Should tree plantations count toward reforestation goals? It’s complicated

Recent publication on pantropical plantation expansion by LCLUCer Mathew Fagan got Media coverage in Mongabay.

Highlights 

• Globally, tree-planting projects are becoming all the rage, but many are counting on old habits of planting monoculture plantations and calling them forests.
• Still, some researchers say there are ways to make plantation trees aid in actual restoration projects, including innovative projects in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil.
• Reforestation and restoration projects will require monitoring and scrutiny to make sure they are living up to their commitments in regard to both climate and biodiversity.

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Aerial view of a landscape containing native forest in the process of natural regeneration in the understory of eucalyptus plantation (south of the image), regeneration under dead standing eucalyptus trees (center-west), regeneration under 50% dead standing eucalyptus trees (center-east) and regeneration with complete removal of eucalyptus (center). The area is located in “Parque das Neblinas”, in Mogi das Cruzes-SP and demonstrates the potential of using the natural regeneration technique to form “new forests”. Image courtesy of Paulo Guilherme Molin/Federal University of São Carlos.