Content area
Full Text
Abstract
The non-commercial forest is an important natural resource protecting the environment and contributing to the sustainable development of a nation. Due to its crucial positive external effects, it is inevitable policy that non-commercial forestry should be invested by government, thereby formulates the non-commercial forestry compensation system. This paper first discusses the theoretical basis of non-commercial forestry compensation system and the process of establishment of non-commercial forestry compensation system in China, and then analyzes the deficiency in the current compensation system.
Key words Non-commercial forest; Compensation system; Theoretical basis; Deficiencies
Non-commercial forest refers to an area of woodland that is not exploited commercially, whereas aims to protect and improve the environment for human survival and maintenance of ecological balance and carry out the forest tourism and homeland security. Apart from a few selective felling timber and forest byproducts as direct economic benefits, the non-commercial forest is more valuable in soil and water conservation, windbreak and sand-control and habitants-providing for wild animals and it is also servable for recreation of human beings and protection of ecological and social benefits. Constitution of the People ' s Republic of China, Land Management Law, and Forest Law of the People ' s Republic of China stipulate that the state and collective have the ownership of forestlands. Individuals or other organizations do not have ownership of forestlands, but they can have the right to use forestland. Under these provisions, all forestland belongs to the state. Individuals or other organizations can afforest, manage, and harvest the forest under the authorization of the government. Forests in China can be categorized as follows according to the particular management objectives: protected forest (5 474.63x1 04 hm2), timber forest (7 862.58 x104 hm2), economic forest (2 1 39.00x1 04 hm2), fuelwood forest (303.44x1 04 hm2), and forest for special use (638.02x 104 hm2)(TM). Protected forest and forest for special use belong to the category of noncommercial forests and mainly provide ecological benefits. The other designations represent commercial forests. These forests provide many social and public outputs or services that may best be viewed as serving the primary function of ecosystem services'21. The main purpose of compensation for non-commercial forest is to compensate for the economic losses of managers or owners that might otherwise...