China Plants 66 Billion Trees, Greening Faster Than Natural Forests

China is responding to climate change by creating artificial forests, a project that has been underway for the past 50 years. Since 1978, the initiative known as the Great Green Wall has planted approximately 66 billion trees, and these man-made forests are showing a significant impact on addressing climate change.

Yuhan Luo, a landscape ecologist at Peking University, sought to identify the differences between these planted forests and natural forests. Planted forests are defined as those deliberately created, while natural forests grow without human intervention. The research team also studied species diversity, tree density, age, and their impact on rising CO2 levels and climate change. They used satellite data to track the leaf area index, canopy density, and carbon absorption.

The analysis found that planted forests increase leaf coverage 66% faster than natural forests. The reason for this is the age difference, as planted forests consist of younger trees compared to natural forests. In terms of age and growth, planted forests also significantly outperform, growing 4.6% faster than mixed or evergreen forests.

Despite these findings, Luo emphasised the superiority of natural forests regarding long-term carbon storage and resilience. "Planted forests can be a powerful short-term tool for absorbing carbon, but this advantage is temporary. For long-term carbon storage and resilience, natural forests are irreplaceable," he explained. Luo hopes his team’s findings will aid reforestation efforts, allowing humanity to utilise new forest planting as a way to mitigate the impacts of climate change. The Great Green Wall project is set to continue, with plans to plant an additional 34 billion trees by mid-century.