protecting hina’s cbiodiversity a Guide to Land Use, Land Tenure & Land Protection Tools Megan Kram, Charles Bedford, Matthew Durnin, Yongmei Luo, Karlis Rokpelnis, Benjamin Roth, Nancy Smith, Yue Wang, Guangzhi Yu, Qian Yu, and Xingmin Zhao The Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. The Conservancy works in all 50 states and more than 30 countries. Worldwide Office The Nature Conservancy 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100 Arlington, VA 22203-1606 Beijing Representative Office The Nature Conservancy B4–2 Qijiayuan Diplomatic Compound No. 9 Jianwai Dajie, Chaoyang District Beijing 100600 People's Republic of China Kram, M., Bedford, C., Durnin, M., Luo, Y., Rokpelnis, K., Roth, B., Smith, N., Wang, Y., Yu, G., Yu, Q., and Zhao, X. (2012). Protecting China's Biodiversity: A Guide to Land Use, Land Tenure, and Land Protection Tools. (N. Smith, Ed.) Beijing: The Nature Conservancy. © 2012 by The Nature Conservancy Design by Propeller; Chicago, IL Cover photo by Scott Warren. Upper Yangtze River, northwestern Yunnan Province. ISBN 978–0–9849792–0–2 CHINA OVERVIEW MAP Contents Introduction ..............................................................................................................................................i Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................iii Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................xi Authors’ Note .................................................................................................................................... xxi Forward ..............................................................................................................................................xxii PART 1: LAY OF THE LAND ...................................................................................................1 I. Biodiversity ...........................................................................................................................................2 A. Species Diversity ...........................................................................................................................2 B. Ecosystem Diversity ..................................................................................................................... 6 1. Grasslands ................................................................................................................................8 2. Forests ...................................................................................................................................... 11 3. Deserts and Salt Flats ..........................................................................................................16 4. Wetlands, Rivers, and Streams ........................................................................................20 5. Glaciers ................................................................................................................................... 24 II. Land Use ............................................................................................................................................25 A. Government Definition ...........................................................................................................26 B. Urbanization ................................................................................................................................29 C. Cultivated Land ...........................................................................................................................35 D. Livestock Grazing ....................................................................................................................... 36 E. Forest Uses ....................................................................................................................................38 1. Afforestation ........................................................................................................................40 2. Timber Harvest and the Timber Ban ............................................................................ 42 3. Harvest of Fuelwood and Non-Timber Forest Products .........................................44 F. Mining & Energy Development ............................................................................................. 47 1. Coal and Other Mining .....................................................................................................48 2. Oil .............................................................................................................................................52 3. Natural Gas ............................................................................................................................53 4. Hydropower ...........................................................................................................................54 5. Wind ....................................................................................................................................... 56 6. Other .......................................................................................................................................57 G. Transportation ............................................................................................................................ 59 1. Road Construction ............................................................................................................. 59 2. Railway Construction ........................................................................................................ 59 PART 2: LAND TENURE .........................................................................................................61 I. Overview .............................................................................................................................................62 II. Legal Framework ......................................................................................................................... 63 III. Administrative Divisions ...................................................................................................... 65 IV. Land Ownership .........................................................................................................................69 V. Tenure Reform ................................................................................................................................71 A. Agricultural Reform .................................................................................................................. 74 i. Past .......................................................................................................................................... 74 ii. Present .....................................................................................................................................75 B. Forest Reform ............................................................................................................................76 i. Past ..........................................................................................................................................76 ii. Present .................................................................................................................................... 77 C. Grassland Reform ......................................................................................................................80 i. Past ..........................................................................................................................................80 ii. Present ....................................................................................................................................80 VI. Decision-Makers .........................................................................................................................83 A. Government ..................................................................................................................................83 B. Collective Land Managers .......................................................................................................88 C. Holders of Use Rights ...............................................................................................................89 VII. Land Use Planning ..................................................................................................................90 A. General Land Use Plans ...........................................................................................................90 1. Priorities .................................................................................................................................91 2. Targets and Maps ................................................................................................................. 93 B. Conservation Plans ....................................................................................................................94 1. Public Benefit Forests ........................................................................................................94 2. Ecological Function Conservation Areas .....................................................................96