Re/afforestation Potential

Notes:

Excerpts:

“The restoration of forested land at a global scale could help capture atmospheric carbon and mitigate climate change. Bastin et al. used direct measurements of forest cover to generate a model of forest restoration potential across the globe (see the Perspective by Chazdon and Brancalion). Their spatially explicit maps show how much additional tree cover could exist outside of existing forests and agricultural and urban land. Ecosystems could support an additional 0.9 billion hectares of continuous forest. This would represent a greater than 25% increase in forested area, including more than 200 gigatonnes of additional carbon at maturity.Such a change has the potential to store an equivalent of 25% of the current atmospheric carbon pool.”

Contains an interview with Tom Crowther in which he describes his research on global reforestation potential.

Excerpts:

“New analysis from WRI shows that… the United States has ample room to restore trees to the landscape beyond current rates of replanting — up to 60 billion new trees by 2040 if we use all suitable land across the country without reducing food production. Those trees could remove up to 540 million tons of carbon dioxide per year from the atmosphere, equal to nearly 10% of the country’s annual net greenhouse gas emissions, or all annual emissions from U.S. agriculture.”

“Restocking forests, for example by replanting after timber harvests or controlling competition from invasive species, can store more carbon in existing forests — especially in the eastern United States, where wildfires pose a smaller risk.”

“Not all cropland is suitable for agroforestry, but in certain areas planting trees between rows of crops, around the edges of fields or along streams can provide a host of environmental and economic benefits to farmers while removing carbon from the atmosphere. (All in all) cropland agroforestry practices can incorporate 2 billion trees.”

“Urban reforestation initiatives can plant 400 million trees. (While) the total number of trees cities can plant is small relative to opportunities in other places. But expanding tree cover in urban areas can also clean the air and provide a healthier quality of life for residents, while benefiting the climate by cooling urban “heat islands” and reducing energy demand for air conditioning in homes and businesses.”

“Trees in the United States already provide $6.8 billion in health benefits every year by filtering pollution from the air, on top of additional benefits from cleaner water, wildlife habitat and forest industries.”

Notes:

Excepts:

“One and a half billion hectares would be best-suited for mosaic restoration, in which forests and trees are combined with other land uses, including agroforestry, smallholder agriculture, and settlements.”

“Up to about half a billion hectares would be suitable for wide-scale restoration of closed forests.”

“In addition to these two billion hectares, there are 200 million hectares of unpopulated lands, mainly in the far northern boreal forests, that have been degraded by fire. These areas would likely be difficult to restore due to their remoteness.”

Excerpts:

“Biggest pools in above-ground live tree and soils (70%-80% for every eco- region).”

“State average ~ 90 metric tons/of carbon per acre. West Cascades and Coast Range eco-regions highest tons of carbon per acre. (130 C tons/ac). Blue Mountain and East Cascades eco-regions lowest (63 C tons/ac).”