Articles | Volume 18, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-1103-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-1103-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
1 km annual forest cover and plant functional type dataset for China from 1981 to 2023
Bo Liu
School of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, PR China
Boyan Li
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
School of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, PR China
Fulai Feng
School of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, PR China
Yangcan Bao
School of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, PR China
Jing Li
School of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, PR China
Qi Feng
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
School of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, PR China
Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin/Gansu Qilian Mountains Eco-Environment Research Center, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
Related authors
Fulai Feng, Jianwu Yan, Wei Liang, Xiaohong Liu, Bo Liu, Xiaoru Liang, Jia Wei, and Yangcan Bao
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-6076, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-6076, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
Short summary
Short summary
Accurate climate predictions rely on vegetation models. We analyzed a widely used model across China to identify which internal settings control carbon and water cycles. We found that often-ignored "hidden" parameters drive results as much as standard ones. Crucially, we revealed a trade-off: dry ecosystems are fragile with high relative uncertainty, while humid forests carry large total uncertainty. This highlights the need for region-specific adjustments to better estimate global carbon sinks.
Hong Yang, Simone Maria Stuenzi, Yanqiu Xing, Fulai Feng, and Moritz Langer
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-870, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-870, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
Short summary
Short summary
Boreal forests store large amounts of carbon, yet it is unclear how thawing permafrost will affect their role in slowing climate change. Many models do not fully capture how frozen soils warm and alter water supply for plants. We improved a vegetation model to better represent soil processes and tested it in Northeast China. The updated model more accurately reproduced soil conditions and carbon storage, showing that thaw-related warming and drying can reduce carbon uptake and alter forests.
Fulai Feng, Jianwu Yan, Wei Liang, Xiaohong Liu, Bo Liu, Xiaoru Liang, Jia Wei, and Yangcan Bao
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-6076, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-6076, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
Short summary
Short summary
Accurate climate predictions rely on vegetation models. We analyzed a widely used model across China to identify which internal settings control carbon and water cycles. We found that often-ignored "hidden" parameters drive results as much as standard ones. Crucially, we revealed a trade-off: dry ecosystems are fragile with high relative uncertainty, while humid forests carry large total uncertainty. This highlights the need for region-specific adjustments to better estimate global carbon sinks.
Ruolin Li, Yang Cui, and Qi Feng
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5752, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5752, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Earth System Dynamics (ESD).
Short summary
Short summary
Precipitation recycling is typically viewed as an atmospheric process, but we show that land-surface conditions actively regulate its timing. By analyzing rainfall events in a dryland region, we find that the persistence of soil cooling (thermal memory) significantly delays the return of recycled moisture to the atmosphere. This reveals a new "coupling-memory-recycling" pathway where soil thermodynamics control the tempo of the local water cycle.
Ruolin Li, Yang Cui, and Qi Feng
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5314, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5314, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (HESS).
Short summary
Short summary
Rainfall can recycle within the atmosphere, meaning that some of the water that falls as rain evaporates and falls again nearby. This study explores how such recycling behaves during short wet periods in north-western China’s semi-arid region. Using weather data and machine learning, we found that stronger rain does not endlessly increase local recycling. This self-limiting feedback helps keep the regional water cycle balanced under a wetter climate.
Xiaoying Li, Huijun Jin, Qi Feng, Qingbai Wu, Hongwei Wang, Ruixia He, Dongliang Luo, Xiaoli Chang, Raul-David Şerban, and Tao Zhan
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 5009–5026, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-5009-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-5009-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
In Northeast China, the permafrost is more sensitive to climate warming and fire disturbances than the boreal and Arctic permafrost. Since 2016, a continuous ground hydrothermal regime and soil nutrient content observation system has been gradually established in Northeast China. The integrated dataset includes soil moisture content, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium, ground temperatures at depths of 0–20 m, and active layer thickness from 2016 to 2022.
Tingting Ning, Zhi Li, Qi Feng, Zongxing Li, and Yanyan Qin
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 3455–3469, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-3455-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-3455-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Previous studies decomposed ET variance in precipitation, potential ET, and total water storage changes based on Budyko equations. However, the effects of snowmelt and vegetation changes have not been incorporated in snow-dependent basins. We thus extended this method in arid alpine basins of northwest China and found that ET variance is primarily controlled by rainfall, followed by coupled rainfall and vegetation. The out-of-phase seasonality between rainfall and snowmelt weaken ET variance.
