Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 57-67 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Ecological Economics |
| Volume | 156 |
| Early online date | 13 Sept 2018 |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 2019 |
Abstract
Rubber farming expansion in Xishuangbanna, in the Upper Mekong region of Southwest China, has resulted in profound land use change and led to the severe degradation of the local environment. This study explores the dynamics of land use change as a result of the rubber boom, examines the factors influencing the heterogeneity in farmers' land allocations for rubber farming, and assesses the implications of this change for the local environment in terms of carbon balances. The analyses use a comprehensive household survey data set of 612 smallholder rubber farmers in Xishuangbanna. The historical data illustrate the trajectory of rubber expansion and land use change over the past three decades. The model of smallholder land allocation for rubber farming suggests its determinants include ethnicity, experience in rubber farming, household wealth, elevation, and several explanatory variables at the village level. A net loss in carbon stocks at the aggregate level was found due to the expansion of rubber plantations. The rubber farming expansion of smallholders outside the natural reserves in Xishuangbanna has led to a carbon loss of approximately 21 Mg/ha/year over the past three decades. The findings complement discussions on the future of the rubber-based land use system and its sustainability in Xishuangbanna and other rubber-growing areas in the Mekong region.
Keywords
- Carbon sequestration, Land use change, Rubber farming, Xishuangbanna
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Science(all)
- General Environmental Science
- Economics, Econometrics and Finance(all)
- Economics and Econometrics
Sustainable Development Goals
Cite this
- Standard
- Harvard
- Apa
- Vancouver
- BibTeX
- RIS
In: Ecological Economics, Vol. 156, 02.2019, p. 57-67.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Rubber Boom, Land Use Change and the Implications for Carbon Balances in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China
AU - Min, Shi
AU - Huang, Jikun
AU - Waibel, Hermann
AU - Yang, Xueqing
AU - Cadisch, Georg
N1 - Funding information: This study has been conducted within the framework of the Sino-German “SURUMER Project”, funded by the Bundesministerium für Wissenschaft und Forschung (BMBF), FKZ: 01LL0919 . We also acknowledge funding support from the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation ( 2017M620536 ) and National Natural Science Foundation of China ( 71761137002 ; 71742002 ; 71673008 ).
PY - 2019/2
Y1 - 2019/2
N2 - Rubber farming expansion in Xishuangbanna, in the Upper Mekong region of Southwest China, has resulted in profound land use change and led to the severe degradation of the local environment. This study explores the dynamics of land use change as a result of the rubber boom, examines the factors influencing the heterogeneity in farmers' land allocations for rubber farming, and assesses the implications of this change for the local environment in terms of carbon balances. The analyses use a comprehensive household survey data set of 612 smallholder rubber farmers in Xishuangbanna. The historical data illustrate the trajectory of rubber expansion and land use change over the past three decades. The model of smallholder land allocation for rubber farming suggests its determinants include ethnicity, experience in rubber farming, household wealth, elevation, and several explanatory variables at the village level. A net loss in carbon stocks at the aggregate level was found due to the expansion of rubber plantations. The rubber farming expansion of smallholders outside the natural reserves in Xishuangbanna has led to a carbon loss of approximately 21 Mg/ha/year over the past three decades. The findings complement discussions on the future of the rubber-based land use system and its sustainability in Xishuangbanna and other rubber-growing areas in the Mekong region.
AB - Rubber farming expansion in Xishuangbanna, in the Upper Mekong region of Southwest China, has resulted in profound land use change and led to the severe degradation of the local environment. This study explores the dynamics of land use change as a result of the rubber boom, examines the factors influencing the heterogeneity in farmers' land allocations for rubber farming, and assesses the implications of this change for the local environment in terms of carbon balances. The analyses use a comprehensive household survey data set of 612 smallholder rubber farmers in Xishuangbanna. The historical data illustrate the trajectory of rubber expansion and land use change over the past three decades. The model of smallholder land allocation for rubber farming suggests its determinants include ethnicity, experience in rubber farming, household wealth, elevation, and several explanatory variables at the village level. A net loss in carbon stocks at the aggregate level was found due to the expansion of rubber plantations. The rubber farming expansion of smallholders outside the natural reserves in Xishuangbanna has led to a carbon loss of approximately 21 Mg/ha/year over the past three decades. The findings complement discussions on the future of the rubber-based land use system and its sustainability in Xishuangbanna and other rubber-growing areas in the Mekong region.
KW - Carbon sequestration
KW - Land use change
KW - Rubber farming
KW - Xishuangbanna
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85053190542&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2018.09.009
DO - 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2018.09.009
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85053190542
VL - 156
SP - 57
EP - 67
JO - Ecological Economics
JF - Ecological Economics
SN - 0921-8009
ER -