Social-ecological heterogeneity drove contrasting tree cover restoration in South China Karst

Abstract

Abstract South China Karst is the world’s largest continuous karst zone and is becoming the hotspot of greening earth. However, the greening sustainability remains uncertain due to challenges from carbonate geological constraints and oversights in recognizing synergies within social-ecological systems. Here, the sustainability and drivers of tree cover restoration were quantitatively investigated in South China Karst. The area with tree cover increasing was 652,457 km2, about 33.67% of the study area. There were differences in ecological elements between karst and non-karst areas, and rural population decrease in undeveloped areas could greatly promote tree cover restoration. Moreover, the correlation degree of social-ecological network in karst area was obviously lower than that in non-karst area, indicating higher heterogeneity of social-ecological system in karst area. This study highlights the social-ecological effects on tree cover restoration in karst area, and a shift in focus from the natural ecosystem to coupled social-ecological systems is crucial for sustainable forest management.