Ecological and socioeconomic effects of China's policies for ecosystem services

To address devastating environmental crises and to improve human well-being, China has been implementing a number of national policies on payments for ecosystem services. Two of them, the Natural Forest Conservation Program (NFCP) and the Grain to Green Program (GTGP), are among the biggest programs in the world because of their ambitious goals, massive scales, huge payments, and potentially enormous impacts. The NFCP conserves natural forests through logging bans and afforestation with incentives to forest enterprises, whereas the GTGP converts cropland on steep slopes to forest and grassland by providing farmers with grain and cash subsidies. Overall ecological effects are beneficial, and socioeconomic…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Awards: 0709717, 0216450
• NA
  National Aeronautics and Space Administration

  Awards: NNX08AL04G, NNG06GI29G
• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Award: 40621061