Development of socio-economic and ecological alternatives for sustainable management of mountain secondary forest in tropical China

SUMMARY

By means of socioeconomic and ecological alternatives, a pilot project was conducted in Shanxin village, Cangwu County, Guangxi Province of Southern China. First, a participatory diagnosis of the degree and causes of mountain forest degradation and the current forest management state was carried out. Second, a participatory planning scheme was undertaken, based on the principle of protecting water and soil and alleviating poverty. A guarantee system to reclaim a patch of typical degraded secondary forest was established, planned to be a demonstration sample for promoting local forest sustainable management. Finally, the implementation of the planning scheme was monitored and evaluated. It was found that 80% of the seedlings replanted were dead, meaning the pilot trial had failed. Through further diagnosis and analysis the problem was isolated, and some gaps in the administration process and formulation of the guidelines were identified. In this paper, the lessons learned are documented, and targeted participatory management strategies are suggested for future sustainable development projects in poor mountain areas.

Key words:

• Secondary forest
• sustainable management
• participation
• community involvement
• diagnosis and planning