Image of the Week: Reforestation in Yan'an, China

Image of the Week: Reforestation in Yan'an, China

Land around the Chinese city of Yan'An had been used for farming and sheepherding for centuries, but the soil was poor and suffered from an accelerating cycle of cultivation and erosion near the end of the 20th century. In 1998, an attempt to revive the land began with restrictions on livestock, and an ambitious plan to reforest the mountains with seedlings. The re-greening program over the last 20 years has been challenging and successful, with vegetation cover rising from 46% to over 80% since 2000, leading to measurable improvements in water and soil quality.

https://eros.usgs.gov/media-gallery/image-of-the-week/reforestation-yan…