Planting trees is vital to mitigating the effects of climate change, protecting biodiversity and achieving sustainable development goals (as long as it’s done correctly). forests traps and ‘sequesters’ atmospheric carbon Excessive amounts threaten the planet. Now scientists have discovered that forests consisting of a variety of tree species are particularly effective This is for CO2 capture, as different species with complementary traits can increase overall carbon storage.
Compared to single-species forests, Mixed forests are also more resistant to pests, diseases and climate disturbancesThis increases the potential for long-term carbon storage. The provision of other ecosystem services is also greater in multispecies forests, supporting higher levels of biodiversity.
Although the benefits of various forest systems are well known, Restoration projects undertaken by many countries and companies focus on monoculture plantations. Given this, an international team of scientists compared the carbon reserves in forests consisting of various tree species with those obtained in monoculture plantations. The result of the study was published Boundaries and Global Change in Forests.
“Forests with a diversity of trees store more carbon than monocultures: more than 70%.”“We also found the greatest increase in carbon storage compared to monocultures in the four-species mixture,” said Emily Warner, a postdoctoral researcher in Ecology and Biodiversity Sciences at the University of Oxford’s Department of Biology and first author of the study.
Better results with 4 species than with 6 species
The researchers analyzed studies published since 1975 that directly compared carbon storage in mixed and single-species forests and combined this with previously unpublished data from a global network of tree diversity experiments. “We wanted to collect and evaluate existing evidence to determine whether forest diversification provides benefits in terms of carbon storage,” Warner said.
Mixed forests evaluated in the study These included a variety of trees ranging from two to six species.. According to the results obtained by scientists, mixtures of four species turned out to be the most effective carbon sinks. One of these mixtures was created Different broadleaf trees that can be found throughout Europe.
On the other hand, mixtures made with both species showed more success in capturing more carbon than monocultures and stored ones. up to 35% more carbon than these. But surprisingly, six-species forests showed no clear advantage over monocultures.
Up to 70% more efficiency
As a result, the researchers were able to show that forest diversification improves carbon storage. Total, Aboveground carbon stocks in mixed forests were 70% higher than in monocultures. The researchers also found that mixed forests have 77% higher carbon stocks than commercial monocultures, which often consist of species specifically selected to have high yields.
“As pressure to plant trees increases, our study highlights that mixed-species plantations will increase carbon storage. among other benefits resulting from diversification of planted forests.” said senior forest restoration scientist Susan Cook-Patton Nature Conservation and collaborator of the study.
IThe results are particularly relevant for forest managersThese indicate a productivity incentive for new forest planting, the researchers said.
Although research shows that mixed forests have a greater potential to store more carbon, the researchers caution that their study is not without limitations: Studies comparing mixed forests with monocultures are limited.especially studies on forests that are older and have higher tree diversity.
“This study demonstrates the potential for diversification of planted forests, as well as the need for long-term experimental data to investigate the mechanisms behind our results,” Warner said. “There is an urgent need to study how the carbon storage benefits of diversification vary depending on factors such as location, species used and forest age,” he added.
Reference work: DOI: 10.3389/ffgc.2023.1226514
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