Scientists at the University of Oxford have shown in a 20-year experiment that planting a combination of different saplings in place of cleared tropical forests accelerates their recovery. The research was published in the journal Science Developments.
Using satellite images, scientists compared the restoration of 125 different areas of cleared rainforest on the islands of Borneo (Malaysia). The results showed that areas planted with a mix of 16 native tree species improved canopy area and total tree biomass faster than areas planted with one to four tree species.
But even areas planted with a single tree species recovered faster than those left to regenerate naturally.
According to the researchers, the possible reason for this result may be that different tree species complement each other, improving the overall functioning and stability of the ecosystem. For example, some tropical tree species are more resilient to drought because they produce greater amounts of preservatives that make the forest resilient to periodically low rainfall.
“Importantly, our results show that cleared forests can recover as long as they are not converted to agricultural uses, such as palm oil plantations. They also highlight the need to preserve biodiversity in intact forests so we can restore biodiversity in already deforested areas,” said lead author Ryan Veriard.
Tropical forests cover only 6% of the planet’s land surface, but are home to approximately 80% of known species and serve as important sinks for greenhouse gases. Between 2004 and 2017, 43 million hectares of tropical forest were lost.
previously scientist said About the amount of forest illegally cut down in Russia every year.