Table 5 Students’ perception of services provided by the black-necked crane
Categories | Ecosystem services | Narrative examples |
|---|---|---|
Supporting | Nutrient cycling | Droppings can bring nourishment to the land |
The bird can loosen farmers’ fields in the process of foraging | ||
Animal diversity | The bird’s arrival enriches the animal species in Weining and maintains the balance of the Caohai ecosystem | |
Bioindicator | Studying the behavior and lives of migratory like the black-necked crane can help to study how to protect the habitat of birds and reflect and test the ecological environment from many angles | |
Regulating | Pest control | The bird eats pest insects |
Cultural | Ecotourism | Promote the development of tourism in Weining |
Promote locals to establish a reserve and ecological park, thus promoting sustained economic benefits and development of Guizhou and improving the quality of life of the local people | ||
Sense of place | The bird has promoted the fame of Weining | |
Bird-watching | Meet the needs of bird-watchers | |
Art | To provide inspiration and material for writers, for example, articles about the black-necked crane | |
Esthetic value | Watching the bird in nature allows people to appreciate its beauty, feel physically and mentally happy, and will lighten their mood | |
It adds to the beauty of the landscape and living environment of residents in the area of Caohai | ||
Their flying shape and figure in the sky are very beautiful, often accompany the students, and enrich the scenery of the students on their way to school | ||
Conservation flagship | The black-necked crane coexists peacefully with people and promotes the harmonious development of the relationship between people and animals | |
Because of the Black-necked crane, everyone living near Caohai has the consciousness of protecting Caohai | ||
It is a treasure given to human beings by nature and a good friend of human beings | ||
It helps people better reflect on the relationship between people, animals, and nature | ||
It does not only strengthen people’s awareness of bird conservation but also strengthens people’s awareness of protecting wild animals, biodiversity, and ecosystems | ||
Bequest value | We should protect the crane so future generations can better understand the bird and also pass on the sense of conservation and tradition to the next generation, ensuring the black-necked crane can exist in the real world forever | |
Traditional knowledge | When it comes, it reminds farmers that they can harvest their crops, and when they leave, they remind them that they can sow crops | |
The coming and going of the black-necked crane tells us that the year is coming to an end and the following year is coming | ||
It provides human beings with the advantage of better discerning direction | ||
The song of the black-necked crane in the morning is sometimes like an alarm clock and will wake people up from their sleep to start a new day | ||
Formal knowledge | It has excellent research value in the fields of biology and ecology | |
Education | Weining children can observe wild animals more closely, learn more about birds, and broaden their horizons | |
The black-necked crane is constantly migrating many times of the year, and the persistent spirit of migratory birds from north to south tells us that if we want to succeed, we need to stick to it | ||
The black-necked crane eats rotten crops (bad potatoes and corn) in the fields and food that people drop in the field, which makes people realize that food should not be wasted |