Reasons for the Survival of Tropical Forest Fragments in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China

Abstract

Research Highlights: The reasons for persistence of forest fragments in human-dominated landscapes have rarely been examined, despite their importance in biodiversity and ecosystem services. We determined these reasons for forest fragments on collective land in Xishuangbanna prefecture, southwest China. Background and Objectives: Reconciling economic development with biodiversity conservation has been a major challenge in China’s small tropical land area, where local realities have often been in conflict with national policies. In Xishuangbanna, much of China’s most biodiverse forest area has been replaced by cash crops in recent decades, but numerous small forest fragments remain on collective land. Our objective was to find out why these fragments have not been cleared. Methods: We used a combination of semi-structured interviews with 600 households in 69 villages representing nine ethnic groups and information from key informants. Results: Overall, 64% of individual households retained forest fragments on the land allocated to them, and 93% of villages retained larger areas managed as a collective forest. Most (71%) interviewees said that fragments on their own land were on sites of low agricultural value and were retained as fuelwood sources. They were also often (33%) underplanted with crops and supplied other forest products. All interviewees attributed the retention of collective forests to policy restrictions on clearance, with most (96%) mentioning cultural and religious uses and many recognizing environmental benefits. Most were also used as sources of wild edible plants (61%) and other forest products. Many said these collective forests had shrunk over time, particularly in areas suitable for profitable cultivation. Conclusions: China’s new ecological redline policy will protect most larger patches of forest in Xishuangbanna, but the smaller fragments on land allocated to individual households are also of conservation value, particularly in areas with no other forest. Some form of compensation scheme is needed to encourage their continued retention.

Ethnobotanical study on wild edible plants used by three trans-boundary ethnic groups in Jiangcheng County, Pu’er, Southwest China

“…These highlighted plants include 15 threatened or endangered species, 17 species with UV value over 0.9 and 19 species consumed by both humans and elephants. The environmental, cultural, and religious benefits of the forest are generally recognized by the local people [66]. By learning the ethnobotanical knowledge from the ethnic groups and encouraging them to cultivate more plants, especially the endangered species, in the community land and individual households retained forest, as well as their homegardens could open a new channel for connecting the fragmented forest as a whole, then contributing to conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources.…”

Identification of Socio-Economic Impacts as the Main Drivers of Carbon Stocks in China’s Tropical Rainforests: Implications for REDD+

“…The following was discussed based on the abovementioned analyses: Previous studies [ 78 , 79 , 80 ] indicated that rubber plantations and tea plantations replaced Xishangbanna’s most biodiverse native forests due to local priority policies. National policies to protect native forests from clearance and overexploitation, or to encourage reforestation, are interpreted at a local level by county and village officials.…”

Tree Diversity and Regeneration in Sacred Groves and Nature Reserves in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China

“…Scholars have highlighted the importance of conserving and sometimes restoring forest fragments in Xishuangbanna (e.g., Liu and Slik 2014; Zhang et al 2019, 2020), as well as encouraging appropriate financial incentives (e.g., Xi 2009;Yi et al 2014; Zhang et al 2020), which require working with local communities. In 600 households across nine ethnic groups (including Dai) in Xishuangbanna, Zhang et al (2020) found that 93% of communities maintained a collective forest, and 96% of the time it was for cultural or religious reasons. However, much of the literature on sacred groves paints them as unchanging remnants of ancient forest, thereby erasing how the peoples who protect them have long negotiated the meanings of sacred nature and maintenance of sacred groves with other forms of land use shaped by state and market pressures (Dove et al 2011; Zeng 2018a).…”

“…Although Zhu et al (2010) and Liu (2016) investigated shifts in species composition (including shifts in shade-tolerant and heliophilic species) over time in one Holy Hill by comparing species inventory data from 1950/1960 to data from 1997 and 2008, their analyses were based on presence/absence data and lacked data on species abundance and dominance to detect phytosociological changes in species composition and to explain why these changes were occurring, nor do they provide information on species population persistence based on regeneration. Similarly, though Holy Hills are also occasionally included with other kinds of forest fragments as part of larger landscape-level analyses (e.g., Liu and Slik 2014; Pasion et al 2018; Zhang et al 2020), none have conducted in-depth examinations of regeneration and community dynamics.…”