Cited articles
Alkama, R. and Cescatti, A.: Biophysical climate impacts of recent changes in global forest cover, Science, 351, 600–604, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aac8083, 2016.
Amatulli, G., Domisch, S., Tuanmu, M.-N., Parmentier, B., Ranipeta, A., Malczyk, J., and Jetz, W.: A suite of global, cross-scale topographic variables for environmental and biodiversity modelling, Sci. Data, 5, 1–15, https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2018.40, 2018.
Beck, H. E., Zimmermann, N. E., McVicar, T. R., Vergopolan, N., Berg, A., and Wood, E. F.: Present and future Köppen-Geiger climate classification maps at 1-km resolution, Sci. Data, 5, 1–12, https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2018.214, 2018.
Bergkvist, J., Lagergren, F., Islam, M. R., Wårlind, D., Miller, P. A., Finnander Linderson, M. L., Lindeskog, M., and Jönsson, A. M.: Quantifying the impact of climate change and forest management on Swedish forest ecosystems using the dynamic vegetation model LPJ-GUESS, Earths Future, 13, e2024EF004662, https://doi.org/10.1029/2024EF004662, 2025.
Bonan, G. B., Levis, S., Kergoat, L., and Oleson, K. W.: Landscapes as patches of plant functional types: An integrating concept for climate and ecosystem models, Global Biogeochem. Cy., 16, 5–1, https://doi.org/10.1029/2000GB001359, 2002.
Cai, Y., Li, X., Zhu, P., Nie, S., Wang, C., Liu, X., and Chen, Y.: China Earth Observation Data Cube: The 30-m Seamless Annual Leaf-On Landsat Composites from 1985 to 2023, J. Remote Sens., 5, 0698, https://doi.org/10.34133/remotesensing.0698, 2025.
Cao, S., Li, M., Zhu, Z., Wang, Z., Zha, J., Zhao, W., Duanmu, Z., Chen, J., Zheng, Y., Chen, Y., Myneni, R. B., and Piao, S.: Spatiotemporally consistent global dataset of the GIMMS Leaf Area Index (GIMMS LAI4g) from 1982 to 2020 (V1.2), Zenodo [data set], https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7649107, 2023.
Chen, C., Park, T., Wang, X., Piao, S., Xu, B., Chaturvedi, R. K., Fuchs, R., Brovkin, V., Ciais, P., and Fensholt, R.: China and India lead in greening of the world through land-use management, Nat. Sustain., 2, 122–129, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-019-0220-7, 2019.
Chen, H., Zhu, Q., Peng, C., Wu, N., Wang, Y., Fang, X., Gao, Y., Zhu, D., Yang, G., and Tian, J.: The impacts of climate change and human activities on biogeochemical cycles on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Glob. Change Biol., 19, 2940–2955, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12277, 2013.
Chen, J., Chen, J., Liao, A., Cao, X., Chen, L., Chen, X., He, C., Han, G., Peng, S., and Lu, M.: Global land cover mapping at 30 m resolution: A POK-based operational approach, ISPRS J. Photogramm. Remote Sens., 103, 7–27, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2014.09.002, 2015.
Cheng, K., Chen, Y., Xiang, T., Yang, H., Liu, W., Ren, Y., Guan, H., Hu, T., Ma, Q., and Guo, Q.: A 2020 forest age map for China with 30 m resolution, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 803–819, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-803-2024, 2024.
Chini, L., Hurtt, G., Sahajpal, R., Frolking, S., Klein Goldewijk, K., Sitch, S., Ganzenmüller, R., Ma, L., Ott, L., Pongratz, J., and Poulter, B.: Land-use harmonization datasets for annual global carbon budgets, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 4175–4189, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4175-2021, 2021.
Fang, J., Chen, A., Peng, C., Zhao, S., and Ci, L.: Changes in forest biomass carbon storage in China between 1949 and 1998, Science, 292, 2320–2322, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1058629, 2001.
