Mapping ecological resource use and supply-consumption difference in China from 2000 to 2020

Net primary production (NPP) is a vital ecological resource essential for ecosystem services and economic development. Human appropriation of NPP (HANPP) measures the aggregate impact of human activities on the biomass produced annually in ecosystems. However, the coarse mapping of HANPP hinders the identification of the spatial dynamics in ecological resources use and the high-pressure areas. Using machine learning, our study annually mapped China’s HANPP at 1 km resolution due to grain, wood and animal production as well as land use changes from 2000 to 2020. High-pressure ecological resource zones expanded, primarily due to livestock farming. The pressure of ecological resources varied along the longitudinal axis. Ecological resource use is generally low in poverty areas. The spatial patterns of the supply-consumption difference of the ecological resources were also mapped, reflecting the spatial flows of ecological resources from poverty areas to non-poverty areas. This promotes the sustainable development in both areas.