Nature Reserve and Ecotourism Development in China’s Wuzhishan Mountain Region

As the protected areas of land and coastal environment, nature reserves are designed to address how to reconcile the con- servation of biodiversity, the quest for economic and social de- velopment and the maintenance of cultural values. This paper establishes a framework for nature reserve development that seeks to incorporate ecotourism into its strategies. The overall purpose was to identify the information needs required for a comprehen- sive nature reserve that incorporates ecotourism related values. It also illustrates the utility of this framework in the context of the Wuzhishan Mountain Region of China. A literature review, the first phase of a visionary strategy and a subsequent gap analysis for available management information were undertaken in order to achieve this paper’s purpose. Finally, recommendations are pre- sented for integrating ecotourism into nature reserve development in the Wuzhishan Mountain Region     

Reflections on the Connotations of Ecotourism

As the most desirable option for sustainable development of tourism industry, ecotourism still suffers from lack of a clear-cut and widely accepted definition, posing many risks and threats in its practices. Based on collection and collation of various concepts and explanations of ecotourism both at home and abroad, this paper reflects on the current connotations of ecotourism in terms of four aspects, namely, objects of ecotourism, ecotourists, nature of ecotourism as well as the relationship between ecotourism and communities. In-depth analysis was performed in an effort to revise the misinterpretation of ecotourism and provide implications for ecotourism initiatives. The main conclusions and fruits of this article include： 1） The objects of eeotourism should go beyond natural, pristine, or even only primitive natural areas to including cultural resources together with their natural context which also deserve preservation. 2） Tourism operators, compared to tourists, have more leverage and hence should shoulder more responsibilities for conservation. 3） Ecotourism should serve as a principle to guide tourism initiatives towards sustainability, rather than merely a special tour package. 4） The theoretic foundation was laid for community participation in ecotourism.     

Coincidence and Upgrade： A Typical Case Study of Rural Ecotourism Development

At present, internal rural tourism is at the stage of upgrading and renewing, and ecotourism has been considered to be the main direction. This paper discussed the concepts and criteria of rural tourism and ecotourism, analyzed a typical case of Nongke Village of Chengdu City-being considered to be the first rural tourism site in China, went deep into the problems of the contents and criteria of the development of rural ecotourism, and tried to probe into the principles of the development of rural ecotourism both theoretically and practically so as to understand the rules of the development of rural ecotourism .     

Evaluation of ecotourism development in rural regions of China

The current status of ecotourism in rural China was analyzed in this paper.Empirical surveys covering the whole country indicate that ecotourism in rural China has attracted a large number of tourists who,however,didn’t generate revenues that can match the number.Although the environmental quality of those rural ecotourism destinations is high with little negative impacts,several problems have already appeared,suggesting a need to monitor those areas.The current practice of interpretation in most rural ecotourism destinations did not provide environmental education opportunities to the tourists.And local communities need more effective ways to decide on the prospects of local ecotourism development by themselves.Finally,a few recommendations for improving the sustainability of ecotourism destinations were provided.     

Understanding Human Development Potentials and Demands for Greenhouse Gas Emissions:with Empirical Analysis using time series and cross-sectional data

Based on an investigation of the meaning of development, the neo-classical economic approach to development, and the post-welfarist theory of development, this paper proposes a conceptual framework for understanding human development potentials, while undertaking empirical analysis using cross-sectional and time series data on human development. Human development is associated with basic necessities for subsistence, the quality of life, and political and civil rights, in addition to income indicators. Our analysis suggests that the concept of human development potentials has two dimensions: the rights of development and limits to human development. Both are largely ignored in the neoclassical theory of development. However, human development is not unbounded, which approaches to a relatively fixed constant at given economic, technological and institutional conditions. This conceptual understanding is supported by results from the empirical examination of the relationships between demands for carbon emis     

Multi-formal and Information-based Emergency Resource Reserve System in China

Emergency resources are an important basis of effective emergency response. But there are many disadvantages of the Chinese traditional material reserve method in which the resources are separately reserved in different regions and sections according to the kinds of disasters. So there comes the Multi-formal and Information-based Emergency Resource Reserve System （MIERRS） in China. The reserve body and method change from the single into the multiple forms, that is, the main reserve body changes from the single government agency into the organizations combining with the military, enterprise and society, and the reserve method changes from single material reserve into the reserve combining with market reserve, talents and technology reserve, and production capacity reserve. The content of the reserve change from material to information means to develop the Emergency Resource Management Information System realizing real-time control of resource characteristics and relevant reserve information. The MIERRS leads to a reserve system with rapid response and flexible schedule. It provides a convenient platform for resource sharing, thus avoiding duplication and waste, improving the utilization of resources, reducing the reserve loss and optimizing the structure of resource reserve.     

