Analysis of the Impact of Policy Instruments on Payment for Grasslands Ecosystem Services (PGES) Implementation: A Case Study from Northwest China

Abstract

The implementation of payment for grassland ecosystem services (PGES) is the result of cooperative games between farmers and the local government. However, there are currently many studies on the willingness behavior of farmers to participate in payment for grassland ecosystem services, although there is a lack of research on the impact of the willingness behavior of local governments on the implementation of payment for grassland ecosystem services. Based on the theory of planned behavior, in this study, the impact of government policy instruments on PGES implementation outcomes was taken as the primary research objective, and the following findings were derived from the three secondary objectives of constructing a model, using structural equations to measure and quantitatively decompose the policy instruments: (1) policy instruments have a significant impact on policy implementation; (2) policy instruments play an important guiding role in farmers’ participation in PGES; and (3) the amount of ecological compensation and the degree of policy implementation have a significant impact on policy instruments. Reasonable adjustments can effectively improve the effect of policy implementation. This study incorporated the implementation willingness and interaction of farmers and local governments into the analysis model of the implementation of payment for grassland ecosystem services, providing a theoretical basis for improving the performance of payment for grassland ecosystem services from the perspective of government policy instruments.