TY - JOUR

T1 - Stakeholders’ Perspectives of Species Diversity in Tree Plantations

T2 - a Global Review

AU - Cagnoni, Leticia Bulascoschi

AU - Weidlich, Emanuela W.A.

AU - Guillemot, Joannès

AU - Morselo, Carla

AU - Weih, Martin

AU - Adler, Anneli

AU - Brancalion, Pedro H.S.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

PY - 2023/8

Y1 - 2023/8

N2 - Purpose of Review: Increasing the diversity of commercial tree plantations is a promising approach to adapt forests to climate change, but it may complicate management. Here, we evaluate stakeholders’ perspectives about tree-species diversity in plantations and explore policy alternatives to make mixed plantations a viable strategy for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Recent Findings: Current evidence shows that improving the diversity of tree species in plantations can be a viable, scalable, and economically accessible strategy for sustainable wood production and reconciling economic and environmental benefits. Tree diversity is particularly important in the context of global environmental changes and associated increases in abiotic and biotic stresses, such as severe droughts and pest outbreaks. Even though there is substantial scientific evidence supporting mixed-tree plantations, most forest plantations globally are still conventional monocultures. Summary: Our findings (i) describe the geographical distribution of publications investigating human perspectives about forest plantation diversity; (ii) build understanding of how political engagement and governance systems can support forest initiatives on forest conservation, management, and restoration; and (iii) demonstrate how these perspectives can create possibilities and opportunities for sustainable development in forestry. We conclude that new strategies will only be widely applied if there is political and institutional interest, particularly in strengthening land-governance systems.

AB - Purpose of Review: Increasing the diversity of commercial tree plantations is a promising approach to adapt forests to climate change, but it may complicate management. Here, we evaluate stakeholders’ perspectives about tree-species diversity in plantations and explore policy alternatives to make mixed plantations a viable strategy for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Recent Findings: Current evidence shows that improving the diversity of tree species in plantations can be a viable, scalable, and economically accessible strategy for sustainable wood production and reconciling economic and environmental benefits. Tree diversity is particularly important in the context of global environmental changes and associated increases in abiotic and biotic stresses, such as severe droughts and pest outbreaks. Even though there is substantial scientific evidence supporting mixed-tree plantations, most forest plantations globally are still conventional monocultures. Summary: Our findings (i) describe the geographical distribution of publications investigating human perspectives about forest plantation diversity; (ii) build understanding of how political engagement and governance systems can support forest initiatives on forest conservation, management, and restoration; and (iii) demonstrate how these perspectives can create possibilities and opportunities for sustainable development in forestry. We conclude that new strategies will only be widely applied if there is political and institutional interest, particularly in strengthening land-governance systems.

KW - Biodiversity

KW - Climate change

KW - Forestry

KW - Mixed tree plantations

KW - Ecosystems Research

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85165175742&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s40725-023-00194-1

DO - 10.1007/s40725-023-00194-1

M3 - Scientific review articles

AN - SCOPUS:85165175742

VL - 9

SP - 251

EP - 262

JO - Current Forestry Reports

JF - Current Forestry Reports

SN - 2198-6436

IS - 4

ER -