Abstract Tree planting has been widely implemented worldwide to restore forest area and ecosystem services. While China has become the world’s largest country in terms of planted tree area, it remains unclear whether these tree plantations approximate the close-to-nature 3D structures that are critical for supporting ecosystem services. Using Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) data, in combination with linear mixed model analysis, this study for the first time provides a national-scale assessment of the difference in 3D structure between natural forests and tree plantations in China. We found that natural forests outperform tree plantations in canopy height (ΔRH98 = 0.58 m), foliage height diversity (ΔFHD = 0.06), plant area index (ΔPAI = 0.22), and canopy cover (ΔCover = 0.04). These differences vary across vegetation regions, with the largest ΔRH98, ΔPAI and ΔCover in the Warm Temperate Deciduous Broadleaf Forest Region, whereas the largest ΔFHD was found in the Cold Temperate Coniferous Forest Region. Linear mixed modeling further revealed that ΔPAI and ΔCover decreased under more favorable hydrothermal conditions. Our study revealed structural differences between China’s natural forests and tree plantations, highlighting the importance of selecting suitable sites with favorable environmental conditions for tree plantations and promoting close-to-nature management practice to support their ecosystem services.
Bai et al. (Tue,) studied this question.