Forest restoration shows uneven impacts on soil erosion, net primary productivity and livelihoods of local households

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.108462
• Publication Date: 2021-12-10T18:54:43Z
• Authors: Jiaoyang Xu; Yangyang Zhang; Chunbo Huang; Lixiong Zeng; Mingjun Teng; Pengcheng Wang; Wenfa Xiao
• Keywords: Afforestation; Household income

China has made tremendous efforts in forest restoration (FR), and established ambitions to govern its fragile ecosystem improve green welfare until 2035. However, debate still exists over whether FR can simultaneously services enhance livelihoods. In this paper, we test the impacts of on key livelihoods via a case study Badong County TGRA, China. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach were used evaluate soil erosion rate (SER) net primary productivity (NPP), analyzed through 520 surveys. Our results revealed that forestland increased significantly from 45.34% 69.63% during 1990–2015. annual average SER dropped 67.01 51.18 t·ha−1·yr−1 2001–2015, NPP 547.12 gC·m−2·a−1 2000 609.81 2015. afforestation area offered disadvantages when compared with persisting NPP. Households ecologically areas have equal opportunities in, among others, infrastructure government policies, but their income living conditions are often heterogeneous. per capita residence improved under FR. Nonetheless, inequality between participating households (PHs) nonparticipating (NPHs) increased. Compared NPHs, PHs lost more cropland, agricultural income, PH householders forced find new livelihood activities. These inequalities not conducive sustainable development Accordingly, recommend should focus quality habitat availability improvement area, reforestation programmes where appropriate. provide science-based ecological subsidies help obtain alternative activities, which contribute higher household poverty alleviation.