Wang et al. (2025) Decreasing terrestrial water storage limited the increase of woody plant structure resulting from afforestation in the Loess Plateau, China

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Environmental Management
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-11-07
• Authors: Xiaoping Wang, Ngai Weng Chan, Mengyun Liu, Verner Carl Johnson
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.127873

Research Groups

• College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, 712100, China
• College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
• GeoInformatic Unit, Geography Section, School of Humanities, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
• Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction, CO, 81501, USA

Short Summary

This study investigated the spatial-temporal patterns and interaction between vegetation canopy structure (LAI) and terrestrial water storage anomaly (TWSA) in the Loess Plateau from 2000 to 2022. It found that decreasing terrestrial water storage increasingly limited the growth of woody plant structure, highlighting the critical role of water availability in afforestation outcomes.

Objective

• To study the spatial-temporal pattern of vegetation canopy structural parameters (leaf area index, LAI) and terrestrial water storage anomaly (TWSA) in the Loess Plateau.
• To explore the mutual feedback relationship between LAI and TWSA, specifically understanding how woody plant structure changes due to afforestation interact with terrestrial water storage anomaly.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Loess Plateau, China (approximately 640,000 square kilometers)
• Temporal Scale: 2000–2022

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Not explicitly named as process models; analysis relies on remote sensing data products.
• Data sources: Remote sensing datasets for vegetation canopy structural parameters (LAI) and Terrestrial Water Storage Anomaly (TWSA), likely derived from missions such as Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE).

Main Results

• The growth trend of LAI slowed, with areas showing significant growth decreasing from 47.79 % to 11.63 % after 2011, particularly for woody vegetation types like forests and savannas.
• Terrestrial Water Storage Anomaly (TWSA) exhibited a significant downward trend, affecting approximately 86 % of the Loess Plateau, though its decline rate slowed after 2011.
• The relationship between LAI and TWSA for woody plants shifted to negative feedback, indicating that vegetation growth is increasingly constrained by water stress.
• In contrast to woody plants, herbaceous plants maintained growth without reaching saturation.

Contributions

• Highlights the critical role of water availability in shaping the success and sustainability of ecological restoration efforts, particularly afforestation, in water-constrained regions.
• Provides a more nuanced understanding of ecohydrological processes by focusing on vegetation canopy structure (LAI) rather than just vegetation greenness (NDVI) in relation to terrestrial water storage.
• Offers valuable insights for informing sustainable management policies for afforestation programs in ecologically vulnerable areas like the Loess Plateau.

Funding

Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Wang2025Decreasing,
  author = {Wang, Xiaoping and Zhang, Fei and Chan, Ngai Weng and Liu, Mengyun and Johnson, Verner Carl},
  title = {Decreasing terrestrial water storage limited the increase of woody plant structure resulting from afforestation in the Loess Plateau, China},
  journal = {Journal of Environmental Management},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.127873},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.127873}
}