Urgent need for updating the slogan of global climate actions from 'tree planting' to 'restore native vegetation'
Publikation: Beiträge in Zeitschriften › Zeitschriftenaufsätze › Forschung › begutachtet
Authors
The prevailing nature-based solution to tackle climate change is tree planting. However, there is growing evidence that it has serious contraindications in many regions. The main shortcoming of global tree planting is its awareness disparity to alternative ecosystem types, mainly grasslands. Grasslands, where they constitute the natural vegetation, may support higher biodiversity and a safer, soil-locked carbon stock than plantations and other forests. We suggest replacing “tree planting” by “restore native vegetation.” This improved action terminology reduces the risks of inappropriate afforestation and, by diversifying target ecosystem types, does not reduce but increases potential land area for nature-based climate mitigation.
| Originalsprache | Englisch |
|---|---|
| Aufsatznummer | e13594 |
| Zeitschrift | Restoration Ecology |
| Jahrgang | 30 |
| Ausgabenummer | 3 |
| Anzahl der Seiten | 4 |
| ISSN | 1061-2971 |
| DOIs | |
| Publikationsstatus | Erschienen - 01.03.2022 |
Bibliographische Notiz
Funding Information:
The authors were supported by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office of Hungary (PD132131—C.T., K119225—P.T.) and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Momentum Program) during manuscript writing. C.T. was also supported by the Bolyai János Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. A.H. was supported by the Estonian Research Council (PRG874) and by the European Regional Development Fund (Centre of Excellence Ecolchange). VMT was supported by the State of Lower Saxony, Germany. The help of G. Overbeck, F. A. O. Silveira and four anonymous reviewers improving the former manuscript drafts are greatly acknowledged.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Society for Ecological Restoration.
- Ökosystemforschung - afforestation, biodiversity loss, climate mitigation, EU Biodiversity Strategy, forest restoration, grassland restoration, tree planting, Bonn Challenge, Trillion trees