Risks of China’s increased forest area

Between 2010 and 2020, China increased its forest area by 193,680 km2 (1). The country plans to plant 70 billion more trees before 2030 (2). Although the UN’s Global Forest Goals regard the increase of forest cover as a primary goal (3), the types of trees and locations selected for planting can determine whether increased cover constitutes a conservation success or an environmental threat.