Since 2010, Forest Cover in China has Doubled, Although Losses in Primary Forests have Also Occurred.

China is among the countries with the longest tradition of forest recuperation programs. The government launched the Three-North Shelterbelt Program as early as the 1970s. Also called the Great Green Wall, it is one of the oldest public efforts to increase forest area in China. It aims to plant 4,500 kilometers of trees through the Gobi Desert to halt desertification and reign in Beijing’s infamous sandstorms.

This tendency to prioritize forest protection and recuperation is equally reflected in China’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). Among the six principal goals in China’s October 2021 NDC is “to increase the forest stock volume by around 6 billion m³ from 2005 levels” by 2030. This builds on China’s 2015 NDC forest goal to increase forest stock volume by around 4.5 billion m³ from 2005 levels by 2030. The 2015 NDC forest goal had already been achieved in 2019. Another document stipulating forest goals is China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025), which sets a forest cover goal of 24.1% of the country’s total land area.

Nearly a quarter of China’s landmass is covered by some type of forest. According to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China, in 2019, China had a forest area of 220 million hectares (ha), a forest cover of 22.96%, and a forest stock volume of 17.560 billion m³. The total biomass of forest vegetation was 18.802 billion tons, and its total carbon stock was 9.186 billion tons. In 2021, the State Council Information Office reported that the total forest coverage ratio had reached 24% due to continued tree planting, while the forest stock volume grew to 19.5 billion m³. Benchmarked against a baseline of 108 million ha of natural forest, or 16%, in 2010, as Global Forest Watch for China reported, forest cover in China has, therefore, nearly doubled.

Yet, much of this forest cover growth is based on reforestation efforts and plantations, often with monocultures to serve specific purposes, such as the Great Green Wall. Global Forest Watch reports that 2019 the ratio of natural forest vegetation versus nurtured or planted forest stood at roughly ~64% versus 36 percent.

While data sets from China’s authorities and the FAO show that the overall forest area has increased, the World Resources Institute’s Global Forest Watch shows losses in natural and primary forests. For 2023, the satellite-based observation system reported losses of natural forest of 232.000 ha, equivalent to 314 Metric tons of CO₂ emissions. From 2001 to 2023, China lost 81.5 thousand ha of humid primary forest, a decrease of 4.7% in this period. Global Forest Watch, looking at trees above 5 meters, reports that from 2001 to 2023, China lost 12.1 million ha of tree cover, equivalent to a 7.4% decrease in tree cover and 5.56 Gt of CO₂e emissions. Data inconsistencies may result from different definitions of “forest” and calculation methods.

China’s diverse geographical and climatic conditions and topography have created diverse forest types. In addition, man-planted and cultivated plantations make up a large part of the country’s forest coverage. China’s forest types are divided into coniferous vegetation, broadleaf forest vegetation, and bushes. The coniferous forest holds cold temperatures and temperate and hot coniferous tree types. Broadleaf types include monsoon, rain, mangrove, and bamboo forests. Tree types include firs, pines, spruces, oaks, camphor, poplars, larch, or birch trees. Most forest areas in Southern China, from Fujian Province in the east to Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces in the west. Forests also cover much of China’s far northeast. There are fewer forests in the highly industrialized, densely populated, and highly urban areas between Shanghai and Beijing. In addition, very few continuous forest areas can be found in China’s arid West, like in Xinjiang, or at high altitudes, like in Tibet.

Regarding carbon dioxide emissions, Global Forest Watch estimates that forests in China emitted 242 MtCO₂e/year and removed 728 MtCO₂e/year between 2001 and 2023. This represents a net carbon sink of -486 MtCO₂e/year. According to the 2019 National Forestry and Grassland Administration report, China’s forests roughly hold a carbon sequestration capacity of 434 million tons annually.

The destruction of forests is reported to be affected by insects, diseases, and fires. Overall, the size of land destroyed by fires and the amount of forest destroyed by fire seem to have decreased between 2000 and 2017. From nearly 170 thousand hectares of land resp. Ninety thousand hectares of forest to 44 thousand hectares of land resp. Twenty-five thousand hectares of forest. In 2016, China completely stopped commercial logging of natural forests. In December 2019, the National People’s Congress revised China’s Forest Law. The amendments banned buying, transporting, or processing illegal timber and required processing companies to establish a data record of raw materials and products.

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China’s tenacious efforts to battle the spread of its deserts, tame air pollution, and protect the habitat of many of the country’s iconic animals by replanting forests, restoring wetlands, rehabilitating grasslands, etc., are laudable. Several programs also bring together various stakeholders like government, business, finance, local communities, and NGOs to make reforestation efforts sustainable. For example, when replanting lost tree coverage, it is essential to include the wisdom and experience of local communities in choosing the right tree type to plant, depending on local soil conditions, weather patterns, etc.

Of more concern is China’s continued need for timber to fuel some part of its economy. Yet, much of that timber comes from abroad and countries with less stringent oversight of logging activities. Thus, in September 2020, the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED released a report calling for the Chinese government to strengthen measures to reduce the import of products illegally harvested or produced in their country of origin.

Responsible for China’s forestry and environmental and ecological protection are:

National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA) within the Ministry of Natural Resources

This Post was submitted by Clinate Scorecard China Country Manager Annette Wiedenbach.

National Forestry & Grassland Administration

WeChat and Weibo contacts through

http://www.forestry.gov.cn

Ministry of Environment and Ecology

No.12, East Chang’an Avenue,

Dongcheng District,

100006 Beijing, P.R. China

+86-10-65646114

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