Activity Data and Emission Factor for Forestry and Other Land Use Change Subsector to Enhance Carbon Market Policy and Action in Malawi

Activity data and emission factors are critical for estimating greenhouse gas emissions and devising effective climate change mitigation strategies. This study developed the activity data and emission factor in the Forestry and Other Land Use Change (FOLU) subsector in Malawi. The results indicate that “forestland to cropland,” and “wetland to cropland,” were the major land use changes from the year 2000 to the year 2022. The forestland steadily declined at a rate of 13,591 ha (0.5%) per annum. Similarly, grassland declined at the rate of 1651 ha (0.5%) per annum. On the other hand, cropland, wetland, and settlements steadily increased at the rate of 8228 ha (0.14%);5257 ha (0.17%);and 1941 ha (8.1%) per annum, respectively. Furthermore, the results indicate that the “grassland to forestland” changes were higher than the “forestland to grassland” changes, suggesting that forest regrowth was occurring. On the emission factor, the results interestingly indicate that there was a significant increase in carbon sequestration in the FOLU subsector from the year 2011 to 2022. Carbon sequestration increased annually by 13.66 ± 0.17 tCO2 e/ha/yr (4.6%), with an uncertainty of 2.44%. Therefore, it can be concluded that there is potential for a Carbon market in Malawi.

Forestland prediction of China based on forest ecosystem services for the first half of 21st century

A new model was developed to predict forestland demand of China during the years of 2010-2050 in terms of the concept of forest ecosystem services. On the basis of the relationship between forest ecosystem services and classified forest management, we hypothesized that the ecological-forest provides ecological services, whereas commercial-forest supplies wood and timber production, and the influences of the growth of population, social-economic development target, forest management methods and the technology changes on forest resources were also taken into account. The prediction reveals that the demand of total forestland of China will be 244.8, 261.2 and 362.2 million ha by the year 2010, 2020 and 2050, respectively. The results demonstrated that China will be confronted with a shortage of forest resources, especially with lack of ecological-oriented forests, in the future. It is suggested that sustainable management of forest resources must be reinforced and more attention should be drown no enhancing the service function of forest ecosystem.

Soil erosion and soil properties in reclaimed forestland of loess hilly region

Based on data observed from 1989 to 1998 in the Ziwuling survey station, changes of soil erosion and soil physico-mechanical properties were studied after forestland reclamation. When the man-induced factors changed the eco-environment by reclaiming forestlands, the intensity of man-made soil erosion in reclaimed lands was 1,000 times more than that of natural erosion in forestlands. From the analysis of soil physical and mechanical properties, the clay content and physical clay content decreased 2.74% and 3.01% respectively, and the >0.25 mm water stable aggregate content decreased 58.7%, the soil unit weight increased and the soil shear strength decreased, all of which were easier to cause soil erosion. The results of the correlation analysis showed that the >0.25 mm water stable aggregate content was the greatest influencing factor on soil erosion, the partial correlated coefficient was 0.9728, and then were soil coarse grain and soil shear strength, the partial correlated coefficients being 0.8879 and 0.6020 respectively. The relationships between the >0.25 mm water stable aggregate content, the soil sheer strength and the soil erosion intensity were analyzed, which showed that the first and seventh years were the turning years of the soil erosion intensity after the forestland reclamation. The degenerative eroded soil and eco-environment formed the peculiar erosion environment, which aggravated the soil erosion rapidly.

South Carolina forestland owners’ willingness to accept compensations for carbon sequestration

Background: Carbon sequestration through recommended forest management practices is an ecosystem service that helps mitigate climate change and its impacts while generating carbon credits for forestland owners to sell in cap-and-trade programs. The California’s cap-and-trade program (California’s carbon market hereafter) allows forestland owners from any part of the contiguous United States to supply carbon credits to compliance entities. In this study, we estimate South Carolina (SC) private forestland owners’willingness to accept compensations to participate in the California’s carbon market using a contingent valuation method. Results: We estimate forestland owners’mean willingness to accept as$67 per acre per year. Our results reveal higher probability of participation of forestland owners with interests in preserving forest ecosystems than those who do not. Additionally, forestland owners who trust in information about climate change from scientists or government are willing to participate more than those who do not. Conclusions: Various factors hinder landowners’ability to participate in carbon markets. Forestland owners in SC consider legislative uncertainty and long-time commitment as the main barriers to participation in California’s carbon market. From this research, average forestland tenure in SC is 27 years, which is far less than the 100-year time commitment of the California’s carbon market. Of those who agreed to participate, choosing between adopting and not adopting any of the three main forest management practices in the California’s carbon market:28% are likely to adopt improved forest management (IFM) practices, 24% are likely to adopt reforestation due to understocked forestlands, and 14% are likely to adopt avoided conversion. In another development, the concept of aggregation has dominated discussions in the California’s carbon market of late. It is an advocacy to include small-scale forestlands in the California’s carbon market. To aggregate, different forestland owners will combine their forestlands to participate. We find that 79% of SC forestland owners are willing to aggregate to participate. However, this research is unable to determine how much total forestland is available in SC for carbon market. We recommend future research in the State on forestland owners’participation in carbon market should consider evaluating forestland availability.

