Wolong Household Study [China]

The purpose of this study is to investigate household-environment dynamics in the Coupled Human and Natural System (CHANS) of Wolong Nature Reserve (WNR), the "flagship" reserve designated for conserving the world-famous endangered Giant Pandas of China. The overall research questions of this study include: (1) how demographic and socioeconomic processes at the household level, e.g. those related to family structures and livelihood systems, affect local residents' resource exploitation patterns and land use practices; (2) how local residents respond to shifts in government policy, especially the implementation of two nationwide conservation programs, the Natural Forest Conservation Program (NFCP) and the Grain-to-Green Program (GTGP), in WNR; and (3) how household and policy dynamics interact to affect the natural environment of WNR. Example hypotheses tested in this study concerned: (1) the effects of conservation policies on local households' energy consumption patterns and fuelwood collection behaviors; (2) the connection between a household's demographic and socioeconomic background and its responses to conservation policies; (3) the relationships between social networks and labor migration; (4) the factors that affect a household's participation in nature-based tourism and the distribution of tourism benefits among different households; and (5) the potential implication of the processes described above on wildlife habitat change and conservation. The data collection in this study focuses on household demographics, household income and expenditure, fuelwood and electricity use, as well as the development of non-agricultural activities such as migration and tourism. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect yearly data of the previous year in 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2010 using highly structured survey questionnaires. A sample of 220 households originally drawn in 1999 was revisited in each year's survey. The definition of households was based on the 2000 population census and family registration records from the local WNR administration.

本研究旨在探讨卧龙自然保护区（WNR）这一被指定为世界著名濒危物种——中国大熊猫保护之“旗舰”保护区——的耦合人地系统（CHANS）中，家庭环境动态的变化。研究的主要问题包括：（1）家庭层面的种群和社会经济过程，例如与家庭结构和生计系统相关的过程，如何影响当地居民的资源开发和土地利用模式；（2）当地居民如何响应政府政策的转变，尤其是WNR中实施的全国性保护项目——自然森林保护项目（NFCP）和退耕还林项目（GTGP）；以及（3）家庭和政策动态如何相互作用，影响WNR的自然环境。本研究中检验的假设示例包括：（1）保护政策对当地家庭能源消耗模式和燃料收集行为的影响；（2）家庭的人口和社会经济背景与其对保护政策的响应之间的联系；（3）社会网络与劳动力迁移之间的关系；（4）影响家庭参与基于自然的旅游以及不同家庭之间旅游收益分配的因素；（5）上述过程对野生动物栖息地变化和保护的潜在影响。数据收集主要集中在家庭人口统计、家庭收入和支出、燃料木和电力使用，以及迁移和旅游等非农业活动的发展。通过高度结构化的调查问卷，于1999年、2002年、2003年、2004年、2005年、2006年、2007年和2010年面对面访谈，收集了上一年度的年度数据。1999年最初抽取的220户家庭的样本在每年的调查中被重新访问。家庭定义基于2000年人口普查和当地WNR行政管理部门的家庭登记记录。