Fang, X., Zhao, W., Zhang, C., Zhang, D., Wei, X., Qiu, W., and Ye, Y.: Methodology for credibility assessment of historical global LUCC datasets, Sci. China Earth Sci., 63, 1013–1025, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-019-9592-y, 2020.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations: State of the world's forests 2016. Forests and agriculture: Land-use challenges and opportunities, FAO Report, FAO, https://www.climateaction.org/images/uploads/documents/FAO_-_farming._forestry_and_food_security.pdf (last access: 27 March 2025), 2016.
Fragnière, Y., Bétrisey, S., Cardinaux, L., Stoffel, M., and Kozlowski, G. J. J.: Fighting their last stand? A global analysis of the distribution and conservation status of gymnosperms, J. Biogeogr., 42, 809–820, https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.12480, 2015.
García, M. L. and Caselles, V.: Mapping burns and natural reforestation using Thematic Mapper data, Geocarto Int., 6, 31–37, https://doi.org/10.1080/10106049109354290, 1991.
Ge, Q., Dai, J., He, F., Pan, Y., and Wang, M.: Land use changes and their relations with carbon cycles over the past 300 a in China, Sci. China Ser. D Earth Sci., 51, 871–884, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-008-0046-z, 2008.
Gregor, K., Reyer, C. P., Nagel, T. A., Mäkelä, A., Krause, A., Knoke, T., and Rammig, A.: Reconciling the EU forest, biodiversity, and climate strategies, Global Change Biol., 30, e17431, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17431, 2024.
Hansen, M. C., Potapov, P. V., Moore, R., Hancher, M., Turubanova, S. A., Tyukavina, A., Thau, D., Stehman, S. V., Goetz, S. J., and Loveland, T. R.: High-resolution global maps of 21st-century forest cover change, Science, 342, 850–853, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1244693, 2013.
Harper, K. L., Lamarche, C., Hartley, A., Peylin, P., Ottlé, C., Bastrikov, V., San Martín, R., Bohnenstengel, S. I., Kirches, G., Boettcher, M., Shevchuk, R., Brockmann, C., and Defourny, P.: A 29-year time series of annual 300 m resolution plant-functional-type maps for climate models, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 1465–1499, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-1465-2023, 2023.
Hartung, K., Bastos, A., Chini, L., Ganzenmüller, R., Havermann, F., Hurtt, G. C., Loughran, T., Nabel, J. E. M. S., Nützel, T., Obermeier, W. A., and Pongratz, J.: Bookkeeping estimates of the net land-use change flux – a sensitivity study with the CMIP6 land-use dataset, Earth Syst. Dynam., 12, 763–782, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-12-763-2021, 2021.
He, J., Yang, K., Tang, W., Lu, H., Qin, J., Chen, Y. Y., and Li, X.: The first high-resolution meteorological forcing dataset for land process studies over China, Sci. Data, 7, 25, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-020-0369-y, 2020.
He, Y., Piao, S., Ciais, P., Xu, H., and Gasser, T.: Future land carbon removals in China consistent with national inventory, Nat. Commun., 15, 10426, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54846-2, 2024a.
He, J., Yang, K., Li, X., Tang, W., Shao, C., Jiang, Y., and Ding, B.: China meteorological forcing dataset v2.0 (1951–2024), National Tibetan Plateau/Third Pole Environment Data Center [data set], https://doi.org/10.11888/Atmos.tpdc.302088, 2024b.
Hong, S., Yin, G., Piao, S., Dybzinski, R., Cong, N., Li, X., Wang, K., Peñuelas, J., Zeng, H., and Chen, A.: Divergent responses of soil organic carbon to afforestation, Natl. Sci. Rev., 3, 694–700, https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwz203, 2020.
Houghton, R. A. and Hackler, J. L.: Sources and sinks of carbon from land-use change in China, Global Biogeochem. Cy., 17, 1034, https://doi.org/10.1029/2002GB001970, 2003.
Industry Development Sub-center: Statistical Table of Main Indicators of Forest Resources by Province (Autonomous Region, Municipality) in the Ninth National Class I Forest Inventory, National Forestry and Grassland Scientific Data Center, 2018, CSTR:17575.11.0120230320014.0018.V1.
