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Investigation of a traditional reed economy (Phragmites australis) under threat: pulp and paper market, values and Netchain at Wuliangsuhai Lake, Inner Mongolia, China

Wetlands Ecology and Management volume 24, pages 357–371 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

Common Reed (Phragmites australis) is a wetland plant which is distributed worldwide, has a high biomass production, and provides important ecosystem services. In many developing and emerging countries it is an easily available and cheap raw material for diverse utilization, which may contribute significantly to employment and income generation for the local population. This case study investigates the reed utilization for pulp and paper production at the eutrophic Wuliangsuhai Lake, Inner Mongolia, China. We analysed the fluxes of materials and money along the supply chain (reed harvesting, processing and supply to final users, i.e. paper mills) as well as the division of work and costs at each production layer (network), based on the Netchain theory. The results make evident the importance of the paper industry and reed harvesting for local livelihood. They further reveal that the reed economy at Wuliangsuhai Lake is threatened by rising environmental standards for paper mills, change of market conditions and dependency on only two customers. Increasing revenues by finding new consumers or/and products, come to long-term contracts and improving harvesting efficiency are presented as ways to convert these threats into new opportunities.

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Fig. 1

Notes

  1. 10 CNY ≈ 1.4 € or 1.6 $ in 2015.

  2. Inflation adjusted from February 2004 to February 2011 according the consumer price index in China reported in OECD (2014).

  3. A social insurance system was established in 1997 (OECD 2005).

  4. Inflation adjusted from February 2004 to February 2011 according the consumer price index in China reported in OECD (2014).

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Kurt Eberhard Bode Foundation within the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft for funding the Project “Sustainable Water Management and Wetland Restoration in Settlements of Continental-Arid Central Asia” (SuWaRest) within which this study was carried out. We also would like to thank Fernando Andreu for carefully reviewing the English and giving many helpful comments to improve the paper. Bai Chunying, from Inner Mongolia Agricultural University made the fieldwork successful by providing translation from Chinese as well as Mongolian into English.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Land Use, Klasmann-Deilmann GmbH, Georg-Klasmann-Str. 2-10, 49744, Geeste, Lower-Saxony, Germany

    J. F. Köbbing

  2. World Agroforestry Center, Central Asia Branch Office, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

    N. Thevs

  3. Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Universitätsplatz 5/Piazza Università 5, 39100, Bozen-Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy

    S. Zerbe

  4. Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University of Greifswald, Soldmannstraße 15, 17487, Greifswald, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, Germany

    V. Beckmann & H. Peng

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  1. J. F. Köbbing
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Correspondence to J. F. Köbbing.

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Köbbing, J.F., Beckmann, V., Thevs, N. et al. Investigation of a traditional reed economy (Phragmites australis) under threat: pulp and paper market, values and Netchain at Wuliangsuhai Lake, Inner Mongolia, China. Wetlands Ecol Manage 24, 357–371 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-015-9461-z

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Keywords

  • Wetland
  • Renewable energy
  • Application
  • Utilisation
  • Cellulose

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