Forests at the Great Wall of China
The world’s net rate of deforestation has slowed down the last decade, and this is partly due to major reforestation efforts in China. One of the more famous tree planting initiatives in China is the Green Wall which began in the late 1970s and is human-planted strips of forests in the northern part of the country. Just like the Great Wall of China was built to keep out Mongol hordes, the Green Wall protects cities and croplands against the devastating effects of the Gobi desert. Although the number of trees have increased and the forested areas have expanded, these mono-cropped forests do not provide good habitats for plants and animals. As the forest biodiversity is reduced, the forests become less resilient and more vulnerable to diseases and shocks.
Year: 2014
From album: World Forest Ecosystems
Photographer: Peter Prokosch