China’s Conversion of Cropland to Forest Program for Household Delivery of Ecosystem Services: How Important is a Local Implementation Regime to Survival Rate Outcomes?

Background

In response to catastrophic droughts in the lat 1990s, China launched one of the largest afforestation-based Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) progrms. Much research around this program has focused on the impact on rural welfare. This study, on the other hand, examines the tree survival rates during the “Grain for Green” Program based on socio-economic data of the single households.

Goals & Methods

The goal of this study was to provide quantative data on the environmental dimensions on the "Grain for Green" program in order to estimate future environmental benefits. The researchers conducted 2808 rural household surveys in 2010 across China, which were then  analyzed using an interval regression model to explain household-reported survival rates of trees planted on program-enrolled cropland.

Conclusions & Takeaways

It found that households with pre-existing experience/training in forestry, time spent participating in the program and higher labor availability had higher tree-survival rates. The further the land was from the farm, the lower the tree survival. Inter-cropping seemed to have in some regions a negative correlation with survival as well. Ongoing technical support and training is crucial for success as farms, which had consultations tended to be more successful. Furthermore households that were regularly inspected had higher survival rates as well. Perhaps most importantly, tree survival decreased once the program winds down which suggests the necessity of ongoing payments.