China’s campaign to plant 66 billion trees since 1978 has transformed vast areas of the country. Now, a new study suggests those planted trees in China are growing faster than natural forests, potentially strengthening their role in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Researchers found that forests established through China’s large-scale reforestation programs respond more strongly to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide than natural forests. The findings suggest forest age and management practices both contribute to faster growth.
The tree-planting effort is part of China’s “Great Green Wall,” a long-running project designed to slow the expansion of the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts. China plans to plant another 34 billion trees by the middle of this century, making it one of the world’s largest reforestation programs.
Researchers compare planted and natural forests
Led by Yuhang Luo of Peking University in Shenzhen, the research examined how differences between planted and natural forests influence growth and carbon uptake. The team focused on factors such as forest age, tree species diversity and management practices while also evaluating whether current climate models accurately represent these differences.
Researchers analyzed satellite data to measure the leaf area index, an indicator of canopy density that reflects a forest’s photosynthetic activity and its potential to absorb carbon dioxide. The analysis showed that planted forests expanded their leaf area 66% faster than natural forests.
Younger forests drive faster growth
Most of the difference was explained by age. Planted forests are generally younger, and younger trees grow more rapidly than older ones. Even after accounting for age and growing conditions, planted forests still increased their leaf area 4.6% faster than natural forests. The advantage was greatest in mixed and evergreen forests.
China's massive reforestation campaign may be paying off faster than expected. A new study found forests planted through China's 66 billion-tree program are growing faster than natural forests, partly because younger, actively managed trees respond more strongly to rising CO₂ pic.twitter.com/yBkPtEcM3s
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) July 1, 2026
Researchers said management practices also played an important role. Planted forests often contain fast-growing species such as eucalyptus and poplar.
Forest managers also reduce competition by removing surrounding vegetation and, in some cases, applying fertilizers. These practices allow trees to make more effective use of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Growth advantage fades as forests mature
The study found that the growth advantage peaks at about 30 to 40 years old in planted forests before declining. Natural forests, although slower to develop, continue storing carbon more steadily over longer periods, making them important for long-term climate resilience.
Kevin Dsouza, who studied reforestation models during his postdoctoral research at the University of Waterloo and was not involved in the study, said the findings are consistent with expectations because young forests typically develop dense canopies.
However, he cautioned that leaf area alone does not fully measure carbon storage since carbon is also stored in trunks, branches, bark, roots and soil. He also noted that previous research found natural forests can accumulate more above-ground carbon than planted forests during their early years.
Researchers call for better climate models
Luo said the findings suggest many global climate models do not fully account for differences between planted and natural forests. He said successful reforestation depends not only on planting more trees, but also on choosing suitable species, planting them at the right time and managing forests throughout their life cycle.
The researchers said improving climate models to better reflect forest type, age and management could lead to more accurate estimates of carbon sequestration and help guide future reforestation efforts. They said a better understanding of these factors could strengthen climate policies and improve the long-term benefits of forest restoration projects worldwide.
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