Achieving cost-effective landscape-scale forest restoration through targeted natural regeneration

Renato Crouzeilles; Hawthorne L. Beyer; Lara M. Monteiro; Rafael Feltran-Barbieri; Ana C.M. Pessôa; Felipe S.M. Barros; David B. Lindenmayer; Eric D.S.M. Lino; Carlos E.V. Grelle; Robin L. Chazdon; Marcelo Matsumoto; Marcos Rosa; Agnieszka E. Latawiec; Bernardo B.N. Strassburg

doi:10.1111/conl.12709

Achieving cost-effective landscape-scale forest restoration through targeted natural regeneration

Renato Crouzeilles^*, Hawthorne L. Beyer, Lara M. Monteiro, Rafael Feltran-Barbieri, Ana C.M. Pessôa, Felipe S.M. Barros, David B. Lindenmayer, Eric D.S.M. Lino, Carlos E.V. Grelle, Robin L. Chazdon, Marcelo Matsumoto, Marcos Rosa, Agnieszka E. Latawiec, Bernardo B.N. Strassburg

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › peer-review

156 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

High costs of tree planting are a barrier to meeting global forest restoration targets. Natural forest regeneration is more cost-effective than tree planting, but its potential to foster restoration at scale is poorly understood. We predict, map, and quantify natural regeneration potential within 75.5 M ha of deforested lands in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Of 34.1 M ha (26.4%) of current forest cover, 2.7 M ha (8.0%) regenerated naturally from 1996 to 2015. We estimate that another 2.8 M ha could naturally regenerate by 2035, and a further 18.8 M ha could be restored using assisted regeneration methods, thereby reducing implementation costs by US$ 90.6 billion (77%) compared to tree planting. These restored forests could sequester 2.3 GtCO₂ of carbon, reduce the mean number of expected species at risk of extinction by 63.4, and reduce fragmentation by 44% compared to current levels. Natural regeneration planning is key for achieving cost-effective large-scale restoration.

Original language	English
Article number	e12709
Journal	Conservation Letters
Volume	13
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12709
Publication status	Published - 1 May 2020

Access to Document

10.1111/conl.12709

Cite this

Crouzeilles, R., Beyer, H. L., Monteiro, L. M., Feltran-Barbieri, R., Pessôa, A. C. M., Barros, F. S. M., Lindenmayer, D. B., Lino, E. D. S. M., Grelle, C. E. V., Chazdon, R. L., Matsumoto, M., Rosa, M., Latawiec, A. E., & Strassburg, B. B. N. (2020). Achieving cost-effective landscape-scale forest restoration through targeted natural regeneration. Conservation Letters, 13(3), Article e12709. https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12709

@article{883ca728d3644d7c88f5c0d72ea1573f,

title = "Achieving cost-effective landscape-scale forest restoration through targeted natural regeneration",

abstract = "High costs of tree planting are a barrier to meeting global forest restoration targets. Natural forest regeneration is more cost-effective than tree planting, but its potential to foster restoration at scale is poorly understood. We predict, map, and quantify natural regeneration potential within 75.5 M ha of deforested lands in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Of 34.1 M ha (26.4%) of current forest cover, 2.7 M ha (8.0%) regenerated naturally from 1996 to 2015. We estimate that another 2.8 M ha could naturally regenerate by 2035, and a further 18.8 M ha could be restored using assisted regeneration methods, thereby reducing implementation costs by US$ 90.6 billion (77%) compared to tree planting. These restored forests could sequester 2.3 GtCO2 of carbon, reduce the mean number of expected species at risk of extinction by 63.4, and reduce fragmentation by 44% compared to current levels. Natural regeneration planning is key for achieving cost-effective large-scale restoration.",

keywords = "assisted regeneration, conservation planning, restoration targets, tree planting, tropical and subtropical forests",

