Nature – Li et al. (2025): Maximum carbon uptake potential through progressive management of plantation forests in Guangdong Province, China

Xueyan Li, Chongyuan Bi, Jianping Wu, Chaoqun Zhang, Wenting Yan, Zhenzhen Xiao, Ying-Ping Wang, Jiashun Ren, Yongxian Su IN: Communications Earth & Environment, 6, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01977-5

Forest cover in Guangdong Province, southern China, has doubled over the last four decades. A large proportion of these forests consists of young planted forests (PFs), which have significant potential as carbon sinks. Yet given the declining carbon accumulation rates as forests mature and limited land for further planting, how best to manage these forests to maximize their future carbon uptake remains poorly studied. Here the authors employed fine-resolution satellite data, forest growth models, and machine learning to identify key drivers of carbon accumulation. They further assessed the carbon sink potential under five forest management scenarios, each involving different harvest and regeneration strategies.

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