Forest conservation and restoration play a crucial role in improving vegetation greening in South China karst. By analyzing land use data and satellite imagery, researchers found that forest conservation covered 821,888 km2 and restoration covered 100,266 km2. Both conservation and restoration efforts contributed significantly to vegetation greening, with conservation accounting for 39.85% and restoration for 6.05%. Interestingly, there was a non-linear relationship between conservation and restoration, showing an inverted U-shape pattern in most provinces. This study provides valuable insights for planning effective ecological engineering projects in the region.