Surpluses and deficits of cultivated land protection externalities in grain-production regions: A case study of Henan Province

The concept model of multi-level function boundary of cultivated land protection externalities in a typical zone was advanced in this paper. And the measurement models of surpluses and deficits of a typical zone with cultivated land protection externalities were delineated at provincial and national boundaries to measure the surpluses and deficits of cultivated land protection externalities in grain-production dominated zones of 18 cities in Henan Province. The aim of the study was to measure and analysis surpluses and deficits of cultivated land protection externalities under different boundaries to provide reference for setting standards of inter-regional compensation for cultivated land protection. The results showed that: (1) there were obvious differences in the surpluses and deficits of cultivated land protection externalities among different cities in Henan Province. Under provincial boundary, there were 9 surplus areas and 9 deficit areas. Overall, the northwest was in the deficit area, the northeast in the moderately surplus area and the southwest in the moderately and highly surplus areas. Under the national boundary, the proportion of areas with deficit cultivated land protection externalities increased, and that with surplus cultivated land protection externalities declined with increasing per-capita grain consumption. On per-capita grain consumption levels of 380 kg, 400 kg, 420 kg and 435 kg, the percentages of the areas (cities) with cultivated land protection surplus were 88.89%, 83.33%, 77.78% and 72.22%, respectively. (2) There were obvious differences in spatial distribution of surpluses and deficits of cultivated land protection externalities in areas/cities of Henan Province between at provincial and nation boundaries. From provincial boundary to national boundary, the deficits of cultivated land protection externalities weakened, the surpluses strengthened. Then some areas with deficits changed from deficit to surplus in the same cities. It was concluded that the multi-level compensation systems should be established in the future according to spatial distribution regularities of surpluses and deficits in cultivated land protection externalities in combination with construction of main functional regions. Meantime, the paying areas and accepting areas, as well as standards of economic compensation for cultivated land protection should be defined scientifically.