Land degradation and restoration is one of the greatest challenges in subtropical hilly regions. In Southern China, the area of hilly red soil region accounts for 2.0×10~6 km~2. During recent decades, as a result of increasing demand for firewood, timber and food——human disturbance has destroyed vegetation in the region. Due to the vegetation destruction, the region was given the name, “red desert”. As a result, restoring vegetation and improving soil quality became urgent affairs of the region. It is very ...