Comprehensive Assessment of Regional Circular Economy Development Based on Efficiency of Resource ＆ Environment A Case Study of Jiangsu Province

In the first, the paper gave a retrospective analysis on the comprehensive assessment of circular economic development. According to the requirement of improving resource ＆ environment efficiency, the paper designed an analytical framework for a comprehensive assessment of regional circular economic growth, which consists of the goal, object and technical line of the comprehensive assessment of regional circular economic development. Given that, the paper discussed the criterion for choosing the assessment index, the approaches of index＇s weighing determination, the means of data standardization, and the reference system of assessment index value and so on. According to the framework of regional circular economic development evaluation, the paper made a comprehensive evaluation of Jiangsu Province＇s circular economic development. The result shows that from temporal change, Jiangsu Province＇s circular economic development had different stages; from the spatial comparison, there is variance among different regions, which could be divided into different types according to the spatial variance and the relation between the development of circular economy and the aggregative index number. There was a remarkable correlation between circular economic development level and GDP or the 2nd industry GDP. Finally, the ？aper gives some suggestions on how to promote the development of drcular economy in Jiangsu Province.     

A study on aquaculture industry regulations and policies of globally representative states

Aquaculture has a long history,and has achieved rapid development from 1950 to 2010,especially since the 1990s.Nevertheless,aquaculture has also seen a series of problems emerge.Inevitably,aquaculture interacts with the environment and society.Rapid development requires that close attention be paid to potential environmental and social impacts and their prevention or mitigation.The development and management of aquaculture is related closely with a variety of legal and institutional arrangements.Thus,aquaculture raises numerous legal and institutional issues.This paper explores actual legal and institutional practices of global representative aquaculture countries and provides a comprehensive account of the legislation and policies of different countries.Further,this paper reveals that the optimal legal framework for aquaculture is in line with related international regulations(especially the soft laws)and strictly operational,and the corresponding policy framework should establish early access and warning,as well as post assessment and feedback mechanisms.     

The road map for green development of Western China

China has made some remarkable achievements in sustainable development,but the constant deterioration of the overall trend of the environment has not yet been effectively curbed.To achieve the goal of sustainable development,we must first ensure coordination and coherence of national development goals in different areas and adhere to green development road.To achieve the objectives related to green development,and to clarify the direction of green development in the next 20years,a road map is needed to guide and coordinate the process.This paper describes the concept of the green development road map,introduces a green development road map for the western region,and further elaborates it The road map clarifies the objectives and guiding principles of green development in the western region,points the areas that deserve more concern and institutional innovation,and builds a green development monitoring and evaluation(M&E)framework.Finally,the paper provides corresponding policy recommendations based on the established road map.     

Regional Research Capacity -Building inSustainability Science:Facts, Gaps, and Futures in Northeast Asia

Evidence shows that some conceptual ideas relevant to both local and global sustainability have been adopted in some official documents in northeast Asian nations, particularly China, South Korea, and Japan. This seems to be a very positive signal for the future development of sustainability science in this region. However,studyes show that there are still some major gaps there. One is the problem of how to build up the regional research capacity of sustainability science among northeast Asian research institutes across different disciplines as well as different political systems. Another is how to shift the conceptual frameworks of sustainability science into the operational policy frameworks. There are four major obstacles to the enhancement of regional research capacity-building in sustainability science. In order to build up the regional research capacity in sustainability science and to realize both local and global goals of the sustainable development in northeast Asia, this paper proposes some ba     

Nature Reserve and Ecotourism Development in China's Wuzhishan Mountain Region

Abstract

As the protected areas of land and coastal environment, nature reserves are designed to address how to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity, the quest for economic and social development and the maintenance of cultural values. This paper establishes a framework for nature reserve development that seeks to incorporate ecotourism into its strategies. The overall purpose was to identify the information needs required for a comprehensive nature reserve that incorporates ecotourism related values. It also illustrates the utility of this framework in the context of the Wuzhishan Mountain Region of China. A literature review, the first phase of a visionary strategy and a subsequent gap analysis for available management information were undertaken in order to achieve this paper's purpose. Finally, recommendations are presented for integrating ecotourism into nature reserve development in the Wuzhishan Mountain Region.     

