Evaluation of the Ecological Effects of Ecological Restoration Programs: A Case Study of the Sloping Land Conversion Program on the Loess Plateau, China

Abstract

The Sloping Land Conversion Program (SLCP) is the largest ecological restoration program in the world. Evaluating the ecological effects of the SLCP not only provides a scientific basis for China to improve the SLCP but also provides a reference for other countries in the world to evaluate the ecological effects of ecological restoration programs being implemented or to be implemented. To this end, we took the Loess Plateau, the core area for the implementation of the SLCP, as an example and, based on multi-source remote sensing data and GIS technology, we conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the ecological effects of the implementation of the SLCP on the Loess Plateau. The results showed that, first, from 2000 to 2018, a total of 12,372.05 km2 of cultivated land was converted into forest land and grassland on the Loess Plateau, and this contributed to an increase in vegetation cover from 45.09% in 2000 to 64.15% in 2018, and a decrease in the soil erosion modulus from 26.41 t·hm−2·yr−1 in 2000 to 17.92 t·hm−2·yr−1 in 2018. Second, the 6–25° slope range is the core area of the Loess Plateau for implementation of the SLCP. In this range, the area of cultivated land converted into forest land and grassland accounts for 60.16% of the total area of transferred cultivated land. As a result, the 6–25° slope range has become the most significant area for improving vegetation cover and reducing the soil erosion intensity, and it is mainly concentrated in the southwestern, central and central-eastern hilly and gully areas of the Loess Plateau. Third, from 2000 to 2018, the climate of the Loess Plateau tended to be warm and humid and was conducive to the implementation of the SLCP. Among these factors, precipitation is the dominant factor in determining the spatial distribution of vegetation on the Loess Plateau, and the increase in precipitation is also the main reason for the promotion of vegetation growth. Fourthly, from 2000 to 2018, the ecological environment of the Loess Plateau was significantly improved as a result of the combined effects of the implementation of the SLCP and climate warming and humidification, but the primary reason is still the implementation of the SLCP.

Ecological Environment Quality Assessment of Arid Areas Based on Improved Remote Sensing Ecological Index—A Case Study of the Loess Plateau

“…The degraded areas are mainly located in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and the northern and northwestern regions of Qinghai Province. For Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Henan, the degraded areas are mostly located in urban areas, such as Xi'an, Xianyang, Taiyuan, Luoyang, and other urban areas, which is consistent with previous research findings [74,75].…”

Has the Establishment of National Key Ecological Function Zones Improved Eco-Environmental Quality?—Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment in 130 Counties in Sichuan Province, China

“…In addition to direct impacts from policy implementation, EEQ is also influenced by various factors such as socio-economic conditions [43], fundamental endowments [44] and natural climate [45], thus necessitating the control of these exogenous factors. The main variables selected were as follows: population density (den), used to reflect the growth of population size; fiscal self-sufficiency rate (fissr), used to indicate the independence and sustainability of local government in fiscal revenue and expenditure; government intervention (gov), used to reflect the role of local government in regulating the market economy; and local fiscal revenue (lfr), used to reflect the capacity and status of local government in fiscal management and provision of public services.…”

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Water Ecological Restoration Based on the Relationship between the Supply and Demand of Ecological Products—A Case Study of the Yellow River Delta

“…Combining the total water resources of Dongying City, based on the aforementioned calculation methods, the water footprint of the Yellow River Delta, the provision-type ecological product consumption coefficient, and the ecological product demand level were obtained (see Figure 5). Except for the year 2000, the total water resources of Dongying City were generally stable, between 500 and 600 million m 3 . In terms of the water footprint, Dongying's water footprint decreased significantly from 2000 to 2005 due to a significant decrease in industrial water use, and then increased with the continuous increase in water use for production and domestic use.…”

“…Earlier studies focused on whether ecological restoration projects played a role in specific environmental assessment indicators, such as total phosphorus in water, soil pH, biodiversity, etc. [2][3][4][5][6]. As the complexity of ecosystems is better understood, scholars are paying more attention to whether ecological restoration projects can promote the normal functioning of the whole ecosystem, including the assessment of ecosystem sensitivity and resilience, before and after the implementation of the project [7][8][9][10].…”