author = "Renato Crouzeilles and Beyer, {Hawthorne L.} and Monteiro, {Lara M.} and Rafael Feltran-Barbieri and Pess{\^o}a, {Ana C.M.} and Barros, {Felipe S.M.} and Lindenmayer, {David B.} and Lino, {Eric D.S.M.} and Grelle, {Carlos E.V.} and Chazdon, {Robin L.} and Marcelo Matsumoto and Marcos Rosa and Latawiec, {Agnieszka E.} and Strassburg, {Bernardo B.N.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 The Authors. Conservation Letters published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.",

year = "2020",

month = may,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1111/conl.12709",

language = "English",

volume = "13",

journal = "Conservation Letters",

issn = "1755-263X",

publisher = "John Wiley & Sons Inc.",

number = "3",

}

Crouzeilles, R, Beyer, HL, Monteiro, LM, Feltran-Barbieri, R, Pessôa, ACM, Barros, FSM, Lindenmayer, DB, Lino, EDSM, Grelle, CEV, Chazdon, RL, Matsumoto, M, Rosa, M, Latawiec, AE & Strassburg, BBN 2020, 'Achieving cost-effective landscape-scale forest restoration through targeted natural regeneration', Conservation Letters, vol. 13, no. 3, e12709. https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12709

TY - JOUR

T1 - Achieving cost-effective landscape-scale forest restoration through targeted natural regeneration

AU - Crouzeilles, Renato

AU - Beyer, Hawthorne L.

AU - Monteiro, Lara M.

AU - Feltran-Barbieri, Rafael

AU - Pessôa, Ana C.M.

AU - Barros, Felipe S.M.

AU - Lindenmayer, David B.

AU - Lino, Eric D.S.M.

AU - Grelle, Carlos E.V.

AU - Chazdon, Robin L.

AU - Matsumoto, Marcelo

AU - Rosa, Marcos

AU - Latawiec, Agnieszka E.

AU - Strassburg, Bernardo B.N.

PY - 2020/5/1

Y1 - 2020/5/1

N2 - High costs of tree planting are a barrier to meeting global forest restoration targets. Natural forest regeneration is more cost-effective than tree planting, but its potential to foster restoration at scale is poorly understood. We predict, map, and quantify natural regeneration potential within 75.5 M ha of deforested lands in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Of 34.1 M ha (26.4%) of current forest cover, 2.7 M ha (8.0%) regenerated naturally from 1996 to 2015. We estimate that another 2.8 M ha could naturally regenerate by 2035, and a further 18.8 M ha could be restored using assisted regeneration methods, thereby reducing implementation costs by US$ 90.6 billion (77%) compared to tree planting. These restored forests could sequester 2.3 GtCO2 of carbon, reduce the mean number of expected species at risk of extinction by 63.4, and reduce fragmentation by 44% compared to current levels. Natural regeneration planning is key for achieving cost-effective large-scale restoration.

AB - High costs of tree planting are a barrier to meeting global forest restoration targets. Natural forest regeneration is more cost-effective than tree planting, but its potential to foster restoration at scale is poorly understood. We predict, map, and quantify natural regeneration potential within 75.5 M ha of deforested lands in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Of 34.1 M ha (26.4%) of current forest cover, 2.7 M ha (8.0%) regenerated naturally from 1996 to 2015. We estimate that another 2.8 M ha could naturally regenerate by 2035, and a further 18.8 M ha could be restored using assisted regeneration methods, thereby reducing implementation costs by US$ 90.6 billion (77%) compared to tree planting. These restored forests could sequester 2.3 GtCO2 of carbon, reduce the mean number of expected species at risk of extinction by 63.4, and reduce fragmentation by 44% compared to current levels. Natural regeneration planning is key for achieving cost-effective large-scale restoration.

KW - assisted regeneration

KW - conservation planning

KW - restoration targets

KW - tree planting

KW - tropical and subtropical forests

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85079701492&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/conl.12709

DO - 10.1111/conl.12709

M3 - Letter

SN - 1755-263X

VL - 13

JO - Conservation Letters

JF - Conservation Letters

IS - 3

M1 - e12709

ER -

Achieving cost-effective landscape-scale forest restoration through targeted natural regeneration

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this