New research suggests that there are about 100 trees for every person in China. (Photo credit: zhihao/Getty Images)
According to recent estimates, there are 142.6 billion trees in China, which means there are about 100 trees per capita.
Those numbers are impressive given China's high population density, an expert told Live Science. However, the overall estimate may be an underestimate due to limitations in the technology used to count trees, the authors of the new study said.
“The actual number may be higher,” said Qinghua Guo, a professor at Peking University’s Institute of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System and lead author of the study. China’s ninth national forest inventory, conducted in 2019, recorded an average of 426 trees per acre (1,052 trees/ha) across the country, significantly higher than the new study’s estimate of 279 trees per acre (689 trees/ha), Guo told Live Science.
The true number of trees could be somewhere in between, he said, but more research is needed to determine the exact number.
Accurately estimating the number of trees in China is key to understanding the health of the forest ecosystem and the amount of carbon that can be sequestered by trees, Guo said. He and his team have also created a detailed map of the distribution of trees in China, which they believe will help the country meet its environmental and climate goals.
“This study represents the first high-precision mapping of tree density across China,” Guo said. “Ultimately, the results of this study contribute to China's approach to global sustainable ecosystem management and restoration.”
To get the estimate, the researchers used a laser mapping technology known as lidar (light detection and ranging). The team has been collecting lidar data using drones since 2015, covering an area of 540 square miles (1,400 square kilometers).
In the new study, the researchers counted the number of trees in the area using artificial intelligence (AI) software called Lidar360. They then extrapolated the data to determine the national number, and the results were published Feb. 6 in the journal Science Bulletin.
Researchers have created a map showing the distribution and density of trees across China.
The technology is advanced, but some aspects need improvement, Guo said. For example, Lidar360 cannot detect trees under dense canopies. “In densely forested areas, overlapping canopies make it difficult to accurately detect medium-sized trees
Sourse: www.livescience.com