Islam, M. R., Jönsson, A. M., Bergkvist, J., Lagergren, F., Lindeskog, M., Mölder, M., Scholze, M., and Kljun, N.: Projected effects of climate change and forest management on carbon fluxes and biomass of a boreal forest, Agric. For. Meteorol., 349, 109959, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2024.109959, 2024.
Jeong, S., Ryu, Y., Gentine, P., Lian, X., Fang, J., Li, X., Dechant, B., Kong, J., Choi, W., and Jiang, C.: Persistent global greening over the last four decades using novel long-term vegetation index data with enhanced temporal consistency, Remote Sens. Environ., 311, 114282, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2024.114282, 2024.
Kennedy, R. E., Yang, Z., and Cohen, W. B.: Detecting trends in forest disturbance and recovery using yearly Landsat time series: 1. LandTrendr – temporal segmentation algorithms, Remote Sens. Environ., 114, 2897–2910, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2010.07.008, 2010.
Kennedy, R. E., Yang, Z., Gorelick, N., Braaten, J., Cavalcante, L., Cohen, W. B., and Healey, S.: Implementation of the LandTrendr algorithm on Google Earth Engine, Remote Sens., 10, 691, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs10050691, 2018.
Klehr, D., Stoffels, J., Hill, A., Pham, V.-D., van der Linden, S., and Frantz, D.: Mapping tree species fractions in temperate mixed forests using Sentinel-2 time series and synthetically mixed training data, Remote Sens. Environ., 323, 114740, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2025.114740, 2025.
Lamarque, J.-F., Dentener, F., McConnell, J., Ro, C.-U., Shaw, M., Vet, R., Bergmann, D., Cameron-Smith, P., Dalsoren, S., Doherty, R., Faluvegi, G., Ghan, S. J., Josse, B., Lee, Y. H., MacKenzie, I. A., Plummer, D., Shindell, D. T., Skeie, R. B., Stevenson, D. S., Strode, S., Zeng, G., Curran, M., Dahl-Jensen, D., Das, S., Fritzsche, D., and Nolan, M.: Multi-model mean nitrogen and sulfur deposition from the Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP): evaluation of historical and projected future changes, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 7997–8018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-7997-2013, 2013.
Lei, X., Tang, M., Lu, Y., Hong, L., and Tian, D.: Forest inventory in China: status and challenges, Int. Forest. Rev., 11, 52–63, https://doi.org/10.1505/ifor.11.1.52, 2009.
Li, H., Cao, Y., Xiao, J., Zhao, Y., and Li, X.: A daily gap-free normalized difference vegetation index dataset from 1981 to 2023 in China, Sci. Data, 11, 527, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-03364-3, 2024.
Li, M., Cao, S., Zhu, Z., Wang, Z., Myneni, R. B., and Piao, S.: Spatiotemporally consistent global dataset of the GIMMS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (PKU GIMMS NDVI) from 1982 to 2022, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 4181–4203, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-4181-2023, 2023.
Li, X., Zhang, H., Shang, R., Chen, J., Wang, D., Zhu, J., Huang, H., Lin, S., Pan, B., and Yuan, W.: It is time to optimize forest management policy for both carbon sinks and wood harvest in China, Natl. Sci. Rev., 12, nwae464, https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwae464, 2025.
Li, Y., Wang, Y., Sun, Y., and Li, J.: Global sensitivity analysis of the LPJ model for Larix olgensis Henry forests NPP in Jilin Province, China, Forests, 13, 874, https://doi.org/10.3390/f13060874, 2022.
Lindeskog, M., Smith, B., Lagergren, F., Sycheva, E., Ficko, A., Pretzsch, H., and Rammig, A.: Accounting for forest management in the estimation of forest carbon balance using the dynamic vegetation model LPJ-GUESS (v4.0, r9710): implementation and evaluation of simulations for Europe, Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 6071–6112, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-6071-2021, 2021.
Liu, B., Li, B., Feng, F., Bao, Y., Li, J., and Feng, Q.: 1 km annual forest cover and plant functional types dataset for China from 1981 to 2023, Zenodo [data set], https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18448036, 2026.
