Role of Non-Farm Employment in the Firewood Utilization of Farms in Chinese Karst Area:From a Demand-Supply Perspective
Firewood is a traditional living energy source of Chinese mountain village.Firewood felling is a primary cause of vegetation degradation and rocky desertification in karst areas of China.Firewood utilization is closely related to forest transition and ecological restoration.Previous studies analyzed the influence of non-farm employment on firewood utilization merely in view of labor force and income;therefore,to systematically address the action path of non-farm employment on firewood utilization from a demand-supply perspective,it can further clarify the micro-mechanism of forest transition.Based on a survey of firewood utilization by 562 rural households in three typical districts and counties in karst areas of China,this paper used an ordered Logit model and a mediating effect model to analyze the impact of non-farm employment on rural firewood utilization and its action path from the perspective of demand-supply.(1)There was an overall reduction in firewood utilization in the study area,with a total of 79.72％of the farmers reducing their utilization of firewood.(2)Non-farm employment reduced the supply of firewood by reducing farmers'capacity to obtain firewood and extending environmental constraints on firewood collection.Besides,it reduced the demand for firewood by reducing demand sources and enhancing the replacement of other energy sources.The reduction of supply-demand made farmers'use of firewood reduce.(3)Non-farm employment promoted firewood substitution,which is conducive to the improvement of forest quality in karst area.The refinement of energy transition mechanism in the economic growth path of forest transition could be described by an acting route as non-farm employment-firewood substitution-firewood utilization reduction-forest quality improvement-forest quality transition.(4)The karst area could accelerate firewood substitution and promote ecological restoration of the region by guiding non-farm employment,developing large-scale livestock breeding and increasing commodity energy consumption.The research enriches and expands the path theory of forest transition,and can provide theoretical and practical references for ecological restoration in Chinese karst areas.
forest transition pathfirewood utilizationdemand-supplynon-farm employmentkarst area
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