Abstract
Households in communities in and around nature reserves are important stakeholders in biodiversity conservation; they are the focus of the conflict between ecological protection and community development. This study surveyed 927 households in 16 giant panda reserves in Sichuan Province, China, to calculate the costs and benefits to households of biodiversity conservation, and the differences for those inside and outside reserves. A multilevel regression model was used to measure the factors influencing the costs and benefits. There are three main findings. First, the direct economic cost for average biodiversity conservation for households inside reserves (1166.83 yuan/year) is significantly higher at the 1% level than for those outside (578.27 yuan/year), while the direct economic benefit for average biodiversity conservation to households living inside reserves (3881.94 yuan/year) is not statistically different than those outside (3653.47 yuan/year). Second, the influence of biodiversity conservation on households is significantly different depending on whether they live inside or outside the reserve, regarding employment opportunities, ties with the outside world, infrastructure, and the community environment. There is also a significant difference between those inside and those outside in perceptions with regard to restrictions in the collection of wild plants and destruction of traditional culture by biodiversity conservation. Third, the factors that affect the costs for and benefits to households of biodiversity conservation include, at the household level, the head of household’s education level, village cadres, number of migrant workers, distance from the town market, reserve-based employment, development projects, and ecotourism management participation, and, at the reserve level, establishment time, level of reserve, protective effect, and location.
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Notes
A national poverty county is a criterion set by the Chinese government in order to aid poor areas. It is identified by the poverty alleviation and development office of the national council. The number is determined by the “631 index method.” The poor (as a national proportion) accounted for 60% of the weight, low per capita net income of farmers (as a national proportion) accounted for 30%, and low per capita GDP and fiscal revenue accounted for 10%; the latest list was released in March 2012. At present, there are a total of 665 national poverty counties in China.
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Acknowledgements
For their constructive suggestions and help in this research, we are grateful to Professor Gong Peichen from Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Professor Yin Runsheng from Michigan State University. The Natural Science Foundation of China (71373024) supported this research. Any remaining errors are solely our own.
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Ma, B., Zhao, Z., Ding, H. et al. Household costs and benefits of biodiversity conservation: case study of Sichuan giant panda reserves in China. Environ Dev Sustain 20, 1665–1686 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-017-9959-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-017-9959-z