Reducing Forest Fragmentation in Yunnan Province Dominated by Afforestation Projects

As a critical ecological security barrier, Yunnan Province has significantly reduced forest fragmentation through ecological restoration programs in recent years. However, the optimization process of the forest landscape and the most effective ecological restoration projects remain unclear. Our study combined land use data with 13 driving factors, including meteorological and socioeconomic data, to analyze the spatial distribution, temporal dynamics, and key ecological restoration programs of forest fragmentation using dynamic and static indexes, morphological spatial pattern analysis, boosted regression tree models, and partitioned statistical methods. We found that over the past 30 years, FF has significantly decreased. Fragmentation was higher before 2000 but has steadily declined, with eastern regions more fragmented than western areas. Forest landscapes have transitioned from degradation to recovery, with core forest areas expanding by 6997.72 km2. Afforestation was the main driver, adding 238,109.21 km2 of forest cover, while reforestation contributed 17,254.47 km2, improving patch size and connectivity. Regionally, the southwest has lower fragmentation due to ample rainfall and reforestation efforts, while central and northeastern areas face higher fragmentation from drought, human activities, and urban expansion. Our study offers a scientific basis for formulating effective ecological restoration policies.