Liu, J., Li, S., Ouyang, Z., Tam, C., and Chen, X.: Ecological and socioeconomic effects of China's policies for ecosystem services, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 105, 9477–9482, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0706436105, 2008.
Liu, L., Zhang, X., and Zhao T.: GLC_FCS30D: the first global 30-m land-cover dynamic monitoring product with fine classification system from 1985 to 2022, Zenodo [data set], https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8239305, 2023.
Liu, S., Bond-Lamberty, B., Boysen, L. R., Ford, J. D., Fox, A., Gallo, K., Hatfield, J., Henebry, G. M., Huntington, T. G., and Liu, Z.: Grand challenges in understanding the interplay of climate and land changes, Environ. Int., 21, 1–43, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2016.09.007, 2017.
Mäyrä, J., Keski-Saari, S., Kivinen, S., Tanhuanpää, T., Hurskainen, P., Kullberg, P., Poikolainen, L., Viinikka, A., Tuominen, S., and Kumpula, T.: Tree species classification from airborne hyperspectral and LiDAR data using 3D convolutional neural networks, Remote Sens. Environ., 256, 112322, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2021.112322, 2021.
Meyer, B. F., Darela-Filho, J. P., Gregor, K., Buras, A., Gu, Q.-L., Krause, A., Liu, D., Papastefanou, P., Asuk, S., Grams, T. E. E., Zang, C. S., and Rammig, A.: Simulating the drought response of European tree species with the dynamic vegetation model LPJ-GUESS (v4.1, 97c552c5), Geosci. Model Dev., 18, 4643–4666, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-4643-2025, 2025.
Olofsson, P., Foody, G. M., Herold, M., Stehman, S. V., Woodcock, C. E., and Wulder, M. A.: Good practices for estimating area and assessing accuracy of land change, Remote Sens. Environ., 148, 42–57, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2014.02.015, 2014.
O'Sullivan, M., Friedlingstein, P., Sitch, S., Anthoni, P., Arneth, A., Arora, V. K., Bastrikov, V., Delire, C., Goll, D. S., and Jain, A. K.: Process-oriented analysis of dominant sources of uncertainty in the land carbon sink, Nat. Commun., 13, 4781, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32416-8, 2022.
Peng, S.: 1-km monthly mean temperature dataset for China (1901–2024), National Tibetan Plateau/Third Pole Environment Data Center [data set], https://doi.org/10.11888/Meteoro.tpdc.270961, 2019.
Peng, S., Ding, Y., Liu, W., and Li, Z.: 1 km monthly temperature and precipitation dataset for China from 1901 to 2017, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 11, 1931–1946, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-11-1931-2019, 2019a.
Peng, S., Yu, K., Li, Z., Wen, Z., and Zhang, C.: Integrating potential natural vegetation and habitat suitability into revegetation programmes for sustainable ecosystems under future climate change, Agric. For. Meteorol., 269, 270–284, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2019.02.023, 2019b.
Peng, S., Terrer, C., Smith, B., Ciais, P., Han, Q., Nan, J., Fisher, J. B., Chen, L., Deng, L., and Yu, K.: Carbon restoration potential on global land under water resource constraints, Nat. Water, 2, 1071–1081, https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-024-00295-6, 2024a.
Peng, X., He, G., Wang, G., Yin, R., Yang, R., Peng, Y., Long, T., Zhang, Z., Chen, Y., and Wang, J.: GF-1 WFV satellite images based forest cover mapping in China supported by open land use/cover datasets, Sci. Data, 11, 1355, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-04202-2, 2024b.
Perbet, P., Guindon, L., Côté, J.-F., and Béland, M.: Evaluating deep learning methods applied to Landsat time series subsequences to detect and classify boreal forest disturbances events: the challenge of partial and progressive disturbances, Remote Sens. Environ., 306, 114107, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2024.114107, 2024.
Piao, S., Fang, J., Ciais, P., Peylin, P., Huang, Y., Sitch, S., and Wang, T.: The carbon balance of terrestrial ecosystems in China, Nature, 458, 1009–1013, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature07944, 2009.
