| Excessive reliance on afforestation in China's arid and semi-arid regions: lessons in ecological restoration S Cao, L Chen, D Shankman, C Wang, X Wang, H Zhang Earth-Science Reviews 104 (4), 240-245, 2011 | 701 | 2011 |
| Why large-scale afforestation efforts in China have failed to solve the desertification problem S Cao Environmental science & technology 42 (6), 1826-1831, 2008 | 477 | 2008 |
| Impact of China's Grain for Green Project on the landscape of vulnerable arid and semi‐arid agricultural regions: A case study in northern Shaanxi Province S Cao, L Chen, X Yu Journal of Applied Ecology 46 (3), 536-543, 2009 | 459 | 2009 |
| Development and testing of a sustainable environmental restoration policy on eradicating the poverty trap in China's Changting County S Cao, B Zhong, H Yue, H Zeng, J Zeng Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106 (26), 10712-10716, 2009 | 227 | 2009 |
| What has caused desertification in China? Q Feng, H Ma, X Jiang, X Wang, S Cao Scientific reports 5 (1), 15998, 2015 | 212 | 2015 |
| Impact of China's large-scale ecological restoration program on the environment and society in arid and semiarid areas of China: achievements, problems, synthesis, and applications S Cao Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 41 (4), 317-335, 2011 | 207 | 2011 |
| Attitudes of farmers in China's northern Shaanxi Province towards the land-use changes required under the Grain for Green Project, and implications for the project's success S Cao, C Xu, L Chen, X Wang Land use policy 26 (4), 1182-1194, 2009 | 189 | 2009 |
| Damage caused to the environment by reforestation policies in arid and semi-arid areas of China S Cao, T Tian, L Chen, X Dong, X Yu, G Wang Ambio 39, 279-283, 2010 | 159 | 2010 |
| Ecological restoration by afforestation may increase groundwater depth and create potentially large ecological and water opportunity costs in arid and semiarid China C Lu, T Zhao, X Shi, S Cao Journal of Cleaner Production 176, 1213-1222, 2018 | 149 | 2018 |
| Challenges facing China's unbalanced urbanization strategy S Cao, Y Lv, H Zheng, X Wang Land Use Policy 39, 412-415, 2014 | 146 | 2014 |
| Greening china naturally S Cao, G Sun, Z Zhang, L Chen, Q Feng, B Fu, S McNulty, D Shankman, ... Ambio 40, 828-831, 2011 | 136 | 2011 |
| A degradation threshold for irreversible loss of soil productivity: a long‐term case study in China Y Gao, B Zhong, H Yue, B Wu, S Cao Journal of Applied Ecology 48 (5), 1145-1154, 2011 | 135 | 2011 |
| Questionable value of planting thirsty trees in dry regions S Cao, G Wang, L Chen Nature 465 (7294), 31-31, 2010 | 115 | 2010 |
| Impact of three soil types on afforestation in China's Loess Plateau: Growth and survival of six tree species and their effects on soil properties S Cao, L Chen, C Xu, Z Liu Landscape and Urban Planning 83 (2-3), 208-217, 2007 | 110 | 2007 |
| Impacts of the Natural Forest Conservation Program on the livelihoods of residents of Northwestern China: Perceptions of residents affected by the program S Cao, X Wang, Y Song, L Chen, Q Feng Ecological Economics 69 (7), 1454-1462, 2010 | 109 | 2010 |
| Using an ecological economics approach to support the restoration of collapsing gullies in southern China B Zhong, S Peng, Q Zhang, H Ma, S Cao Land Use Policy 32, 119-124, 2013 | 103 | 2013 |
| An investigation of Chinese attitudes toward the environment: Case study using the Grain for Green Project S Cao, L Chen, Z Liu AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment 38 (1), 55-64, 2009 | 100 | 2009 |
| Ecosystem water imbalances created during ecological restoration by afforestation in China, and lessons for other developing countries S Cao, J Zhang, L Chen, T Zhao Journal of Environmental Management 183, 843-849, 2016 | 97 | 2016 |
| Real estate supports rapid development of China's urbanization Z Cai, Q Liu, S Cao Land use policy 95, 104582, 2020 | 96 | 2020 |
| The land finance model jeopardizes China's sustainable development H Zheng, X Wang, S Cao Habitat International 44, 130-136, 2014 | 92 | 2014 |
