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Scientia Silvae Sinicae ›› 2022, Vol. 58 ›› Issue (11): 31-48.doi: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.20221104

• Research papers • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Monitoring and Assessment of Ecological Benefits of the Shelter Forest Program in the Three-North Region during 2001—2020

Ping Ji1,4,5,Quanqin Shao2,Min Wang3,Hua Liu1,4,Xiaohui Wang1,4,Chengxing Ling1,4,Ruixia Hou1,4,5   

  1. 1. Institute of Forest Resource Information Techniques, CAF Beijing 100091
    2. Key Laboratory of Terrestrial Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS Beijing 100101
    3. Beijing Vison World Technology Co., Ltd Beijing 100020
    4. Key Laboratory of Forestry Remote Sensing and Information System, National Forestry and Grassland Administration Beijing 100091
    5. National Forestry and Grassland Science Data Center Beijing 100091
  • Received:2021-06-06 Online:2022-11-25 Published:2023-03-08

Abstract:

Objective: Since the implementation of the second phase (2001-2020) Shelter Forest Program in the Three North Region, huge ecological benefits have been achieved, but there are still problems in some areas, and even ecological degradation has occurred. Focusing on the structure, quality and service of the ecosystem, comprehensively and quantitatively evaluate the changes in the ecosystem, and clarify the impacts of the implementation of the fourth and fifth periods of the program on the restoration of the ecosystem, intend to provide a scientific and pertinent theoretical basis for the rolling implementation of the program. Method: This paper is based on the comprehensive evaluation method of "historical dynamic background-restoration status-restoration index" to construct the ecosystem macro-structure change index (EMSCI), ecosystem quality change index (EQCI), ecosystem service function change index (ESCI), and ecosystem restoration index (ERI) for a comprehensive evaluation of the spatial and temporal changes in structure, quality and key service functions of the ecosystem in the Three-North Program region. The spatial overlay analysis function was used to clarify the process of ecosystem changes and quantitatively evaluate the extent of ecosystem restoration. Result: 1) In the second phase of the Three-North Shelter Forest Program, ecosystem type has changed significantly with an overall dynamic degree of 12.22% and the forest coverage continued to increase with an area accounting for 10.18%. Moreover, the forest coverage increase in the fourth period (16 000 km2) was greater than that in the fifth period (6 900 km2). 2) The quality of the ecosystem has been significantly improved. The vegetation coverage and vegetation net primary productivity have increased by 0.038 and 82.33 gC·m-2a-1, with a growth rate of 24.50% and 34.96%, respectively. Moreover, 20.15% of the area continues to improve. 3) Compared to historical background, the service function of the ecosystem has been improved significantly. Water conservation per unit area, the amount of carbon sequestered per unit area, the amount of soil conservation per unit area and the amount of windbreak and sand fixation per unit area has been increased by 12 500 m3·km-2, 134.19 gC·m-2a-1, 6.76 t·hm-2a-1 and 9.81 t·hm-2a-1, respectively, with a respective growth rate of 45.89%, 34.96%, 74.29% and 24.96%.The degree of soil water erosion, and wind and sand erosion damage is reduced, with the water erosion modulus increased 23.88% (the average annual precipitation increased in recent years compared to the previous period, resulting in an increase in the amount of erosion and the amount of retention), and the wind erosion modulus decreased by 25.58 t · hm-2a-1, leading to the reduction of damages by wind erosion by 46.49%. Finally, there are 15.83% area ecosystem service functions continued to improve. 4) The restoration of the ecosystem is very significant, with 21.95% and 20.29% area has continued to improve and remain stable. Conclusion: Through the implementation of successive periods of the Three-North Shelter Forest Program, significant improvements have been achieved, the ecosystem have recovered well and entered a sustained, stable and healthy development trend in farmlands in the Northeast and North China Plains, the Inner Mongolia Plateau and the Loess Plateau with improved forest coverage, increased average vegetation coverage, increased average net primary vegetation productivity, and ecosystem service functions such as water holding capacity per unit area, carbon sequestration by vegetation, soil conservation capacity and wind-breaking and sand-fixation capacity have been significantly improved. However, the northwest desert area is still relatively fragile, and the ecosystem status has not been effectively improved. In Tianshan Mountains, Zhungeer Basin, Qaidam Basin, the agricultural and pastoral areas in southern Xinjiang basin, Bashang Plateau, the desert and semi-desert grassland areas in western Inner Mongolia where the ecosystem is fragile, the increase of forest area is slowing down, the area of grassland is decreasing and the desert area is still increasing. Therefore, the prevention and control of grassland desertification is still the focus of future program implementation.

Key words: Three-North Shelter Forest Program, ecological benefits, ecosystem, monitoring and assessment

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