The vegetation of the Taihang Mountains was dominated by grass with less than 10％ forested area during the last pleniglacial. During the period of 17 000－ 10 000 a B.P. the forested area reached to 20％ － 30％ , and reached to 20％ － 40％ during the Early Holocene in the period of 10 000－ 8 000 a B.P. followed by the temperature increasing rapidly. But the northern part had more forested area than that of the southern part. During the period of 8000－ 5000 a B.P. forests developed further to 50％ or more. It was the highest period of the forest cover degree. After then, the forests began to be destroyed first in the southern part of the Taihang Mountains by people. Since 2500 a B.P. the forests were destroyed deadly. The forest cover decreased to less than 5％ before 1949. Since 1949 , although the government hold the policy of close hillsides to facilitate afforestation, the forest cover of Taihang Mountains could not exceed 11.6％ . So afforestation is an important work to keep economic and ecological sustainable development.
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