The Grain for Green Project induced land cover change in the Loess Plateau: A case study with Ansai County, Shanxi Province, China

► The rapid land cover changes induced by the Grain for Green Project (GGP) were investigated using multi-temporal Landsat images of 1978, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010. ► The GGP improved the vegetation conditions, indicated by an increase in the coverage of forested land from 12.4% in 1995 to 37.7% in 2010. ► The GGP may benefit soil erosion alleviation and carbon sequestration in the Loess Plateau while its long-term ecological effects need to be further studied.