In the ongoing fight against climate change, is it better to plant trees or allow nature to do it for us? This is what a recent study published in Nature Climate Change as a team of international researchers investigated the cost-effectiveness of reforestation for mitigating the effects of climate change, specifically regarding whether planting trees or natural reforestation are appropriate measures for this effort. This study holds the potential to help scientists, conservationists, and the public better understand the steps that can be taken to mitigate the effects of climate change, for both the short and long term.
“Trees can play a role in climate change mitigation, for multiple reasons,” said Dr. Jacob Bukoski, who is an Assistant Professor in the Oregon State University College of Forestry and a co-author on the study. “It’s pretty easy to understand that forests pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it, and trees are something pretty much everyone can get behind – we have seen multiple bipartisan acts for tree planting introduced in Congress. This study brings a nuanced perspective to the whole ‘should we plant trees to solve climate change’ debate.”
Image of a forest landscape in Brazil that incorporates planted trees and natural reforestation. (Credit: Jacob Bukoski, Oregon State)
For the study, the researchers used machine learning algorithms to analyze data from 138 low- to middle-income nations to ascertain the cost-effectiveness of planting trees or allowing them to grow naturally over a 30-year-period. In the end, they found that the cost-effectiveness of natural reforestation was suitable for 46 percent of the sites while planting trees was more suitable for 54 percent of the sites. Additionally, the team found that when combining the two methods across all the sites resulted in a 44 percent better cost-effectiveness for natural reforestation and 39 percent better cost-effectiveness for planting trees.
“If your objective is to sequester carbon as quickly and as cheaply as possible, the best option is a mix of both naturally regenerating forests and planting forests.” Dr. Bukoski said.
This study comes as climate change continues to ravage the planet, with July 22 being labeled as the “hottest day in recorded history”.
How will planting trees or natural reforestation help mitigate the effects of climate change in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!
As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!
Sources: Nature Climate Change, EurekAlert!, Oregon State University, The Associated Press