China has launched a major scientific project to strategically manage its forests as four interconnected "pools": for carbon, water, grain, and money.

The high-level initiative, led by the Chinese Academy of Engineering, aims to create a new framework for enhancing the ecological and economic benefits of the nation's forests. The "Strategic Research on Synergistic Quality and Efficiency Improvement of the Four Forest Pools" project was officially inaugurated at a hybrid online and in-person meeting on July 30 at the Qingyuan Forest Research Station in Liaoning province. The project seeks to move beyond viewing forests as a single resource and instead manage them for their combined value.

Academician ZHU Jiaojun, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Applied Ecology, presented the project's overall design. He explained the core concept of treating forests as a "carbon pool" for its role in climate change mitigation, a "water pool" for water resource conservation, a "grain pool" for its capacity to produce food and other resources, and a "money pool" for its direct economic contributions. The research will focus on the synergy between these four functions to promote high-quality development in the forestry sector.

The launch was attended by leading academics and officials from China's top universities, research institutes, and government bodies. In a review session, a panel of experts praised the project's scope and its alignment with national strategic needs. They offered recommendations to further strengthen the research, including sharpening the focus on the "synergistic" effects between the pools, improving carbon accounting across the full life cycle of forest products, and clearly defining the scope of each of the four "pools."

Following the formal launch, participants conducted a field inspection of the Qingyuan research station to observe practical applications of the "four pools" theory. They visited carbon flux monitoring towers (carbon pool), a forest watershed hydrology network (water pool), and demonstration bases for under-forest economic activities (grain and money pools). The project is expected to provide significant strategic support for the future of China's forestry management.

Academician Zhu Jiaojun outlines the 'Four Forest Pools' strategic research project