Satellite Monitoring of Natural Reforestation Efforts in China's Drylands

Desertification in Northern China degrades air quality in China's eastern cities by causing frequent dust storms. To stop desert expansion, China's government initiated the Three-North Shelterbelt Program, a large-scale reforestation project. Many issues with the project have been raised, from the choice of ill-adapted species to planting methods. Recently, the government implemented “natural reforestation”—closing former pastures to let...