Articles | Volume 22, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2485-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2485-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
28 May 2025
Research article |
| 28 May 2025
| 28 May 2025
Expanding grassland coverage to maintain ecohydrological sustainability in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northwest China
Key Laboratory of West China's Environmental System (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
Xuefeng Xu
Key Laboratory of West China's Environmental System (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
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Short summary
China's vegetation restoration projects plan to expand grassland coverage to 60 %. Excessive vegetation restoration undermined soil drying in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northwest China (APENWC). The potential impacts of future land use and cover change (LUCC) are unclear. Future scenarios with varying proportions of cropland and bare land indicate that increasing grassland coverage to 60 % by 2035 supports ecohydrological sustainability without introducing drying.
China's vegetation restoration projects plan to expand grassland coverage to 60 %. Excessive...
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