High-resolution distribution map of apple orchards in China based on multisource data.
Xie W, Song Y, Cui X, Yan X, Song S
Crop Mapping
PubMedChina grows more apples than any other country, and knowing exactly where those orchards are helps scientists predict how climate change could affect the apples you find in your grocery store — and plan how farming regions might need to shift in coming decades.
Scientists built a highly detailed map showing where every apple orchard in China is located, something that had never been done before at this scale. They used satellite images and data about when apple trees bloom and fruit to tell orchards apart from other land. The resulting map is so accurate it matches up well with official government farming statistics, making it a powerful tool for understanding China's apple industry.
Key Findings
The map covers 96% of China's total apple orchard area at a fine 30-meter resolution for the period 2019–2021.
The dataset achieved an overall accuracy of 87% in correctly identifying orchard locations.
Municipal-level orchard area estimates from the map correlated strongly with official statistics, with R² values between 0.892 and 0.925.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers created the first detailed national map of apple orchards across China at 30-meter resolution, covering nearly all of the country's apple-growing areas. This dataset helps track how apple farming is distributed and changing over time, which is critical for understanding food security and climate impacts on one of the world's most important fruit crops.
Abstract Preview
China is the world's leading apple producer and vital to global fruit supply and food security. Apple production depends on yield and planting area, both strongly influenced by climate. Regional cl...
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An apple is the round, edible fruit of an apple tree. Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple, the most widely grown in the genus, are cultivated worldwide. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, is still found. Apples have been grown for thousands of ...