Vegetation restoration slowdown in desertification control zones of China around the 2010s
Since 2000, China has invested over RMB 300 billion in large-scale ecological restoration projects in northern China to combat desertification. Over the past two decades, significant progress has been achieved in vegetation restoration, particularly in key areas such as Erdos, Nunkiang, and Horqin....
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Ecological Indicators |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25006004 |
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| author | Hang Li Hong Jia Yiruo Zhou Xiaoyu Hu Zeshi Li Yixin Chen Lianyou Liu Jifu Liu |
| author_facet | Hang Li Hong Jia Yiruo Zhou Xiaoyu Hu Zeshi Li Yixin Chen Lianyou Liu Jifu Liu |
| author_sort | Hang Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Since 2000, China has invested over RMB 300 billion in large-scale ecological restoration projects in northern China to combat desertification. Over the past two decades, significant progress has been achieved in vegetation restoration, particularly in key areas such as Erdos, Nunkiang, and Horqin. However, is the trend of vegetation restoration in the Desertification Control Zones (DCZ) increasing continuously? What are the driving factors for the change in the vegetation restoration trend? Existing research has not yet reached a definitive conclusion on this matter. To figure out the changes and drivers of vegetation recovery trends, we assessed shifts in vegetation trends within the DCZ over the period 2000–2023 using Pettitt’s test and residual trend analysis based on fractional vegetation cover (FVC) and climate data. The results indicate that: The recovery trend of FVC in the DCZ began to slow down since 2012; The FVC recovery trend was 0.208 %yr−1 from 2000 to 2011, then slowed to 0.065 %yr−1 after 2011. Climatic factors caused the slowdown in FVC recovery; the average contribution of climatic factors to FVC recovery in the DCZ was 0.071 %yr−1 before 2011 and declined to −0.086 % yr−1 after 2011. Precipitation (−0.049 %yr−1) and temperature (−0.026 %yr−1) exhibited the most substantial negative effects after 2011. Human activities have had a stable positive impact on FVC recovery, contributing 0.137 %yr−1 before 2011 and 0.151 %yr−1 after 2011. The negative impact of climate change on vegetation recovery should be considered in desertification control practice. Future desertification control practices should be based on natural conditions to ensure the continued effectiveness of investments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e4a4f62b12f84e129cda2b52c79c75e2 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1470-160X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecological Indicators |
| spelling | doaj-art-e4a4f62b12f84e129cda2b52c79c75e22025-08-20T02:07:31ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2025-07-0117611367010.1016/j.ecolind.2025.113670Vegetation restoration slowdown in desertification control zones of China around the 2010sHang Li0Hong Jia1Yiruo Zhou2Xiaoyu Hu3Zeshi Li4Yixin Chen5Lianyou Liu6Jifu Liu7State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Hazards Risk, Governance (ESPHR), Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Change and Natural Disaster, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Engineering Research Center of Desertification and Blown-Sand Control, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Faculty of Geographical Science, Academy of Disaster Reduction and Emergency Management, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Hazards Risk, Governance (ESPHR), Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Change and Natural Disaster, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Engineering Research Center of Desertification and Blown-Sand Control, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Faculty of Geographical Science, Academy of Disaster Reduction and Emergency Management, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Hazards Risk, Governance (ESPHR), Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Change and Natural Disaster, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Hazards Risk, Governance (ESPHR), Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Change and Natural Disaster, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Engineering Research Center of Desertification and Blown-Sand Control, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Faculty of Geographical Science, Academy of Disaster Reduction and Emergency Management, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Hazards Risk, Governance (ESPHR), Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Change and Natural Disaster, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Engineering Research Center of Desertification and Blown-Sand Control, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Faculty of Geographical Science, Academy of Disaster Reduction and Emergency Management, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Hazards Risk, Governance (ESPHR), Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Change and Natural Disaster, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Engineering Research Center of Desertification and Blown-Sand Control, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Faculty of Geographical Science, Academy of Disaster Reduction and Emergency Management, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Hazards Risk, Governance (ESPHR), Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Change and Natural Disaster, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Engineering Research Center of Desertification and Blown-Sand Control, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Faculty of Geographical Science, Academy of Disaster Reduction and Emergency Management, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Hazards Risk, Governance (ESPHR), Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Change and Natural Disaster, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Engineering Research Center of Desertification and Blown-Sand Control, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Faculty of Geographical Science, Academy of Disaster Reduction and Emergency Management, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Corresponding author at: State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Hazards Risk, Governance (ESPHR), Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.Since 2000, China has invested over RMB 300 billion in large-scale ecological restoration projects in northern China to combat desertification. Over the past two decades, significant progress has been achieved in vegetation restoration, particularly in key areas such as Erdos, Nunkiang, and Horqin. However, is the trend of vegetation restoration in the Desertification Control Zones (DCZ) increasing continuously? What are the driving factors for the change in the vegetation restoration trend? Existing research has not yet reached a definitive conclusion on this matter. To figure out the changes and drivers of vegetation recovery trends, we assessed shifts in vegetation trends within the DCZ over the period 2000–2023 using Pettitt’s test and residual trend analysis based on fractional vegetation cover (FVC) and climate data. The results indicate that: The recovery trend of FVC in the DCZ began to slow down since 2012; The FVC recovery trend was 0.208 %yr−1 from 2000 to 2011, then slowed to 0.065 %yr−1 after 2011. Climatic factors caused the slowdown in FVC recovery; the average contribution of climatic factors to FVC recovery in the DCZ was 0.071 %yr−1 before 2011 and declined to −0.086 % yr−1 after 2011. Precipitation (−0.049 %yr−1) and temperature (−0.026 %yr−1) exhibited the most substantial negative effects after 2011. Human activities have had a stable positive impact on FVC recovery, contributing 0.137 %yr−1 before 2011 and 0.151 %yr−1 after 2011. The negative impact of climate change on vegetation recovery should be considered in desertification control practice. Future desertification control practices should be based on natural conditions to ensure the continued effectiveness of investments.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25006004Desertification ControlClimate changeHuman activitiesVegetation restorationChina |
| spellingShingle | Hang Li Hong Jia Yiruo Zhou Xiaoyu Hu Zeshi Li Yixin Chen Lianyou Liu Jifu Liu Vegetation restoration slowdown in desertification control zones of China around the 2010s Ecological Indicators Desertification Control Climate change Human activities Vegetation restoration China |
| title | Vegetation restoration slowdown in desertification control zones of China around the 2010s |
| title_full | Vegetation restoration slowdown in desertification control zones of China around the 2010s |
| title_fullStr | Vegetation restoration slowdown in desertification control zones of China around the 2010s |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vegetation restoration slowdown in desertification control zones of China around the 2010s |
| title_short | Vegetation restoration slowdown in desertification control zones of China around the 2010s |
| title_sort | vegetation restoration slowdown in desertification control zones of china around the 2010s |
| topic | Desertification Control Climate change Human activities Vegetation restoration China |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25006004 |
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