浙北山区土地利用与生态保护的冲突与协调机制研究冲突与协调机制研究——以天目山自然保护区为例

如何既注重生态环境的保护又满足区域经济、社会发展对土地利用的要求，成为当前我国不少地区土地利用中的一个重大课题。位于太湖流域和钱塘江流域源头的浙北天目山区，在土地利用与生态保护之间存在着多种矛盾。通过对浙北天目山地区生态保护与其他土地利用冲突及其协调的机理分析，试图寻找太湖流域上游山区生态保护与土地利用相协调的可选途径，探索自然保护区有效管护与当地经济发展、农民增收相结合的良性发展机制，并提出解决这些冲突的办法：修正保护目标，调整保护政策；建立合理的补偿机制；在不同的功能区施行不同的土地政策；把生态旅游作为解决土地利用冲突的突破口；探索社区共管模式，力争在扩大社区参与的前提下，实现保护区资源的可持续利用。     

天目山保护区有效管理的成就和展望

天目山国家级保护区加入世界生物圈保护区网络已经10年,为了更好地保护其生物多样性和文化多样性,并可持续地利用好该保护区的自然资源,需适应客观形势发展的要求,把天目山国家级保护区建成为名副其实的生物圈保护区。采用现场实地考察、社区居民访谈、保护区管理者和政府人员座谈、历史资料查询等方法,了解到天目山保护区在自然资源保护、科研监测、教育培训、资源持续利用和生态旅游等方面取得了不少的成绩,但也存在诸如保护区面积尚欠不够、毛竹林资源能否合理利用和柳杉林的衰亡与病虫害的防治等问题。按照生物圈保护区的管理理念并参照以上的调查和思考,提出下列3条建议：一是扩大保护区的面积,二是建立一个完善的保护区共管机制,三是建立学术顾问委员会协助推动保护区各方面的工作。     

生态旅游本土化问题研究

如何在接受西方生态旅游新观念的同时；又保持自己的本土特色,是值得我们认真关注的一个课题。生态价值观是人类如何看待同自然关系的一种整体意识，中西方生态价值观在历史进程中表现出相异的特点：西方主张人地分立．中国力求“天人合一”，但这一特点在当代又有所变异.受此影响，西方生态旅游资源强调其自然属性．而中国则以自然和人文融合的旅游资源为基础。因此．西方生态旅游市场呈现出一元特征，而中国则必须同时考虑市场的消费和培育双重功能,构造高端和大众二元结构的市场。大众生态旅游是现阶段朝向西方式严格生态旅游的一个有益过渡.注重本土化色彩的生态旅游认证体系的推行，生态旅游区的建设，以及生态旅游产品的开发是发展中国生态旅游的当务之急.     

Combining Conservation and Development on Private Lands: Lessons from Costa Rica

Privately owned parks continue to attract interest across the tropics for their ability to blend biodiversity protection with sustainable development. Despite rapid proliferation of these privately owned protected areas, the conservation community knows little about them. We interviewed owners of 68 private parks in Costa Rica to learn more about their contribution to that country's national conservation effort. Key findings include: (1) the total number of private reserves is estimated to be in the vicinity of 250; (2) reserves fell into a wide variety of categories, ranging from formal parks and ecotourism reserves to biological stations and hybrid reserves; (3) total nationwide coverage is approximately 63,832 ha, or 1.2% of the national territory; (4) reserves were protecting ecologically important habitat, particularly primary rain forest; (5) reserves were owned mostly by Costa Ricans; (6) reserves were used for a wide variety of activities, especially ecotourism and for the owners' personal enjoyment; (7) reserve owners' biggest problem was poaching of mammals; (8) reserves were protecting key corridor and buffer zone areas between and around larger national parks. Results from this study should help enhance our understanding of this little-known conservation and development tool. They should be of interest wherever biodiversity remains threatened and wherever new conservation and development partners are being sought - which includes most of the developing world.     

