Assessment of the World Largest Afforestation Program: Success, Failure, and Future Directions

Jj, Zhu; Zheng, Xunhua; Wang, G; Wu, Botao; S, Liu; C, Yan; Y, Li; Sun, Yuhan; Qiu, Yan; Zeng, Yuan; Lü, Sihua; Li, Xian-Fang; Song, Linsheng; Zb, Hu; Yang, Kai; Ning, Yan; X, Li; Gao, Tong; Jx, Zhang; Am, Ellison

doi:10.1101/105619

Cited by 11 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…The Three-North Forest Shelterbelt Program initiated in 1978 and scheduled to be completed in 2050, is the world's largest afforestation project which coverages about 4.07 × 106 km 2 (42.40%) of China [25]. The objective of this project is to control sand and water erosion, harness soil, improve ecological environments and produce multiple forest products.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Detecting Forest Degradation in the Three-North Forest Shelterbelt in China from Multi-Scale Satellite Images

Liu

Zhang

et al. 2021

Remote Sensing

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Detecting forest degradation from satellite observation data is of great significance in revealing the process of decreasing forest quality and giving a better understanding of regional or global carbon emissions and their feedbacks with climate changes. In this paper, a quick and applicable approach was developed for monitoring forest degradation in the Three-North Forest Shelterbelt in China from multi-scale remote sensing data. Firstly, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Ratio Vegetation Index (RVI), Leaf Area Index (LAI), Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FPAR) and Net Primary Production (NPP) from remote sensing data were selected as the indicators to describe forest degradation. Then multi-scale forest degradation maps were obtained by adopting a new classification method using time series MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) images, and were validated with ground survey data. At last, the criteria and indicators for monitoring forest degradation from remote sensing data were discussed, and the uncertainly of the method was analyzed. Results of this paper indicated that multi-scale remote sensing data have great potential in detecting regional forest degradation.

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Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Detecting Forest Degradation in the Three-North Forest Shelterbelt in China from Multi-Scale Satellite Images

Liu

Zhang

et al. 2021

Remote Sensing

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“…This has resulted in a rapid recovery of natural forests and decreased annual deforestation rates in many provinces (Ren et al , ), and has reduced environmental degradation. For example, the area subjected to soil erosion has decreased from 67 million ha in 2000 to 43 million ha in 2018 in the vast Three North region after the implementation of the 23‐billion‐dollar afforestation program (Zhu et al , ).…”

Section: The History Of Forest Cover and Fragmentation In Chinamentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest fragmentation in China and its effect on biodiversity

et al. 2019

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Land‐use change is fragmenting natural ecosystems, with major consequences for biodiversity. This paper reviews fragmentation trends – historical and current – in China, the fourth largest country on Earth, and explores its consequences. Remote sensing makes it possible to track land‐use change at a global scale and monitor fragmentation of dwindling natural landscapes. Yet few studies have linked fragmentation mapped remotely with impacts on biodiversity within human‐modified landscapes. Recent reforestation programs have caused substantial increases in forest cover but have not stopped fragmentation, because the new forests are mostly monocultures that further fragment China's remnant old‐growth lowland forests that harbour the highest levels of biodiversity. Fragmentation – and associated biodiversity declines – is unevenly distributed in China's forests, being most problematic where agricultural expansion is occurring in the southwest and northeast, serious in the densely populated eastern regions where urbanisation and transport infrastructure are modifying landscapes, but less of a problem in other regions. Analyses of temporal trends show that the drivers of forest fragmentation are shifting from mainly agricultural expansion to urbanisation and infrastructure development. Most of China's old‐growth forests persist in small, isolated fragments from which many native species have disappeared, on land unsuitable for human utilisation. Fragmentation throughout China is likely to have major consequences on biodiversity conservation, but few studies have considered these large‐scale processes at the national level. Our review fills this research gap and puts forward a systematic perspective relevant to China and beyond.

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“…Some studies stated that vegetation expansion in water-limited areas, such as, the Loess Plateau, creates conflicting demands for water between ecosystems and humans (Farley et al, 2005;Feng et al, 2016). The next step of ecological construction in water-limited areas is not planting more trees but rather, improving forest quality through forest management and protecting natural ecosystems (Cao, 2008;Zhu et al, 2017).…”

Section: Significance Of the Vegetation Restoration Effects On Soil Ementioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying the Effects of Vegetation Restorations on the Soil Erosion Export and Nutrient Loss on the Loess Plateau

et al. 2020

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The transport of eroded soil to rivers changes the nutrient cycles of river ecosystems and has significant impacts on the regional eco-environment and human health. The Loess Plateau, a leading vegetation restoration region in China and the world, has experienced severe soil erosion and nutrient loss, however, the extent to which vegetation restoration prevents soil erosion export (to rivers) and it caused nutrient loss is unknown. To evaluate the effects of the first stage of the Grain for Green Project (GFGP) on the Loess Plateau (started in 1999 and ended in 2013), we analyzed the vegetation change trends and quantified the effects of GFGP on soil erosion export (to rivers) and it caused nutrient loss by considering soil erosion processes. The results were as follows: (1) in the first half of study period (from 1982 to 1998), the vegetation cover changed little, but after the implementation of the first stage of the GFGP (from 1999 to 2013), the vegetation cover of 75.0% of the study area showed a significant increase; (2) The proportion of eroded areas decreased from 41.8 to 26.7% as a result of the GFGP, and the erosion intensity lessened in most regions; the implementation significantly reduce the soil nutrient loss; (3) at the county level, soil erosion export could be avoided significantly by the increasing of vegetation greenness in the study area (R = −0.49). These results illustrate the relationships among changes in vegetation cover, soil erosion and nutrient export, which could provide a reference for local government for making ecology-relative policies.

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Assessment of the World Largest Afforestation Program: Success, Failure, and Future Directions

Cited by 11 publications

References 50 publications

Detecting Forest Degradation in the Three-North Forest Shelterbelt in China from Multi-Scale Satellite Images

Detecting Forest Degradation in the Three-North Forest Shelterbelt in China from Multi-Scale Satellite Images

Forest fragmentation in China and its effect on biodiversity

Quantifying the Effects of Vegetation Restorations on the Soil Erosion Export and Nutrient Loss on the Loess Plateau

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