The Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) convened a launch meeting in Beijing on May 27 for a new CAS Strategic Priority Research Program for Basic and Interdisciplinary Frontier Research titled Formation Mechanisms and Quality Improvement of Low-Quality and Low-Efficiency Forests in the Three-North Region.

The program aims to address scientific challenges associated with the restoration and management of forests established under China's Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, one of the country's largest ecological conservation projects. By investigating why some shelter forests exhibit low productivity and poor ecological performance, researchers hope to develop strategies for improving forest quality and enhancing the long-term effectiveness of ecological restoration efforts.

The meeting brought together officials from the CAS Bureau of Sustainable Development Research, members of the program's advisory panel, and more than 50 researchers and project participants. The expert panel was led by researcher FU Bojie of the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, CAS, and included specialists from leading research institutes and universities across the country.

ZHANG Dawei, deputy director-general of the CAS Bureau of Sustainable Development Research, said the program represents one of the academy's highest-level research initiatives and should deliver high-quality scientific outcomes that effectively support China's ecological conservation and sustainable development goals.

REN Xiaobo, head of the bureau's Division of Atmosphere, Ocean and Ecological Environment, noted that the research is expected to provide important scientific support for the Three-North Shelterbelt Program and the country's broader ecological security strategy. He also stressed the importance of advancing scientific research, talent development and platform construction as mutually reinforcing priorities.

ZHU Jiaojun, director of the Institute of Applied Ecology, described the program as an important opportunity to strengthen scientific support for national ecological projects. He encouraged the research team to focus on producing major scientific achievements while fostering high-level research talent, adding that the program should be implemented in strict accordance with the academy's overall planning and management requirements.

During the meeting, program leader WANG Xugao, project leaders YANG Jian, SONG Lining and ZHENG Xiao, together with the leaders of nine research tasks, presented their implementation plans, covering scientific objectives, research approaches, organizational arrangements and expected outcomes.

Following the presentations, the advisory panel conducted a comprehensive review of the program. The experts agreed that the initiative addresses pressing national demands and offered recommendations on scientific priorities, technical pathways, evaluation indicators and project management.

In summarizing the discussion, FU Bojie emphasized that the program should focus on achieving breakthroughs in understanding the mechanisms behind the formation of low-quality forests and closely integrate research with local ecological conditions. He suggested developing demonstration models in representative regions, distinguishing between different types of shelter forests and sandy lands, and formulating targeted management strategies for different restoration scenarios. According to FU, deeper mechanistic research will provide stronger support for large-scale forest and grassland restoration projects.

Members of the research team said the launch meeting helped establish a common understanding of its scientific goals and strategic significance, and they will further refine its work plans based on the experts' recommendations, with the aim of producing major original scientific achievements and contributing to the high-quality development of the Three-North Shelterbelt Program and China's ecological conservation efforts.

Figure 1. Leaders and Experts Present at the Meeting