2011; Pan et al 2012). Efforts to achieve meaningful solutions involve the need to consider a broad array of issues.…”

“…There is a substantial body of literature on the interaction between local people and their surrounding forests (Bhuyan et al 2003; Kumar and Shahabuddin 2005; Sagar and Singh 2006; He et al 2009; Clark and Covey 2012; Pan et al 2012; Chetelat et al 2013; Garbarino et al 2013). This literature illustrates a strong relationship between human use and often its negative impacts on species diversity and conservation goals (Sharma et al 2009; Thomas et al 2011).…”