China’s decades-long push to expand its forests has transformed large parts of the country. Since 1949, forest cover has risen from roughly 10% to more than 25%, with vast areas of land brought under vegetation. The effort has helped tackle desertification, reduce erosion and improve the landscape in regions that were once severely degraded. But a new study suggests that there may be another side to this environmental success story: changing the amount of vegetation has also altered how water moves across China.
