Stand of Salix matsudana, indigenous willow of Inner mongolia, with a typical shape resulting from constant pruning by local farmers. The year-old boughs and twigs are cut every spring and autumn for fodder and winnowing purposes. - - Afforestation, Forest Research Planning & Development in the Three-North Region: GCP/CPR/009/BEL. Since 1978 China has been implementing a massive rehabilitation programme aimed at afforestation of more than 35 million h a. over a 73-year period in the arid and sub-arid belt of Northwest, North and Northeast China, the so-called Three-North Region. T