Case study of comprehensive benefit evaluation and management of forest ecosystem services in Zhalantun city of Inner Mongolia, China

Based on official statistics and on-site investigation, this paper firstly used Direct Market Evaluation Method (DMEM), Indirect Market Evaluation Method (IMEM) etc. evaluated the comprehensive benefits for forest ecosystem services in 2016 in Zhalantun City in Inner Mongolia, China. The results indicate that the stock value of Zhalantun forest ecosystem is RMB 42.787 billion, of which the forest land stock value amounts to RMB 27.318 billion, and forest standing timber stock value amounts to RMB 15.469 billion. The flow value, that is the annual comprehensive benefit of forest ecosystem services is RMB 515.864 billion, of which the economic benefits, capitalized the value of forest land, forest standing timber, and forest product, is RMB 23.292 billion, the forest ecological benefit is RMB 490.249 billion, and the social benefit is RMB 2.323 billion. The annual benefit is approximately 31 times of GDP values of Zhalantun of that year recorded as RMB 16.567 billion. The paper also exploratory constructed the balance sheet and calculated the asset-liability ratio of forest ecosystem services in 2016 in Zhalantun City. The results show that the development of Zhalantun forestry and forest management is sustainable, and the asset-liability ratio of forest ecosystem services is calculated at 11.499%, far below the alert level of 50% according to the international accounting standards. This paper finally suggested that Zhalantun should be maximum raising the economic benefits by full utilization of forest ecosystem services and strengthen management etc.