Despite over-harvesting of timber, there continues to be a persistent shortage of wood products within China. One third of China's land area, about 3.2 million square kilometers, is suffering from the effect of desertification. Most such land areas, roughly 70 percent, have been classified as lightly or moderately desertified. The remaining areas have been classified as seriously desertified. Desertification continues at a high rate.
Some areas are more susceptible than others.
Crop and range lands fall in this category. Over-exploitation of the land and in particular unsustainable agricultural and range management practices are primary causes of desertification. Only one percent of desertification is attributed to activities such as mining, transportation and other industrial projects. In southern China, deforestation and slopeland reclamation have been blamed for one-third of the desertified land area. About 20 percent has been attributed to improper afforestation.