Since the early 2000s, China has implemented extensive "grain-for-green" and grazing exclusion practices to combat desertification. This study quantifies the changes in fractional vegetation cover (FVC) and compares them with economic and population data. Results show that climate change and CO2 fertilization are major drivers of vegetation rehabilitation, while the decline in farmers' and herders' incomes exceeds government subsidies. The study concludes that China needs to adapt its environmental programs to address economic hardship, enhance food security, and improve the return on policy investments.
Publisher
Nature Communications
Published On
Feb 28, 2023
Authors
Xunming Wang, Quansheng Ge, Xin Geng, Zhaosheng Wang, Lei Gao, Brett A. Bryan, Shengqian Chen, Yanan Su, Diwen Cai, Jiansheng Ye, Jimin Sun, Huayu Lu, Huizheng Che, Hong Cheng, Hongyan Liu, Baoli Liu, Zhibao Dong, Shixiong Cao, Ting Hua, Siyu Chen, Fubao Sun, Geping Luo, Zhenting Wang, Shi Hu, Duanyang Xu, Mingxing Chen, Danfeng Li, Fa Liu, Xinliang Xu, Dongmei Han, Yang Zheng, Feiyan Xiao, Xiaobin Li, Ping Wang, Fahu Chen
Tags
China
desertification
vegetation cover
economic hardship
environmental programs
food security
climate change
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