Effects of Increased Vegetation Cover and Green Economic Development Pathway: Evidence from China

Abstract

Although studies on the driving factors of vegetation growth and restoration have been widely discussed, the influences and effects of vegetation growth on the ecological environment have not been clearly discussed. In recent years, China has made remarkable achievements in vegetation growth and restoration, so it is meaningful to discuss the effects of increased vegetation and ecological environment change in China. Through spatial analysis and curve estimation, we found that vegetation in China has increased rapidly in recent years, especially in northeast China, southwest China, and the Loess Plateau. The grassland ecosystem is the largest vegetation ecosystem in China. The distribution pattern of grassland was basically unchanged, distributed in alpine and arid regions, and the main changes were in Inner Mongolia Plateau, Loess Plateau, and Xinjiang. These changes are related to national policies and agricultural development. Vegetation growth is accompanied by the overall improvement of the ecological environment and economic development. Increased vegetation in China has both natural and human effects. Natural effects include the impact on the atmosphere, pedosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere, while human impacts include the urban environment, national health, ecological economy, and ecological civilization system. However, the long-term effects of increased vegetation need to continue to be observed and studied.