{"id":34771,"date":"2025-04-04T14:21:29","date_gmt":"2025-04-04T20:21:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/futureearth.org\/?p=34771"},"modified":"2025-04-28T12:30:59","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T18:30:59","slug":"decades-of-ecosystem-restoration-enhance-chinas-land-co2-sinks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/futureearth.org\/2025\/04\/04\/decades-of-ecosystem-restoration-enhance-chinas-land-co2-sinks\/","title":{"rendered":"Decades of Ecosystem Restoration Enhance China\u2019s Land CO2 Sinks"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A new study published in <\/span>Nature Climate Change<\/span><\/a> finds that China\u2019s carbon sinks resulting from land-use change over the past four decades have been significantly underestimated in global assessments. The research, conducted by an international team led by Sun Yat-Sen University, shows that China shifted from a carbon source due to land clearing and degradation to a major carbon sink since the 1990s due to decades of large-scale reforestation and land management improvements.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The study, led by corresponding authors Professor Zhangcai Qin, former Assistant Director of the Future Earth China Hub, and Professor Wenping Yuan, analyzed carbon fluxes linked to land-use change between 1981 and 2020, using two independent models and a novel dataset integrating remote sensing with China\u2019s National Forest Inventory. \u201cWe used a dynamic global vegetation model and a book-keeping model (<\/span>the LUCE model<\/span><\/a>) that we recently developed\u201d noted Yakun Zhu and Xiaosheng Xia, lead authors of the study, \u201cThe land-use data is also updated to identify the forest coverage changes documented in the national inventory.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What the research shows<\/h3>\n

The key findings show that China\u2019s net carbon flux from land-use change alone transitioned from emitting carbon in the 1980s to absorbing it by the 1990s. Over the past 40 years, these activities removed a cumulative of 7.3 billion metric tons of CO\u2082 with an annual average sink of 0.5 billion tons of CO<\/span>2<\/span> per year from 2001. The annual sink accounts for over\u00a0one-third of the nation\u2019s total land carbon uptake that also includes all native vegetation not under management<\/span>. <\/b>This amount of CO<\/span>2<\/span> rivals the annual emissions of countries like Russia or Japan. While reforestation and afforestation were major contributors, non-forest land-use changes\u2014such as grassland restoration and agricultural transitions\u2014also played a critical role in certain regions, underscoring the complexity of China\u2019s landscape management.<\/span><\/p>\n

The findings challenge previous global assessments, which often overlook regional nuances. For instance, international assessments have underestimated China\u2019s carbon sinks by failing to incorporate high-resolution and local data on land-use policies that led to reforestation and afforestation. \u201cThis ground-breaking study is a great example of the need to develop region-specific data and modeling\u00a0to accurately evaluate carbon budgets and inform the development of climate mitigation strategies,\u201d said co-author Professor Josep Canadell, the Executive Director of <\/span>Global Carbon Project<\/span><\/a>, a Future Earth Global Research Network, that aims to assess global greenhouse gas budgets from all sources and sinks of greenhouse gases.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

China\u2019s decades-long nature-based restoration projects, including many reforestation campaigns to prevent and combat land degradation, have been central to this shift. Since the 1970s, China has initiated several ecological projects, such as the Natural Forest Protection Project and The Grain for Green Program, and the deforestation rate has decreased substantially. The results also bolster China\u2019s climate pledges, suggesting its terrestrial ecosystems are absorbing far more CO\u2082 than previously recognized.<\/span><\/p>\n

localized action can yield big results<\/h3>\n

Researchers urge nations to adopt high-resolution, regionally tailored data in national carbon accounting. \u201cAccurate and high-resolution assessments of land-use change are vital for efficient natural preservation and equitable climate governance,\u201d Professor Zhangcai Qin and Professor Wenping Yuan noted. \u201cChina\u2019s experience demonstrates how localized actions can yield globally significant impacts.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This study refines our understanding of carbon dynamics and reinforces the importance of integrating national data into international climate frameworks\u2014a critical step for the Transparency Framework of Paris Agreement to achieving net-zero goals worldwide.<\/span><\/p>\n

The study: Zhu Y, Xia X, Canadell J G, Piao S, Lu X, Mishra U, Wang X, Yuan W, Qin Z. China\u2019s carbon sinks from land-use change underestimated, Nature Climate Change. 2025, <\/span>https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41558-025-02296-z<\/span><\/a>. <\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title=”Download Paper” shape=”square” color=”blueHome” align=”center” link=”url:%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F04%2Fncc.pdf”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A new study published in Nature Climate Change finds that China\u2019s carbon sinks resulting from land-use change over the past […]<\/p>\n

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