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Human use and conservation planning in Alpine areas of Northwestern Yunnan, China

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Abstract

Alpine areas in northwestern Yunnan, China possess globally significant levels of biodiversity and are important locally for livelihood activities such as livestock grazing and medicinal plant collection. Because local land use has important impacts on alpine conditions and communities have significant capacity to manage alpine resources, we emphasized local collaboration during the initial stages of conservation planning. Our collaboration with local communities investigated how livelihood strategies affect the condition of alpine resources in northwestern Yunnan and how future conservation efforts can be compatible with local livelihoods. We sampled three livestock herding sites, each within a different alpine sub-region, using open-ended interviews and maximum variation sampling. According to interviewees, livestock grazing within the alpine zone currently does not appear to be negatively impacting the availability of forage. Medicinal plant collection, however, is showing unsustainable trends. Tourism is as yet a nascent industry, but is seen as having great potential by those interviewed. It is clear that with increases in population, access to regional markets, and tourism, northwestern Yunnan’s rich alpine resources will require careful management. In addition to the data collected, we found that the methodology used may be widely applicable to organizations with limited resources that wish to engage local communities during the formative stages of regional-level conservation planning.

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Acknowledgements

The Nature Conservancy China Program was instrumental in supporting and facilitating this work, both financially and otherwise. We are especially grateful to Mr. Ma Jian for creating a GIS map of our study area and local facilitators for their language and cultural expertise. Dr. Jan Salick provided traditional use data for the medicinal plants and fungi found at our study sites. Drs. David Inouye, Ruth E. Sherman and two anonymous reviewers made helpful comments on earlier versions of this manuscript. Most importantly, we would like to thank the alpine users of northwestern Yunnan for their incredible hospitality, knowledge, and visions of a sustainable and prosperous future.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology Graduate Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Mark T. Buntaine

  2. The Nature Conservancy, Owyhee Plaza, 1109 Main Street, Suite 333, Boise, ID, 83702, USA

    Renée B. Mullen

  3. Department of Natural Resources, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

    James P. Lassoie

Authors
  1. Mark T. Buntaine
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  2. Renée B. Mullen
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  3. James P. Lassoie
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mark T. Buntaine.

Appendix 1. Interview Questionnaire

Appendix 1. Interview Questionnaire

  1. 1.

    How many people are in your household?

  2. 2.

    Grazing

  3.      (a)

    Which members of the household are engaged in alpine grazing? Gender? Age?

  4.      (b)

    What is the size of your herd today? Five years ago? Every year how many new livestock are born? What kind do you want to keep?

  5.      (c)

    When during the year do you graze alpine areas?

  6.      (d)

    What areas do you use for grazing? (possibly use maps)

  7.      (e)

    What types of animals are grazed?

  8.      (f)

    How many animals were sold at the market last year and what was the price of each?

  9.      (g)

    During what times of the year do you collect milk?

  10.      (h)

    How much and what is the value of the products sold at market during one year?

  11.      (i)

    Where is the market and how often do you go? How long is the travel time? Do you sell locally?

  12.      (j)

    How important is grazing alpine areas for maintaining your livelihood?

  13.      (k)

    Are you satisfied with pursuing your livelihood through grazing? Why or why not?

  14.      (l)

    In the past ten years, have there been any changes in grazing practices?

  15.      (m)

    Do you believe the quality of alpine grazing lands has improved, deteriorated, or stayed the same during the past ten years? Why?

  16.      (n)

    What will grazing be like in ten years for your village?

  17.      (o)

    Does your village make collective decisions about the management of grazing practices, including partitioning alpine areas among different villages and conflicts that arise from such partitioning? Please explain.

  18.      (p)

    Are there other institutions that influence grazing in this area?

  19.      (q)

    How effective is this management in meeting the needs of your household?

  20. 3.

    Alpine Plants

  21.      (a)

    Which members of the family are engaged in alpine plant collection? Gender? Age?

  22.      (b)

    What are the most important species collected?

  23.      (c)

    During what times of the year do you go to the alpine for these plants?

  24.      (d)

    Where to you go to collect it?

  25.      (e)

    In the past ten years, have there been any changes in collection practices, including amount collected? Why?

  26.      (f)

    Do you believe the abundance of these plants has increased, decreased, or stayed the same during the past ten years? Why?

  27.      (g)

    In the past year, what was the total approximate income earned from these plants?

  28.      (h)

    Where is the market and how often do you go? How long is the travel time? Or are these plants sold locally?

  29.      (i)

    How much of alpine plant collection is for household use?

  30.      (j)

    Does your village make collective decisions about managing plant collection? Please explain.

  31.      (k)

    Are there other institutions that influence plant collection?

  32.      (l)

    How effective is this management in meeting the needs of your household?

  33.      (m)

    Are you satisfied with pursuing livelihood through plant collection? Why or why not?

  34. 4.

    Tourism (if participating in tourism)

  35.      (a)

    In what type of tourism do you participate? Please explain.

  36.      (b)

    Which members of the family are engaged in tourism? Gender? Age?

  37.      (c)

    During what times of the year do you participate in tourism?

  38.      (d)

    How much income in the past year has this household earned from tourism?

  39.      (e)

    In what areas does tourism take place? (use map)

  40.      (f)

    Do you believe that tourism has caused or will cause changes in alpine areas?

  41.      (g)

    How does the village make decisions about tourism, if at all? Please explain.

  42.      (h)

    Are you satisfied with pursuing your livelihood through tourism?

  43.      (i)

    What impact do you hope tourism will have on the life of your household? How?

  44. 5.

    Tourism (if NOT participating in tourism)

  45.      (a)

    Would you welcome the development of tourism in this village or the alpine areas associated with this village? Why or why not?

  46.      (b)

    If yes, what would you envision for tourism in this village?

  47.      (c)

    To your knowledge, has this village been approached by those seeking to develop tourism?

  48. 6.

    Wildlife

  49.      (a)

    What wild animals are present in alpine areas today?

  50.      (b)

    How has the abundance of wild animals changed in your lifetime and why?

  51.      (c)

    How does wildlife affect herders and villagers?

  52. 7.

    Income

  53.      (a)

    What is the approximate total income your household earns in one year?

  54.      (b)

    How much income did your household earn from grazing activities in alpine areas during the last year?

  55.      (c)

    How much income did your household earn from selling alpine plants during the last year?

  56.      (d)

    How much income did your household earn in tourism last year?

  57.      (e)

    What are other major sources of income for your household, including non-alpine activities?

  58.      (f)

    What portion of alpine products are used within your household instead of sold?

  59. 8.

    Beliefs

  60.      (a)

    Do you believe that the surrounding alpine areas are sacred in any way?

  61.      (b)

    What is the traditional culture associated with sacred areas?

  62.      (c)

    What alpine resources are located in these sacred sites?

  63.      (d)

    If yes, how does that belief affect the way you use alpine resources?

  64. 9.

    Desires for the future

  65.      (a)

    What do you hope life will be like in ten years for your household (and children)?

  66.      (b)

    What is the greatest asset you possess to achieve that desired future?

  67.      (c)

    What do you believe is the greatest obstacle to achieving your desired future?

  68. 10.

    Environmental Change

  69.      (a)

    Do you believe the condition of alpine areas has deteriorating, improved, or stayed the same in the past ten years? Why?

  70.      (b)

    How important is additional protection of alpine areas?

  71.      (c)

    If important, what steps can be taken to ensure alpine protection?

  72. 11.

    Is there anything else about alpine areas you believe is important that has not been mentioned?

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Buntaine, M.T., Mullen, R.B. & Lassoie, J.P. Human use and conservation planning in Alpine areas of Northwestern Yunnan, China. Environ Dev Sustain 9, 305–324 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-006-9025-8

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