Piao, S., Wang, X., Park, T., Chen, C., Lian, X., He, Y., Bjerke, J. W., Chen, A., Ciais, P., and Tømmervik, H.: Characteristics, drivers and feedbacks of global greening, Nat. Rev. Earth Environ., 1, 14–27, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-019-0001-x, 2020.
Pugh, T. A. M., Seidl, R., Liu, D., Lindeskog, M., Chini, L. P., and Senf, C.: The anthropogenic imprint on temperate and boreal forest demography and carbon turnover, Global Ecol. Biogeogr., 33, 100–115, https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13773, 2024.
Qin, Y., Xiao, X., Dong, J., Zhang, G., Shimada, M., Liu, J., Li, C., Kou, W., and Moore III, B.: Forest cover maps of China in 2010 from multiple approaches and data sources: PALSAR, Landsat, MODIS, FRA, and NFI, ISPRS J. Photogramm. Remote Sens., 109, 1–16, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2015.08.008, 2015.
Ran, Y. and Li, X.: Land cover map of China in 2000, National Tibetan Plateau/Third Pole Environment Data Center [data set], https://doi.org/10.11888/Socioeco.tpdc.270467, 2019.
Ran, Y., Lu, L., and Li, X.: China Land Cover Classification at 1 km Spatial Resolution Based on a Multi-source Data Fusion Approach, Adv. Earth Sci., 24, 192–203, https://doi.org/10.11867/j.issn.1001-8166.2009.02.0192, 2009.
Ran, Y., Li, X., Lu, L., and Li, Z.: Large-scale land cover mapping with the integration of multi-source information based on the Dempster–Shafer theory, Int. J. Geogr. Inf. Sci., 26, 169–191, https://doi.org/10.1080/13658816.2011.577745, 2012.
Ruehr, S., Keenan, T. F., Williams, C., Zhou, Y., Lu, X., Bastos, A., Canadell, J. G., Prentice, I. C., Sitch, S., and Terrer, C.: Evidence and attribution of the enhanced land carbon sink, Nat. Rev. Earth Environ., 4, 518–534, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-023-00456-3, 2023.
Shi, G., Sun, W., Shangguan, W., Wei, Z., Yuan, H., Li, L., Sun, X., Zhang, Y., Liang, H., Li, D., Huang, F., Li, Q., and Dai, Y.: A China dataset of soil properties for land surface modelling (version 2, CSDLv2), Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 517–543, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-517-2025, 2025.
Steidinger, B. S., Crowther, T. W., Liang, J., Van Nuland, M. E., Werner, G. D., Reich, P. B., Nabuurs, G.-J., De-Miguel, S., Zhou, M., and Picard, N.: Climatic controls of decomposition drive the global biogeography of forest-tree symbioses, Nature, 569, 404–408, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1128-0, 2019.
Sulla-Menashe, D., Gray, J. M., Abercrombie, S. P., and Friedl, M. A.: Hierarchical mapping of annual global land cover 2001 to present: The MODIS Collection 6 Land Cover product, Remote Sens. Environ., 222, 183–194, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2018.12.013, 2019.
Thonicke, K., Venevsky, S., Sitch, S., and Cramer, W.: The role of fire disturbance for global vegetation dynamics: coupling fire into a Dynamic Global Vegetation Model, Glob. Ecol. Biogeogr., 10, 661–677, https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1466-822x.2001.00175.x, 2001.
Tong, X., Brandt, M., Yue, Y., Horion, S., Wang, K., De Keersmaecker, W., Tian, F., Schurgers, G., Xiao, X., and Luo, Y.: Increased vegetation growth and carbon stock in China karst via ecological engineering, Nat. Sustain., 1, 44–50, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-017-0004-x, 2018.
Tu, Y., Wu, S., Chen, B., Weng, Q., Bai, Y., Yang, J., Yu, L., and Xu, B.: A 30 m annual cropland dataset of China from 1986 to 2021, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 2297–2316, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2297-2024, 2024.
Verbruggen, W., Verbeeck, H., Horion, S., Souverijns, N., and Schurgers, G.: Mapping Sahelian Ecosystem Vulnerability to Vegetation Collapse: Vegetation Model Optimization, IEEE Int. Geosci. Remote Sens. Symp., 1591–1593, https://doi.org/10.1109/IGARSS47720.2021.9554686, 2021.
