NEW YORK, BRONX (ORDO News) — As the climate crisis worsens, there has been a surge in commercial tree planting to offset excess carbon emissions.
However, a recently published peer-reviewed paper in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution raises concerns about the potential risks these carbon-neutral plantations pose to biodiversity and various ecosystem processes. The authors argue that rather than focusing solely on tree planting, efforts should be directed toward preserving and restoring intact ecosystems.
According to the authors, society has reduced the value of tropical ecosystems, including forests, grasslands and savannas, to just one indicator – carbon.
Although these ecosystems provide a wide range of ecosystem functions and services, including maintaining water quality, soil health, and pollination, they are often considered suitable locations for tree planting due to their climatic and physical features that promote rapid tree growth and carbon sequestration.
However, the authors highlight that planting trees to sequester carbon does not always conserve biodiversity or increase socio-economic benefits.
Carbon sequestration plantations are typically monocultures dominated by a few tree species, grown for logging, pulp or agroforestry purposes. Lack of diversity can lead to a decrease in overall biodiversity and negatively impact the health of ecosystems.
Moreover, the authors argue that even ambitious commitments to create carbon sequestration plantations will have limited effectiveness in sequestering carbon. They argue that the current trend of tree planting focused on carbon sequestration is leading to large-scale biotic and functional homogenization with minimal carbon gains.
To absorb just one year of emissions, an area equivalent to the combined area of the US, UK, China and Russia would need to be reforested.
Interestingly, tropical grasslands and savannas already serve as carbon sinks if left undisturbed. These ecosystems store significant amounts of carbon underground, which is less susceptible to disturbances such as drought and fires than above-ground carbon storage in tree stands.
Afforestation of these areas will result in the loss of these valuable underground carbon sinks.
In conclusion, while tree planting initiatives may seem like an effective solution to combat climate change, the potential risks they pose to biodiversity and ecosystems must be considered.
The authors of the article advocate a shift towards the conservation and restoration of intact ecosystems, rather than the creation of tree plantations with a narrow focus on carbon sequestration.
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News agencies contributed to this report, edited and published by ORDO News editors.
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