Accountability of Woody Plants for Restoring Degraded Forest Landscapes and Provision for Ecosystem Services: An Overview

Abstract

AbstractThe woody plants in the forest ecosystem play an important role in delivering various ecosystem functions and services beneficial for the ecosystem and human well-being. Undoubtedly, these multifunctional features of woody plants keep declining due to the exploitation and degradation of forest landscapes for different causes and purposes. In order to re-establish ecosystem services of the restored forest ecosystem, ecological restoration approaches can be an effective tool through afforestation planning and management across the world. The ecosystem services multifunctionality concept has been used widely to evaluate the ecosystem services of various ecosystems and incorporate these values to meet sustainable development goals and conservation planning and management. Therefore, this chapter deals with forest ecosystem services’ accountability and stresses the significance of woody plants for restoring degraded forest ecosystems. Furthermore, an accurate and adequate quantification of ecosystem services could provide a platform to discuss the restoration of degraded ecosystems in the light of ecosystem values for the well-being of biodiversity, including human beings. Similarly, the role of forest ecosystem services quantification in fulfilling sustainable developmental goals stands very high in recent advancements.KeywordsWoody plantsForest ecosystemEcosystem servicesRestorationMultifunctionalityDegradation