Long-term and large-scale ecological restoration projects shaped the spatial heterogeneity in new forests
The implementation of long-term ecological restoration projects and policies over the past two decades has played a crucial role in advancing the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 15. However, the resulting dynamics of new forests remain unclear. In this study, we initially examined the di...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Ecological Indicators |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23014437 |
| _version_ | 1797422634386849792 |
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| author | Shanshan Chen Songlin Zhang Shengjun Wu |
| author_facet | Shanshan Chen Songlin Zhang Shengjun Wu |
| author_sort | Shanshan Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The implementation of long-term ecological restoration projects and policies over the past two decades has played a crucial role in advancing the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 15. However, the resulting dynamics of new forests remain unclear. In this study, we initially examined the distribution and sources of new forests and subsequently investigated the gross primary productivity (GPP) variations within these forested regions. We discovered that new forests are mainly converted from previously cultivated land, which is primarily due to the Grain for Green Project. The new forests are mainly distributed in mid-low altitude areas and gentle slope regions, indicating that accessible areas are prone to damage but also easy to recover. Over approximately two decades of ecological restoration projects, the GPP of new forests has significantly increased trends and the growth rates of new forests vary significantly in different climatic zones. Moreover, the GPP and growth rates of new forests displayed spatial heterogeneity. Specifically, the GPP in the new forests was highest in the eastern region, followed by the central south region, while the northwest region had the lowest GPP. Meanwhile, the southwest region shows the highest GPP growth rate among new forests, while the northwest region has the slowest growth rate. Furthermore, the average GPP of new forests is lower than stable forests, but new forests in China grow faster (3.735 vs. 2.587), highlighting their substantial carbon potential. These findings indicate that it's crucial to account for variations in stand and forest change rates when modeling forest carbon sequestration potential. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:35:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-59d635f4ebff419e8b49b3755f1fe5ed |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1470-160X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:35:15Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecological Indicators |
| spelling | doaj.art-59d635f4ebff419e8b49b3755f1fe5ed2023-12-03T05:40:15ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2023-12-01157111301Long-term and large-scale ecological restoration projects shaped the spatial heterogeneity in new forestsShanshan Chen0Songlin Zhang1Shengjun Wu2Key Laboratory of Reservoir Aquatic Environment, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, ChinaKey Laboratory of Reservoir Aquatic Environment, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, ChinaCorresponding author.; Key Laboratory of Reservoir Aquatic Environment, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, ChinaThe implementation of long-term ecological restoration projects and policies over the past two decades has played a crucial role in advancing the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 15. However, the resulting dynamics of new forests remain unclear. In this study, we initially examined the distribution and sources of new forests and subsequently investigated the gross primary productivity (GPP) variations within these forested regions. We discovered that new forests are mainly converted from previously cultivated land, which is primarily due to the Grain for Green Project. The new forests are mainly distributed in mid-low altitude areas and gentle slope regions, indicating that accessible areas are prone to damage but also easy to recover. Over approximately two decades of ecological restoration projects, the GPP of new forests has significantly increased trends and the growth rates of new forests vary significantly in different climatic zones. Moreover, the GPP and growth rates of new forests displayed spatial heterogeneity. Specifically, the GPP in the new forests was highest in the eastern region, followed by the central south region, while the northwest region had the lowest GPP. Meanwhile, the southwest region shows the highest GPP growth rate among new forests, while the northwest region has the slowest growth rate. Furthermore, the average GPP of new forests is lower than stable forests, but new forests in China grow faster (3.735 vs. 2.587), highlighting their substantial carbon potential. These findings indicate that it's crucial to account for variations in stand and forest change rates when modeling forest carbon sequestration potential.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23014437New forestsSpatial heterogeneityEcological restoration projectsForest restorationGross primary productivity |
| spellingShingle | Shanshan Chen Songlin Zhang Shengjun Wu Long-term and large-scale ecological restoration projects shaped the spatial heterogeneity in new forests Ecological Indicators New forests Spatial heterogeneity Ecological restoration projects Forest restoration Gross primary productivity |
| title | Long-term and large-scale ecological restoration projects shaped the spatial heterogeneity in new forests |
| title_full | Long-term and large-scale ecological restoration projects shaped the spatial heterogeneity in new forests |
| title_fullStr | Long-term and large-scale ecological restoration projects shaped the spatial heterogeneity in new forests |
| title_full_unstemmed | Long-term and large-scale ecological restoration projects shaped the spatial heterogeneity in new forests |
| title_short | Long-term and large-scale ecological restoration projects shaped the spatial heterogeneity in new forests |
| title_sort | long term and large scale ecological restoration projects shaped the spatial heterogeneity in new forests |
| topic | New forests Spatial heterogeneity Ecological restoration projects Forest restoration Gross primary productivity |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23014437 |
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