Wei, X., Liu, R., Liu, Y., He, J., Chen, J., Qi, L., Zhou, Y., Qin, Y., Wu, C., and Dong, J.: Forest areas in China are recovering since the 21st century, Geophys. Res. Lett., 51, e2024GL110312, https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL110312, 2024.
White, J. C., Hermosilla, T., Wulder, M. A., and Coops, N. C.: Mapping, validating, and interpreting spatiotemporal trends in post-disturbance forest recovery, Remote Sens. Environ., 271, 112904, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2022.112904, 2022.
Winkler, K., Fuchs, R., Rounsevell, M., and Herold, M.: Global land use changes are four times greater than previously estimated, Nat. Commun., 12, 2501, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22702-2, 2021.
Xia, X., Xia, J., Chen, X., Fan, L., Liu, S., Qin, Y., Qin, Z., Xiao, X., Xu, W., and Yue, C.: Reconstructing long-term forest cover in China by fusing national forest inventory and 20 land use and land cover data sets, J. Geophys. Res.-Biogeo., 128, e2022JG007101, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JG007101, 2023.
Xu, H., Yue, C., Zhang, Y., Liu, D., and Piao, S.: Forestation at the right time with the right species can generate persistent carbon benefits in China, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 120, e2304988120, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2304988120, 2023.
Yang, H., Wang, S., Son, R., Lee, H., Benson, V., Zhang, W., Zhang, Y., Zhang, Y., Kattge, J., and Boenisch, G.: Global patterns of tree wood density, Global Change Biol., 30, e17224, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17224, 2024.
Yang, J. and Huang, X.: The 30 m annual land cover dataset and its dynamics in China from 1990 to 2019, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 3907–3925, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-3907-2021, 2021a.
Yang, J. and Huang, X.: 30 m annual land cover and its dynamics in China from 1990 to 2019 (1.0.0), Zenodo [data set], https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4417810, 2021b.
Yu, Z., Ciais, P., Piao, S., Houghton, R. A., Lu, C., Tian, H., Agathokleous, E., Kattel, G. R., Sitch, S., and Goll, D.: Forest expansion dominates China's land carbon sink since 1980, Nat. Commun., 13, 5374, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32961-2, 2022.
Yu, Z., Liu, S., Li, H., Liang, J., Liu, W., Piao, S., Tian, H., Zhou, G., Lu, C., and You, W.: Maximizing carbon sequestration potential in Chinese forests through optimal management, Nat. Commun., 15, 3154, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47143-5, 2024.
Yue, C., Xu, M., Ciais, P., Tao, S., Shen, H., Chang, J., Li, W., Deng, L., He, J., and Leng, Y.: Contributions of ecological restoration policies to China's land carbon balance, Nat. Commun., 15, 9708, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54100-9, 2024.
Zeng, W., Tomppo, E., Healey, S. P., and Gadow, K. V.: The national forest inventory in China: history-results-international context, For. Ecosyst., 2, 23, https://doi.org/10.1186/s40663-015-0047-2, 2015.
Zhang, M., He, H., Zhang, L., Ren, X., Shi, L., Yu, G., Niu, Z., Qin, K., and Li, T.: Ecosystem engineering and global changes are increasingly enhancing China's terrestrial carbon sinks, Resour. Conserv. Recycl., 223, 108514, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108514, 2025.
Zhu, Y., Xia, X., Canadell, J. G., Piao, S., Lu, X., Mishra, U., Wang, X., Yuan, W., and Qin, Z.: China's carbon sinks from land-use change underestimated, Nat. Clim. Change, 15, 428–435, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02296-z, 2025.
Short summary
We present a 1 km annual dataset of forest cover and nine plant functional types (PFTs) for China, spanning 1981–2023. By integrating multi-source remote sensing imagery with National Forest Inventory data, this dataset reveals spatiotemporal dynamics consistent with China's massive afforestation and ecological restoration initiatives. It serves as a critical tool for clarifying the impacts of forest cover change on the regional terrestrial carbon balance.
We present a 1 km annual dataset of forest cover and nine plant functional types (PFTs) for...
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint