472 Modern Agricultural Reforms
The farmland shelterbelt system in the plains
The farmland shelterbelt comprises the majority of China’s shelterbelts. China’s
farmland regions include the Sanjiang Plain, the Songliao Plain, the Huanghuai
Plain, the North China Plain, the plain in the middle and lower reaches of the
Yangtze River and the Pearl River Delta. The total area is 113 million ha in these
agricultural regions, covering 993 counties, and contains half of the national total
population (Ministry of Forestry of the People’s Republic of China, 1992, 1993,
1995a, 1995b). From the beginning of the 1960s, the afforestation campaign was
centred on the greening of the plains, and a farmland forest network was estab-
lished with a structure of 2–3 rows of trees along canals, irrigation ditches and by
roadsides, in accordance with local conditions. So far, one-fifth of China’s crop
land has been incorporated under the shelterbelt network. Natural disasters have
been effectively controlled, and the stress resistance capability of farmland has been
significantly enhanced. China’s farmland shelterbelts are developing into an inte-
grated type of multiple purpose forest.
Recommendations and perspectives
In order to achieve long-term sustainability of shelterbelt systems in land use,
technical and funding support is critical for its efficient management. The recom-
mendations on technical support, according to different ecological and environ-
mental conditions in various areas, require promotion of the use of high quality
planting material, selection of sites for the appropriate species, prevention of for-
est pests and diseases, and establishment of multi-functional ecological forest sys-
tems with combinations of trees with bushes and grasses. Improvement in the
composition of tree species and forest types in the shelterbelt systems are needed,
increases in the percentage of economic forest and economic tree species should
be implemented that will raise the direct value and bring into full play public
initiatives for establishing and protecting shelterbelts. Shelterbelt management
information and monitoring systems should be set up, as well as a shelterbelt
research centre to train technical and operational personnel, speed up the applica-
tion of research results, and extend nationwide the experience gained in conduct-
ing model projects for comprehensive shelterbelt systems. International cooperation
and academic exchanges and research should be encouraged, with the introduc-
tion of advanced management expertise. On funding support, there should be
efforts to increase gradually the direct input from governments at various levels
into the development of the ecological forestry programmes. A compensation
mechanism should be set up to pay off the ecological benefits according to which
those who receive benefits shall pay for them. Financial assistance from enter-
prises, public institutions, individuals, foreign governments, international organi-
zations and private donors should be sought. In addition, strict enforcement of
the forest laws, forest policy and institutional reforms, and adoption of specific
regulations and rules to protect and manage shelterbelt systems and prevent illegal
destruction should be implemented.