Multi-scales Analysis of Driving Forces on Land Use/Cover Change in China:Taking Farmland Returning to Forest or Grassland as a Case

Increasing populations are causing an increase in food demands, and the area of cultivated land expands every year. Inappropriate land transition from ecology to production results in the constant decline of the ecological security level and influences the regional sustainable development. Adjusting unreasonable land use mode and reconstructing natural land cover are important ways to maintain and improve the ecological environment. Also reclaiming farmland as areas for forests and grasslands (FRFG) is another way. Successful implementation of FRFG in China is the result of comprehensive effect of the multi-scales driving forces. This paper analyses the driving forces of FRFG in China on a national (country) –regional (province) – local (county) – household (farmer) level scale, and the results are: driving forces at the national scale include ecological and food security and the western development of China; at the regional scale, ecological and economic benefits become the main factors to influence the dimension of FRFG under the same policy. The driving forces can be divided into 6 types: industrial structure adjustment, water source protection, flood prevention, the Three-Gorge Project protection, reduction of the amount of sediment flowing into the Yellow River and wind erosion desertification prevention. The driving forces at the local scale can be divided into 12 types with developing leading industries, increasing farmers’ income and improving agricultural production conditions as the main types; at the household scale, the nationalpolicy meeting farmers’ demands and the optimization of individual interests are all driving forces.

Tree Productivity and Water Potential Productivity in Returning Farmland to Forest Project in Datong County, Qinghai Province

From 2002 to 2003, based on the investigation of sample plots and stem analysis of remained plantation communities in the areas of returning farmland to forest in the 1980s in Datong County, Qinghai Province, this paper studies tree productivity and moisture potential productivity of six types of plantations on the land of returning farmland to forest, such as green poplar (Populus cathayana Rehd.) and shrub mixed forest, Asia white birch (Betula platyphylla) and China spruce (Picea asperata) mixed forest, Dahurian larch (Larix gmelinii) pure forest, China spruce pure forest and Asia white birch pure forest and so on. The results show that: in sub-humid region of Loess Plateau, 3 000 trees per hm2 is a proper standard of planting density. Under current condition, the productivity index of green poplar and shrub mixed forest, Asia white birch pure forest, China spruce pure forest, and Asia white birch and China spruce mixed forest with the density of 2 1003 333 trees per hm2 can serve as potential productivity standard of actual biomass of arbor established forest. In sub-humid area, Thornthwaite Model is adopted to estimate plant climate potential productivity, which is about 8 462 kghm2穉1. The actual potential water productive efficiency of Purplecone spruce (Picea purpurea) and Asia white birch pure established forest are 17.22 and 22.14 kgmm1hm2穉1 respectively, and that of green poplar and shrub mixed established forest, and Asia white birch and China spruce mixed established forest are 21.14 and 19.09 kgmm1hm2穉1 respectively. The potential productivity of green poplar and shrub mixed forest, Asia white birch and China spruce mixed forest, China spruce pure forest and Asia white birch pure forest which have grown into forest with the density of 3 000 trees per hm2 have attained or been close to that of local climax community, which is local maximum tree productivity at present. These types of forestation models are the developing direction of the returning farmland to forest project.

Returning Farmland to Forest, Forest Management and Permanent Forest : Thinking on High-quality Development of Returning Farmland to Forest

In the first round of returning farmland to forest,many places in Hubei Province have vigorously developed ecological forests dominated by pine,fir and cypress,to improve the fragile ecological situation as soon as possible.At present,this kind of ecological forests are facing the dilemma of more pure forests,higher density and less management,with worse economic benefits.To realize high-quality development of these stands,it is necessary to carry out forest management guided by the close-to-nature concept.These stands will be transformed into permanent forests with multi tree species,multi age classes,multi levels and continuous coverage,to realize organic unity of economic,ecological and social benefits.

Effects of Different Modes of Returning Farmland to Forest on Physicochemical Properties of Soil in Bashang Area of Northern Hebei Province

[Objective]The research aimed to understand the change rules of physicochemical properties of soil in the different modes of returning farmland to forest.[Method]The physicochemical properties of soil in three different types of returning farmland to forest(Hippophae rhamnoides Linn.forest,Caragana korshinskii forest and Ulmus pumila L.forest)were analyzed by taking the enclosed grassland as comparison in Bashang area of northern Hebei Province.[Result]The results showed that there were significant differences among different types.Order of the bulk density of soil:H.rhamnoides Linn.forest(1.17 g/cm^3)<U.pumila L.forest(1.24 g/cm^3)<C.korshinskii forest(1.26 g/cm^3)<enclosed grassland(1.61 g/cm^3);order of the total porosity of soil:H.rhamnoides Linn.forest(55.29%)>U.pumila L.forest(52.55%)>C.korshinskii forest(51.93%)<enclosed grassland(38.85%);order of the organic matter content of soil:H.rhamnoides Linn.forest(3.191%)>C.korshinskii forest(3.128%)>U.pumila L.forest(2.804%)>enclosed grassland(2.536%).[Conclusion]After returning farmland to forest,vegetation played a positive role in physicochemical properties of soil.There were significant differences in physicochemical properties of soil among different modes of returning farmland to forest,and the improvement effect of H.rhamnoides Linn.forest on physicochemical properties of soil was the best.

Estimation of Relative Ecological Value of Returning Farmland to Forest & Mountain Enclosure for Grazing Prohibition——A case study in Yongxing Township of Jingyuan County,Gansu Province

[Objective]Returning farmland to forest and mountain enclosure for grazing prohibition ecological effect and economy rationality were explored.[Methods]A case study of returning farmland to forest and barren hills grazing prohibition in Yongxing Township of Jingyuan County was used to discuss and estimate the relative ecological function and relative ecological value.[Results]1）The ecological value of the forest of returning farmland was far more than the sum of the ecological value of farm crops and the agricultural output,and also more than the national subsidy standard.So the state policy of returning farmland to forests is not only favorable to local eco-environment restoration,but also reasonable in economic development.2）The ecological value of mountain enclosure for grazing prohibition was less than the opportunity cost of prohibiting grazing,also less than the national subsidy standard.The sum of the relative ecological value of prohibiting grazing and the state subsidies was more than the opportunity cost of prohibiting grazing.However,the ecological value of new vegetation through returning farmland to forest project was greater than the China＇s average ecological value of grassland.[Conclusion]The relative ecological value can be used to solve the problems in the equivalent conversion among various ecological indexes and between ecological indexes and economic indexes.

Assessing the relative role of climate and human activities on vegetation cover changes in the up-down stream of Danjiangkou,China

Danjiangkou Reservoir is water source of Middle Route Project of the South-to-North Water Diversion(SNWD)Project,research on the dynamic changes in vegetation cover and its influencing factors is of great significance for understanding the ecological environment of the water diversion area and formulating protection measures.In this study,the normalized difference in vegetation index(NDVI)was used to analyze the dynamic changes and influencing factors of vegetation in the upstream and downstream of Danjiangkou Dam from 1982 to 2018.The results showed that the NDVI exhibited an upward trend of 0.017 year−1(P<0.05),and that the significantly increased area was located near the valley upstream of the dam,while the significantly decreased area was mainly distributed in the basin downstream of the dam and around the central city.The comprehensive contributions of climate and human activity factors to NDVI changes were 92.03%and 7.97%,respectively.The human activities in the upstream of the dam were mainly reflected in the ecological measures such as returning farmland to forest;the human activities at the downstream of the dam were mainly reflected in urban expansion,occupation of cultivated land and forest land by construction land.