Great Green Walls: Hype, Myth, and Science

IF 15.5 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Annual Review of Environment and Resources Pub Date : 2023-04-11 DOI:10.1146/annurev-environ-112321-111102

M. Turner, D. Davis, E. Yeh, P. Hiernaux, Emma R. Loizeaux, Emily M. Fornof, Anika M. Rice, Aaron K. Suiter

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引用次数: 3

Abstract

Visions of planting walls of trees to block the expansion of the desert have long been promoted but never fully realized. The green wall myth persists today even though it is premised on outdated understandings of desertification. We review the history of the idea of green walls and focus on two sets of contemporary initiatives to assess their outcomes: peri-Saharan programs (Algeria's Green Dam and Great Green Wall in sub-Saharan Africa) and China's Three Norths Shelterbelt Program. This review reveals a mixed record of technical success with low rates of tree establishment, particularly in drier areas and monocultures of fast-growing trees vulnerable to disease. While there is evidence for reduced wind erosion in some areas, afforestation is also associated with reduced soil moisture and lowering of water tables. Social impacts include increased water scarcity for people and livestock in some cases, and resource enclosures that particularly work against pastoralist livelihoods. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Environment and Resources, Volume 48 is October 2023. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

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绿色长城:炒作、神话和科学

种植树墙以阻止沙漠扩张的设想一直被提倡，但从未完全实现。绿墙的神话一直延续到今天，尽管它是以对沙漠化的过时理解为前提的。我们回顾了绿墙理念的历史，并将重点放在两组当代倡议上，以评估其成果:撒哈拉周边项目(阿尔及利亚的绿坝和撒哈拉以南非洲的绿色长城)和中国的三北防护林项目。这篇综述揭示了技术成功的混合记录，树木成活率低，特别是在干旱地区和易患疾病的速生树木的单一栽培。虽然有证据表明某些地区的风蚀减少了，但造林也与土壤湿度降低和地下水位降低有关。社会影响包括，在某些情况下，人和牲畜的水资源短缺加剧，资源圈闭尤其不利于牧民的生计。《环境与资源年鉴》第48卷预计最终在线出版日期为2023年10月。修订后的估计数请参阅http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Annual Review of Environment and Resources 环境科学-环境科学

CiteScore

24.10

自引率

1.80%

发文量

审稿时长

>24 weeks

期刊介绍： The Annual Review of Environment and Resources, established in 1976, offers authoritative reviews on key environmental science and engineering topics. It covers various subjects, including ecology, conservation science, water and energy resources, atmosphere, oceans, climate change, agriculture, living resources, and the human dimensions of resource use and global change. The journal's recent transition from gated to open access through Annual Reviews' Subscribe to Open program, with all articles published under a CC BY license, enhances the dissemination of knowledge in the field.