Ecosystem service assessment in conservation policy

1. OuyangZhiyun State Key Lab of Urban and Regional Ecology Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences Chinese Academy of Sciences Ecosystem service assessment in conservation policy

2. Ecological challenges in China Ecosystem service spatial pattern of China Ecological conservation and restoration Ecosystem services in conservation policy Ecosystem service assessment Contents

3. Ecological challenges in China’s Ecosystem service assessment

4. Highly diverse physical environment Ecological challenges in China Average Temperature China Topography Annual average temperature ranges from -5~26 0C Average Rainfall Annual average rainfall ranges from 25~4000 mm

5. Ecological challenges in China China: huge population pressure & urbanization Millions Urbanization

6. Ecological challenges in China China: fast growing economy In 2010, China GDP 5745.1billion$, Billion $ USA14624.2B$ China Japan Germany France Britain Italy Canada

7. Environmental challenges in China Poverty population and distribution • 592 counties • 225 million people

8. Main ecological problems in China Ecological challenges in China • Water resource shortage and water pollution • Forest ecosystem degradation and eco-service declined • Soil erosion • Land rocky desertification • Grassland degradation and desertification, sandstorm • Wetland degradation • Wildlife habitat lost and biodiversity threatened • Natural disasters • Vicious-circle of ecosystem degradation and poverty

9. To meet the challenges from huge population pressure, fast urbanization, and ecological crisis in China, decision makers keep asking two questions: Where we must protect , and why? Where we can use for development ? Ecosystem service spatial pattern Ecosystem service spatial pattern assessment

10. Spatial patterns of ecosystem servicesof China

11. Ecosystem service spatial pattern Purposes of ecosystem service spatial pattern of assessment • Identify the critical ecosystems for national or regional ecological security • Identify conservation objectives and goals • Provide ecological dimension for regional development What and where must be protected

12. Ecosystem service spatial pattern China forests China grassland China forests China wetland

13. Ecosystem service spatial pattern Chinaecosystem services mapping • Biodiversity conservation • Water resource conservation • Soil conservation • Wind erosion control and sandstorm prevention • Flooding mitigation

14. Ecosystem service spatial pattern Important area for biodiversity conservation Endangered and threaded plants Endangered and threaded birds Areas with high importance for biodiversity conservation,1.76x106 km2, 18% of total China. Endangered and threaded repitles Endangered and threaded mammals

15. Ecosystem service spatial pattern

16. Ecosystem function zones in China • Combining spatial pattern of ecosystem service and spatial pattern ecological sensitivity, the ecosystem function zones of China were formatted. • The areas with important ecosystem services • The areas for food and timber production • The areas for urbanization

17. Ecosystem function zones in China Ecological function zones in China • Ecological supporting • Food and timber provision • Urbanization

18. Ecosystem function zones in China Ecosystem function zones

19. Ecological conservation and restoration in China

20. Ecological conservation • Reforestation • Soil erosion control • Combating sand/rock desertification • Watershed integrated management • Water resource protection • Biodiversity conservation-nature reserves • Nature forest conservation • Return slope cropland to forests • Degraded ecosystem restoration and management • Ecological public benefit forest compensation

21. China has set up 2513 nature reserves. Total area 152 million km2, about 15.2% land under protection of nature reserves. 90% of the endangered plants and animals protected in nature reserves Nature reserve network

22. From 1998, China launched nature forest conservation program The budgets were 96.2 billion RMB during 2000-2010 11 million ha forests have been protected under this program Nature forest conservation program

23. From 1999, China launched Returning slope cropland to forest/grassland program The budgets were 220 billion RMB during 2000-2010 Nine million ha of slope cropland were reforested Returning slope cropland to forest/grassland Program

24. Sanjiangyuan Karst regions Talimu river Sandstorm originate area Three-northern windbreak forest engineering Coastal windbreak forest engineering Tibetan Heihe river Ecosystem management programs

25. Ecosystem services in conservation policy

26. Identify Ecosystem function conservation areas Ecological function conservation areas • Ecosystem function conservation areas. • Biodiversity conservation • Water resource conservation • Soil conservation • Wind erosion control and sandstorm prevention • Flooding mitigation

27. National regional development strategy • 2011, China Council issued “Master function zone planning” • Four types of regions • Optimal Development Region • Prioritized Development Region • Constrained Development Region • Forbidden Development Region

28. Constrained development regions National regional development strategy • 水源涵养功能区 • water resource conservation • 水土保持功能区 • soil conservation • 防风固沙功能区 • sandstorm prevention • 生物多样性维护功能区 • biodiversity conservation National key ecosystem function areas

29. National regional development strategy Forbidden Development Region: Natural reserve, forest parks, world natural and cultural heritage

30. From 2008, center government launched ecological financial transfer based on ecosystem function conservation areas to guarantee the eco-service supply sustainably The counties located at ecosystem function conservation areas got paid. Ecological financial transfer

31. Ecological compensation • Ecological public benefit forest compensation • Nature reserve compensation (some provinces) • Water resource conservation forest compensation (some province)

32. All provinces have finished ecosystem function zones, and identified local ecosystem function conservation areas. Ecosystem service spatial patterns were the basis for urban master planning and regional land use planning in many cities, as Beijing, Guangzhou Local planning Beijing spatial development planning Beijing land use planning Guangzhou spatial planning

33. Ecosystem function conservation areas Conclusion • Ecosystem function conservation area identification and policy application are playing an active role in environmental protection in China. • The idea is increasingly applied in regional and urban planning, and river basin management. • The study showed that ecosystem service assessment is not only a bridge linking nature and society, but also a powerful instrument to help us coordinating environment and development. Thanks for your attention