• Please log in or register to access this feature.

LETTER

You have free access to this content

Biodiversity and phytochemical quality in indigenous and state-supported tea management systems of Yunnan, China

  1. Selena Ahmed1,
  2. Charles M. Peters2,
  3. Long Chunlin3,4,
  4. Rachel Meyer2,
  5. Uchenna Unachukwu5,
  6. Amy Litt2,
  7. Edward Kennelly5,
  8. John Richard Stepp6

Article first published online: 28 AUG 2012

DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-263X.2012.00269.x

Issue

Conservation Letters

Conservation Letters

Volume 6, Issue 1, pages 28–36, February 2013

Additional Information

How to Cite

Ahmed, S., Peters, C. M., Chunlin, L., Meyer, R., Unachukwu, U., Litt, A., Kennelly, E. and Stepp, J. R. (2013), Biodiversity and phytochemical quality in indigenous and state-supported tea management systems of Yunnan, China. Conservation Letters, 6: 28–36. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-263X.2012.00269.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Biology, Tufts University, 163 Packard Avenue, Medford, MA 02155, USA

  2. 2

    Institute of Economic Botany, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY 10458, USA

  3. 3

    School of Life and Environmental Science, Minzu University of China, 27 Zhong-Guan-Cun South Avenue, Beijing, China

  4. 4

    Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Heilongtan, Kunming, Yunnan, China

  5. 5

    Department of Biochemistry, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, NY 10016, USA

  6. 6

    Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, 1112 Turlington Hall Gainesville, FL 32611, USA

*John Richard Stepp, Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, 1112 Turlington Hall Gainesville, FL 32611, USA. Tel: 352-392-0299; fax: (352)392-6929. E-mail:stepp@ufl.edu

  1. Editor Dr. Phillip Levin

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 11 FEB 2013
  2. Article first published online: 28 AUG 2012
  3. Accepted manuscript online: 20 JUL 2012 10:40AM EST
  4. Received 5 March 2012 Accepted 5 July 2012

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (763K)

Keywords:

  • Grain for Green policy;
  • state protected areas;
  • agro-forests;
  • Camellia sinensis.

Abstract

The Chinese government initiated one of the world's largest conservation programs involving agricultural ecosystems with the implementation of the ‘Grain for Green’ (Tui Geng Huan Lin) forest policy between 1999 and 2003. This is the first study to systematically quantify multiple dimensions of biodiversity, phytochemical quality and economic benefits associated with (1) the Grain for Green's tea (Camellia sinensis; Theaceae) initiative; (2) the state's previous forest policy involving tea populations in protected areas and; (3) the indigenous tea agro-ecosystems replaced or overlooked by this conservation program. There are several novel and unexpected findings. While forest populations contained the greatest ecological diversity, agro-forests and mixed crop plots were associated with the greatest genetic diversity, phytochemical quality and economic benefits. Indigenous management practices should be incorporated into conservation in China in order to create policies that are more aligned towards biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods while allowing local communities to maintain their cultural identity through agrarian practices.

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (763K)