Application of Transferable Development Rights in Cultivated Land Protection in China

To analyze current policies on cultivated land protection, this article discusses the application of transferable development rights in cultivated land protection by examining the connotation, operation mechanism, and construction on the market mechanism, benefits driving forces, and expected benefits. The results suggest that economic incentives and fairness have been neglected in previous policies on cultivated land protection. Moreover, the introduction of transferable development rights can not only eliminate the imbalance of interests, but also enhance the incentives for farmers and developers. In addition, it can significantly reduce the fiscal expenditure of the government.     

Swidden agriculture in a protected area: the Matsigenka native communities of Manu National Park, Peru

In this study, we investigate whether traditional swidden agriculture on nutrient-poor tropical soils can sustainably support a growing indigenous population within Manu National Park, Peru. Based on interviews with 50 Matsigenka farmers, as well as GPS mapping and field visits, we established the location and size of all 124 swidden gardens cultivated in 2000 and 2001. Using a GIS-based soil map of Manu Park, we identify the total extent of potential arable land (1) throughout the park zones currently available for Matsigenka habitation, and (2) within the vicinity of the two study communities. Taking into account current per capita garden size, cultivation and fallow practices, we calculate the maximum human carrying capacity of swidden agriculture for (1) all available park zones and (2) the immediate vicinity of the two current communities. Even given the second, highly limited scenario, the sustainable human carrying capacity is estimated to be 2,138 individuals, which is far higher than the current population of about 420 people. Thus, arable land does not appear to be a limiting factor for the growth of the indigenous population in Manu Park at the current time. Other possible limiting factors for population growth are identified and discussed. We conclude that a conservation policy of population stabilization around the current settlements is viable in that it will not result in reduced resource availability over the next few decades, and that the challenge is to identify and mitigate the forces causing population fissioning and spread. Readers should send their comments on this paper to BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

我国城市化过程中水土资源利用问题的认识——以长江下游地区若干城市地区为例

改革开放以来,我国城市化过程出现快速发展时期,特别是长江下游地区(长江三角洲及其周边地区),由于人口与产业不断集聚,重大基础设施项目投资加大,道路网密度增加,开发区扩大,使得城市空间迭加扩展,造成了严重的水土资源利用失衡,生态环境日趋恶化,使本地区城市发展出现了许多新问题.以长江下游地区为例,对本区城市化过程中有关水土资源环境恶化、水污染增加、土地资源流失,以及城镇化速度过快的情况,作了深入分析论证,同时对长江下游地区水土资源合理开发利用与保护提出了新的思维、新的方法措施,特别是对如何加强长三角地区水质环境的整治提出了4点切实可行的办法与措施,为本地区的经济发展与生态安全提供科学依据.     

工业化、城市化对耕地数量变化影响差异分析

工业化、城市化进程对耕地资源数量变化产生了重要影响，但工业化、城市化对耕地资源数量的影响机制存在差异。以1990~2005年江苏省数据为基础，通过建立向量自回归模型，运用脉冲响应函数和方差分解方法，分析了工业化、城市化对耕地数量变动率影响的差异。结果表明，耕地数量变动率、工业化水平和城市化水平均呈非平稳变动趋势，但工业化、城市化对耕地数量变动率的作用方向不同，工业化对耕地数量变动率产生负效应，城市化则产生正效应。同时，城市化对耕地数量变化的影响大于工业化带来的影响，并且城市化的影响比工业化的影响更为持久。这意味着，〖JP2〗江苏省工业化和城市化快速增长时期，城市化是耕地数量变化的首要原因。因此，在当前江苏省工业化与城市化非平衡发展的情况下，合理控制城市化进程，提高城市化质量，对于耕地保护具有积极意义。〖     

