Abstract: Different problems in “Conversion of Farmland to Forestland” exist in different regions. Ecological restoration in the upper reaches of Yangtze River, which belongs to disturbed mountainous region, needs to be examined from different perspectives and scales. As a challenge, the restoration projects may be contradictory in maintaining ecological system and exploration, and may have different effects on different groups of people. By analyzing the complexity of upper Minjiang River Valley, the ecological effect of reforestation was discussed in different case study areas. The results showed that the biodiversity and soil quality increased in the wellreforested land. It is suggested that human intervention is needed in reforestation. With the social and economical investigation, suggestions were put forward to solve problems in “Conversion of Farmland to Forestland”.

Key words: conversion of farmland to forestland, ecological restoration, upper Minjiang River Valley, artificial forest