Connotation of forest degradation and the measure of forest degradation in China

Abstract

Forestry ecological profit or deficit index is chosen for measuring the degree of forest degradation in China. Calculating results of the whole regions’ and provinces’ forest degradation shows: on the whole, China’s forest resources appears a tendency of degradation, however it is relatively stable before 1990, then the deficit gradually is expanding; forest degradation in regions behaves much difference, the Central Regions and the East Regions of China exists deficit, the West Regions of China appears surplus in some years; in individual provinces, there are 17 provinces in deficit, 14 provinces in surplus which experience decrease. Subject Classification: 62P12, 65K05.