城市边界土地增值收益之经济学分析——兼论土地征收中的农民利益保护

经济发展使得城市增长具有必然性。而城市增长又会带来城市内外特定区位土地价格的增加。城市边界区土地价格具有自身的特点。从动态的城市地价模型分析来看．其增值不仅来自于外部性作用，还得益于城市的扩张。城市的扩张有两种方式：一是由于城市化和收入的增加导致城市地租曲线整体向外平移；二是即使人口保持不变，但由于交通的改善使得城市地租曲线逆时针旋转。不能以农业地价来定量边界区土地价格。因为该区土地增值不仅仅来自于外部性，农民具有参与增值分割的权利。应该重新建立土地征收补偿的价格体系．保护农民的合法权利。     

Estimating the Value of Non‐Use Benefits from Small Changes in the Provision of Ecosystem Services

Abstract: The unit of trade in ecosystem services is usually the use of a proportion of the parcels of land associated with a given service. Valuing small changes in the provision of an ecosystem service presents obstacles, particularly when the service provides non‐use benefits, as is the case with conservation of most plants and animals. Quantifying non‐use values requires stated‐preference valuations. Stated‐preference valuations can provide estimates of the public's willingness to pay for a broad conservation goal. Nevertheless, stated‐preference valuations can be expensive and do not produce consistent measures for varying levels of provision of a service. Additionally, the unit of trade, land use, is not always linearly related to the level of ecosystem services the land might provide. To overcome these obstacles, we developed a method to estimate the value of a marginal change in the provision of a non‐use ecosystem service—in this case conservation of plants or animals associated with a given land‐cover type. Our method serves as a tool for calculating transferable valuations of small changes in the provision of ecosystem services relative to the existing provision. Valuation is achieved through stated‐preference investigations, calculation of a unit value for a parcel of land, and the weighting of this parcel by its ability to provide the desired ecosystem service and its effect on the ability of the surrounding land parcels to provide the desired service. We used the water vole (Arvicola terrestris) as a case study to illustrate the method. The average present value of a meter of water vole habitat was estimated at UK£12, but the marginal value of a meter (based on our methods) could range between £0 and £40 or more.     

Proliferation of nonconforming land uses in agricultural envelope of urban Hong Kong

Until the late 1960s rural Hong Kong had an attractive rustic landscape and a small but active farming population. The recent widespread agricultural decline provided opportunities for urban-oriented activities to invade, mainly as open storage and workshops unsuitable in city areas. Rapid container-port expansion and cross-border China trade generate demands for cheap and accessible land for non-conforming uses (NCU). Rural development control and land-use planning are inherently weak, and formal provision for such uses is lacking. An unfavorable landmark court judgement allows landowners to degrade the countryside. The activities have caused acute environmental problems, telescoped into a small territory, including visual blight, pollution, drainage blockage, loss of wetland habitats, and increased flooding hazard. The distinction between urban and rural has been blurred in the destruction of the valuable countryside heritage. An interim legislative amendment fails to stop unauthorized conversion of farmland. In the long term, an integrated and comprehensive rural planning strategy to conserve inherent elements, as well as accommodating selected urban spillover in properly located and serviced sites, is needed.     

The Maintenance of Landscape Health in the Midst of Land Use Change

Land use design that recognizes the landscape attributes that characterize homeostatic health can emphasize them during land use change. The attributes of landscape health are the working mechanisms of all open systems, and can be observed in the homeostatic behavior of forests, deserts and floodplains. These attributes are openness, self-regulation, storage and diversity. The attributes of health comprise criteria for evaluating and guiding land use. To maintain landscape health, land use design can maintain and restore these mechanisms during change of moderate pace and scale.     

市场经济体制下的耕地经营制度：浅析耕地租赁制

本文分析了在市场经济体制下的耕地经营制度和存在的问题，探讨了耕地租赁制度的内容、优点及其对策。     

城市土地价值的演变过程

根据经济增长点（投资点）的区际变化关系，本文分析了城市土地价值的均衡增长与不均衡增长过程，揭示了城市土地价值的演变规律．