Perceived Impacts of Ecotourism on Environmental Learning and Conservation: Turtle Watching as a Case Study

Using a case study, involving turtle-based ecotourism, we explore the role of ecotourism in promoting environmental learning and in sustaining conservation of nature. Mon Repos Conservation Park (an important marine turtle rookery involved in ecotourism) in Queensland, Australia, was selected for this study and visitors were surveyed using a structured questionnaire. The reported on-site experiences of respondents are analysed to identify important factors that alter their stated conservation attitudes and behaviours. The impact of these factors (such as the amount of environmental education that respondents claimed they obtained, sighting of sea turtles, nationality) is quantified using regression analyses. There has been little previous quantification of such influences. The study reveals that a considerable amount of environmental knowledge is gained by visitors to Mon Repos. The ecotourism experience, involving environmental education and seeing of turtles, was found to have positive and statistically significant impacts on the visitors' stated desire and intended behaviour to protect sea turtles. The study reveals the importance of learning and the interaction of tourists with wildlife as a contributor to their pro-conservation sentiments and actions. It shows how ecotourism can support nature conservation. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

An assessment of the attitudes of the inhabitants of Northern Karpathos, Greece: towards a framework for ecotourism development in environmentally sensitive areas

This paper is a case study that sets out to explore the extent to which the local residents of the region of Northern Karpathos and Saria in the southeast corner of the Aegean have positive attitudes and perceptions towards ecotourism ventures for sustainable development. The area is included in the European Ecological Network Natura 2000 and was chosen for studying since it constitutes an ideal location for the promotion of soft and alternative forms of tourism. The investigation of the attitudes of the inhabitants of the Community of Olympos, in Northern Karpathos was carried out using as research tool a questionnaire that was drawn up specifically for the needs of the present work. The attempt to provide a systematic way of studying the inhabitants’ attitudes led to the proposition of a framework that contains the necessary conditions for sustainable ecotourism development. This is based on three fundamental factors, namely: (a) environmental conservation, (b) environmental education and (c) empowerment of local community. The main conclusion drawn was that the perceptions of the local people accord with the basic principles of ecotourism. Residents (a) showed a high degree of awareness and sensitivity regarding environmental conservation issues in the area, (b) recognised the need for environmental education concerning ecotourism activities and (c) had a favourable attitude towards the implementation of initiatives in the ecotourism field aimed at their empowerment and at promoting sustainable development in the area. The participants’ place of permanent residence and level of education appeared to influence significantly their perceptions of this alternative form of tourism.     

Household costs and benefits of biodiversity conservation: case study of Sichuan giant panda reserves in China

Households in communities in and around nature reserves are important stakeholders in biodiversity conservation; they are the focus of the conflict between ecological protection and community development. This study surveyed 927 households in 16 giant panda reserves in Sichuan Province, China, to calculate the costs and benefits to households of biodiversity conservation, and the differences for those inside and outside reserves. A multilevel regression model was used to measure the factors influencing the costs and benefits. There are three main findings. First, the direct economic cost for average biodiversity conservation for households inside reserves (1166.83 yuan/year) is significantly higher at the 1% level than for those outside (578.27 yuan/year), while the direct economic benefit for average biodiversity conservation to households living inside reserves (3881.94 yuan/year) is not statistically different than those outside (3653.47 yuan/year). Second, the influence of biodiversity conservation on households is significantly different depending on whether they live inside or outside the reserve, regarding employment opportunities, ties with the outside world, infrastructure, and the community environment. There is also a significant difference between those inside and those outside in perceptions with regard to restrictions in the collection of wild plants and destruction of traditional culture by biodiversity conservation. Third, the factors that affect the costs for and benefits to households of biodiversity conservation include, at the household level, the head of household’s education level, village cadres, number of migrant workers, distance from the town market, reserve-based employment, development projects, and ecotourism management participation, and, at the reserve level, establishment time, level of reserve, protective effect, and location.     

生态旅游区环境变化与可持续旅游发展——以张家界为例

生态旅游区在扩大接待能力，增加旅游注入的同时，不可避免地破坏了景区生态环境。既要接持更多的过夜游客，增加旅游收入，又要使旅游区生态系统维持在安全的水平上，开发建设规模多大为宜，这是许多生态旅游区亟待解决的问题。本文提出了基于环境脆弱因子的建设规模容限值计量模型，并在典型的生态旅游区张家界进行了验证。通过计算得出了在不同的建设规模条件下，张家界景区最为脆弱的环境因子-总磷含量的变化状态。实证研究表明，宾馆规模容限值模型是分析生态旅游区环境变化可持续发展的有效工具。