## 3 Results
### Spatial Pattern and Temporal Trend of Ecosystem Quality  
The terrestrial ecosystems in the GGP region from 2000 to 2010 had an average of 57.33%, 1.91, and 438.65 gC m\({}^{-2}\) in annual \(\mathrm{FVC_{max}}\), \(\mathrm{LAI_{max}}\), and \(\mathrm{NPP_{avg}}\), respectively (Table 5). The spatial patterns of EQ distribution and change are shown in Figure 4, and varied distinctly across the whole restoration area. Higher \(\mathrm{FVC_{max}}\), \(\mathrm{LAI_{max}}\), and \(\mathrm{NPP_{avg}}\) values were distributed in the MHRHG, YGPR, MHRSCHH, LMHRMLYP, and MSRNC (roughly concentrated between 84%-94%, 3-4, and 700-1000 gC m\({}^{-2}\), respectively, all greater than the corresponding annual average value for the whole GGP region), over southern and northeastern China, where most forests are located. Northwestern China showed poor EQ, especially the HGRLP, ASRNC, ASMRYY, and ADRX, and the EQ and vegetated land descended in turn (Figures 4a-c and 5). The spatial changes of annual \(\mathrm{FVC_{max}}\) and \(\mathrm{LAI_{max}}\) from 2000 to 2010 basically followed the same spatial pattern as distributions--gradually decreasing from southeast to northwest overall--but differed in some areas. For example, the eastern HGRLP, central and southwest of MSRNC, where lower \(\mathrm{FVC_{max}}\) and \(\mathrm{LAI_{max}}\) values were concentrated, had positive changes; the northwestern ADRX, where higher \(\mathrm{FVC_{max}}\) and \(\mathrm{LAI_{max}}\) values were found, however, was getting worse (Figure 4a,b,d,e). In relation to annual \(\mathrm{NPP_{avg}}\) change, the slope declined from the center (eastern HGRLP and northern MHRSCHH) to the periphery in general, and the southern subregions suffered a more severe loss of \(\mathrm{NPP_{avg}}\), whereas the northern subregions had improved (Figure 4c,f). \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Period**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Forest**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Grassland**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Wetland**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Cropland**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Artificial Land**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Other Types**} \\ \hline \multirow{8}{*}{2000–2005} & Forest & 2,221,698 & 3377 & 721 & 6362 & 1021 & 318 \\ \cline{2-8}  & Grassland & 7208 & 1,951,219 & 1971 & 7794 & 1457 & 797 \\ \cline{2-8}  & Wetland & 559 & 1473 & 188,013 & 3369 & 424 & 912 \\ \cline{2-8}  & Cropland & 11,774 & 10,866 & 2838 & 1,378,212 & 8637 & 515 \\ \cline{2-8}  & Artificial land & 167 & 192 & 40 & 671 & 116,053 & 13 \\ \cline{2-8}  & Other types land & 957 & 1867 & 1572 & 1240 & 667 & 1,482,015 \\ \hline \multirow{8}{*}{2005–2010} & Forest & 2,207,645 & 9875 & 1649 & 20,204 & 1850 & 1126 \\ \cline{2-8}  & Grassland & 16,861 & 1,931,738 & 2375 & 13,404 & 2608 & 2004 \\ \cline{2-8}  & Wetland & 733 & 1731 & 186,901 & 4091 & 658 & 1054 \\ \cline{2-8}  & Cropland & 23,784 & 10,651 & 3800 & 1,343,690 & 14,936 & 722 \\ \cline{2-8}  & Artificial land & 489 & 442 & 177 & 4564 & 122,560 & 28 \\ \cline{2-8}  & Other types land & 1233 & 2538 & 1766 & 1160 & 627 & 1,477,253 \\ \hline \multirow{8}{*}{2000–2010} & Forest & 2,191,766 & 10310 & 2124 & 24,896 & 3136 & 1249 \\ \cline{2-8}  & Grassland & 20,824 & 1,919,914 & 3632 & 19,848 & 3982 & 2241 \\ \cline{2-8}  & Wetland & 1025 & 2489 & 182,188 & 6597 & 1053 & 1382 \\ \cline{1-1} \cline{2-8}  & Cropland & 34,660 & 19,994 & 5752 & 1,329,406 & 21,975 & 989 \\ \cline{1-1} \cline{2-8}  & Artificial land & 449 & 440 & 178 & 4258 & 111,770 & 33 \\ \cline{1-1} \cline{2-8}  & Other types land & 2019 & 3829 & 2773 & 2107 & 1300 & 1,476,289 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} Note: Each row denotes the LULC transfer source, and each column denotes the LULC transfer destination.  
\end{table} 
Table 4: LULC transfer matrix of the Grain for Green Program (GGP) area from 2000–2010 (km\({}^{2}\)).