ECO-ENVIRONMENT CHANGE AND SOIL EROSION PROCESS IN THE RECLAIMED FORESTLAND OF THE LOESS PLATEAU

Serious soil erosion has made the eco-environment fragile in the Loess Plateau. Based on the 10-year data observed from 1989 to 1998 in the Ziwuling Survey Station in loess hilly region, the eco-environment change and soil erosion process in reclaimed forestland were studied in this paper. The results showed that the intensity of man-made soil erosion caused by forestland reclamation was 1000 times more than that of the natural erosion. From the analysis of soil physical and mechanical properties, in the 10th year after forestland was reclaimed, the clay content and physical clay content decreased 2.74 percentage point and 3.01 percentage point respectively, the >0.25mm waterstable aggregate content decreased 31.59 percentage point, the soil bulk density increased and soil shear strength decreased, all of which were easier to cause soil erosion. The correlation analysis showed that >0.25mm waterstable aggregate content was the key factor affecting soil erosion, and the secondary factors were soil coarse grain and soil shear strength. The relation between the >0.25mm waterstable aggregate content, the soil sheer strength and the soil erosion intensity were analyzed, which showed that the first year and the seventh erosion year were the turn years of the soil erosion intensity after the forestland was reclaimed, revealed that the change of eco-environment was the main cause to accelerate soil erosion, and the worse environment caused soil erosion to be serious rapidly.

Spatially explicit changes of forestland in Taiwan Province from 1910 to 2010

Reconstructing long-term changes of forest cover(FC)can provide reliable underlying data for carbon source/sink accounting and simulation of the effects of land use on the climate and environment.Historical maps contain a wealth of forest related information and can provide first-hand data for studying the changes in FC over a long time period.Taking the reconstruction of FC in Taiwan Province from 1910-2010 as the research object,we used map extraction and mining methods to extract forest distribution information from historical forest thematic survey maps,topographic and land cover maps,and reconstructed the spatiotemporal patterns of FC in Taiwan from 1910-2010.The results show that:first,the relative bias of the FC area extracted from the historical maps of Taiwan was below 8%,meaning the FC information contained in maps is highly accurate.Second,the FC of Taiwan has generally declined in the past 100 years.From 1910-2010,the forest area declined from 2.62×10^(6) ha to 2.47×10^(6) ha,with relatively obvious forest reduction having occurred.In stages,the forest area of Taiwan decreased by 26.39×10^(4) ha from 1910 to 1950;and increased by 10.53×10^(4) ha during the period 1950-2010.Forest reduction was obvious during the Japanese occupation period,while forest increase was remarkable during the Kuomintang period.Third,during the study period,the total area of patches maintained as forests was 2.17×10^(6) ha with little change in the overall pattern,and forests were mainly distributed in the mountain regions.The loss of forest mainly occurred in the plains,with expanding forest areas mainly in the mountain regions at high elevations and on steep slopes.Fourth,land clearing for agriculture during the Japanese occupation period has been the important driver of forest reduction in Taiwan over the past century.After retreated to Taiwan,the Kuomintang government introduced effective and remarkable reforms that led to effective restoration of forest vegetation in many areas where forests had previously disappeared.

The Changing Colors Of Forestland Reform

Forestland use right reforms are allowing forest farmers to freely transact their land and reap new profits Hubei Province farmer Huang Huabing contracted 30 hectares of

Impact of Demographic Structure on Paddy and Forestland Management

In order to understand the impact of demographic structure on paddy and forestland managementafter the convening of the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC (Communist Party of China) CentralCommittee and the implementation of the Household Responsibility System (the government divided upland among peasants for cultivating and the peasants sell a set part of their produced goods to thegovernment at stipulated prices by contract in the countryside of China), 147 households in 6 villages,belonging to Xiangtan County and Zhuzhou County in Hunan Province, were selected as research samples,and interview, questionnaire survey and second hand data analyzing were used as the methods. The resultsshowed: Persons with different ages had different ideas, and young peasants would like to work in townsor cities for more income, so they used and depended on land less; In terms of sex, the male was still themain user of land, and therefore the ability, idea and activity of male played an important role in landmanagement; Generally, the labors with better educational background grasped more knowledge andtechnologies, and they had more opportunity to get jobs and had better working condition and moreincome in town or cities, so they depended on and used land less.

Willingness of Farmer Households for Forest Management and Its Impact Factor Analysis after Collective Forest Tenure Reform

The study was conducted in Mangling Village under Dehong Perfecture, Yunnan Province, for thorough investigation of forest tenure structure, management mode and forestland transfer of collective forests as well as of farmers' preference for management and transfer intention. The impact factors of management orientation of farmer households were analyzed with Logistic Model. The results showed that tenure structure and management modes of collective forest have been diversified after the collective forest tenure reform, and 87.5% of farmer households preferred to independent or joint management while 12.5% of them would rather to transfer their forestland. The choice of farmer household for management mode was mainly influenced by their education background, production skill, household labors and household income sources. The main factors influencing farmer households' forestland transfer activities include the proportion of forestry revenues to the total revenues, farmers' experiences, amount of household labor and forest land area.