How do government policies promote greening? Evidence from China. (May 2021)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- How do government policies promote greening? Evidence from China. (May 2021)
- Main Title:
- How do government policies promote greening? Evidence from China
- Authors:
- Feng, Dingrao
Bao, Wenkai
Yang, Yuanyuan
Fu, Meichen - Abstract:
- Abstract: The large-scale greening observed across China in recent decades has been shown to be the result of human activities, and existing studies have also revealed the positive effects of policies on vegetation dynamics. However, the effects and mechanisms of detailed greening policies in China still remain unclear and targeted analyses are needed to offer scientific guidance for further policymaking in the pursuit of nationwide green development. In this study, Sen's trend estimator and the Mann–Kendall test were used to analyze the spatiotemporal changes in vegetation cover from 2000 to 2015. The effects of five main government policies on vegetation cover (i.e., afforestation, urban greening, agricultural improvement, nature reserve, and natural forest conservation policies) were investigated by using Kendall's tau-b correlation, as well as buffer zones and fluctuation analyses model. The results showed that China has experienced large-scale greening, despite the local degradation of vegetation in some areas. Policy-driven afforestation has played an important role in large-scale greening, while policies related to agricultural intensification have enhanced vegetation cover. Although urbanization has altered local ecosystems, the relationship between changes in vegetation cover and urban sprawl displayed a "U-shaped" curve, which indicates that urban greening policies have been effective. National nature reserve policies and the National Forest Conservation ProgramAbstract: The large-scale greening observed across China in recent decades has been shown to be the result of human activities, and existing studies have also revealed the positive effects of policies on vegetation dynamics. However, the effects and mechanisms of detailed greening policies in China still remain unclear and targeted analyses are needed to offer scientific guidance for further policymaking in the pursuit of nationwide green development. In this study, Sen's trend estimator and the Mann–Kendall test were used to analyze the spatiotemporal changes in vegetation cover from 2000 to 2015. The effects of five main government policies on vegetation cover (i.e., afforestation, urban greening, agricultural improvement, nature reserve, and natural forest conservation policies) were investigated by using Kendall's tau-b correlation, as well as buffer zones and fluctuation analyses model. The results showed that China has experienced large-scale greening, despite the local degradation of vegetation in some areas. Policy-driven afforestation has played an important role in large-scale greening, while policies related to agricultural intensification have enhanced vegetation cover. Although urbanization has altered local ecosystems, the relationship between changes in vegetation cover and urban sprawl displayed a "U-shaped" curve, which indicates that urban greening policies have been effective. National nature reserve policies and the National Forest Conservation Program have provided the stable conditions needed for natural vegetation growth without negative human disturbance. It may be concluded that government policies have had a clear and positive influence on greening in China in many respects. Highlights: This study investigated the effects of main government policies on vegetation cover. Afforestation policies played an important role in large-scale greening. Agricultural improvement stimulated the increase of vegetation cover. Urbanization had altered ecosystems but urban greening policies improved greening. Government policies had a positive influence on greening in China. … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Land use policy. Volume 104(2021)
- Journal:
- Land use policy
- Issue:
- Volume 104(2021)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 104, Issue 2021 (2021)
- Year:
- 2021
- Volume:
- 104
- Issue:
- 2021
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2021-0104-2021-0000
- Page Start:
- Page End:
- Publication Date:
- 2021-05
- Subjects:
- Vegetation cover -- Government policies -- Afforestation -- Human activities -- Urban greening -- Anthropogenic impacts
Land use -- Periodicals
Land use -- Government policy -- Periodicals
Sol, Utilisation du -- Périodiques
Sol, Utilisation du -- Politique gouvernementale -- Périodiques
Electronic journals
333.7305 - Journal URLs:
- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/02648377 ↗
http://www.elsevier.com/journals ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105389 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0264-8377
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 5146.958700
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