Evaluation on Environmental Resource Value of Artificial Seabuckthorn Forest in Sandstone Area during 1999-2008

Jianzhong Hu

China National Administration Center for Seabuckthorn Development, Beijing, China.

DOI: 10.4236/ajps.2013.412286                

Abstract

China Seabuckthorn Ecological Project has been implemented for a decade (from 1999 to 2008) with an increasing seabuckthorn area of 1642.83 km² in the Sandstone Areas of Shanxi, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia—the most serious soil erosion area in China. The vast artificial seabuckthorn forest’s value in environmental resource is assessed via 7 indicators on first-level, 15 indicators on secondary level and 35 indicators on third level in this research. As of 2008, the seabuckthorn environmental resource value is 10.017 billion RMB Yuan, which equals to 37.1 times of the project’s total investment of 0.27 billion RMB Yuan. It is proposed in this research that the external economical values such as soil and water conservation, windbreak and sand-fixation can be realized through relative national policies and taxes. Carbon-fixation and oxygen-producing value can be achieved through the international carbon trade.

Keywords

Seabuckthorn; Ecological Project; Environmental Resource Value; Evaluation; Sandstone Areas; China

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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