Technical Specification for Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) Accounting

Applicable to GEP accounting in administrative areas at all levels in Qinghai Province, and may be used as a reference for ecogeographical units with relatively complete functions, such as river basins and nature reserves. The document specifies procedures for defining accounting areas, ecosystem types, ecological product inventories, data collection and processing, physical-volume and monetary-value accounting, and GEP aggregation, with an annual accounting cycle. It covers material supply, regulating services and cultural services, and specifies indicators and corresponding models, market value methods, replacement cost methods and travel cost methods for water conservation, carbon sequestration, air and water purification, biodiversity conservation, ecotourism and recreation. Government statistical, monitoring and survey data shall be used preferentially.