China’s Grain for Green Program: A Review of the Largest Ecological Restoration and Rural Development Program in the World
By Claudio O. Delang and Zhen Yuan Springer, 2015 Chapter 9
In this chapter we review the ecological impact of the Grain for Green. Because the Grain for Green is primarily a reforestation and ecological restoration program, the success or failure of the Grain for Green depends in large part on its ecological impact. Its ecological impact can be assessed using such indicators as the amount of land converted and afforested, changes in vegetative cover, water surface runoff and, very importantly, soil characteristics. Unfortunately there is no nation-wide assessment of the ecological impact of the Grain for Green, so it can only be gauged from case studies in selected regions. Most studies concur that the physical properties of the soil, including soil fertility, porosity, and nutrients, have improved, and soil erosion and river sedimentation have slowed down. However, most researchers agree that the impact of the Grain for Green in arid areas has not always been positive, given its emphasis on trees, rather than shrub or grass. Another important environmental impact of the Grain for Green is that of the amount of carbon sequestered by soil and trees. Unlike for the ecological impact on vegetation, water and soil, there are province- and nation-wide studies done on the impact of the Grain for Green on carbon sequestration.
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