Nature – Yao et al. (2024): Carbon sequestration potential of tree planting in China
Ling Yao, Tang Liu,Jun Qin, Hou Jiang, Lin Yang, Pete Smith, Xi Chen, Chenghu Zhou, Shilong Piao IN: Nature Communications, 15, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52785-6
China’s large-scale tree planting programs are critical for achieving its carbon neutrality by 2060, but determining where and how to plant trees for maximum carbon sequestration has not been rigorously assessed. Here, the authors developed a comprehensive machine learning framework that integrates diverse environmental variables to quantify tree growth suitability and its relationship with tree numbers. Then, their correlations with biomass carbon stocks were robustly established. Carbon sink potentials were mapped in distinct tree-planting scenarios.