Reforestation Methods Research Articles

A mix of reforestation methods offers more cost-effective climate mitigation

A mix of reforestation methods offers more cost-effective climate mitigation

Cost-effectiveness of natural forest regeneration and plantations for climate mitigation

Mitigating climate change cost-effectively requires identifying least-cost-per-ton GHG abatement methods. Here, we estimate and map GHG abatement cost (US$ per tCO2) for two common reforestation methods: natural regeneration and plantations. We do so by producing and integrating new maps of implementation costs and opportunity costs of reforestation, likely plantation genus and carbon accumulation by means of natural regeneration and plantations, accounting for storage in harvested wood products. We find natural regeneration (46%) and plantations (54%) would each have lower abatement cost across about half the area considered suitable for reforestation of 138 low- and middle-income countries. Using the more cost-effective method at each location, the 30 year, time-discounted abatement potential of reforestation below US$50 per tCO2 is 31.4 GtCO2 (24.2–34.3 GtCO2 below US$20–100 per tCO2)—44% more than natural regeneration alone or 39% more than plantations alone. We find that reforestation offers 10.3 (2.8) times more abatement below US$20 per tCO2 (US$50 per tCO2) than the most recent IPCC estimate.

Identifying the best method for restoring dung beetle biodiversity and function in the early stages of rainforest restoration

With less than half of the world's tropical forests remaining, ecological restoration is urgently needed to halt biodiversity loss. However, the efficacy of different active reforestation methods remains largely untested particularly with respect to the recovery of fauna during the early years of restoration. Here, we present the results of a long‐term restoration project in the Australian Wet Tropics after 6 years of planting. Using dung beetles as bioindicators of restoration success, we investigated how the diversity and density of trees in experimental plots influence the recovery of dung beetle diversity and their ecological functions (dung removal and secondary seed dispersal). We found that after only 6 years since planting, a native dung beetle community, representing around 41% of the species found in the adjacent rainforest, has colonized the experimental plots. Plots with the highest diversity of trees (24 species planted) showed higher dung beetle diversity, dung removal, and seed dispersal but only when the density of trees on the plots was low. These plots also have higher species richness, diversity, and abundance of rainforest species, while the opposite trend was found for open‐habitat species. Therefore, planting a higher diversity of trees appears to be the best method for the early recovery of rainforest dung beetle communities and their functions. This is particularly crucial at low tree density, which is a common issue in active restoration projects as tree mortality is relatively high in the early years.

A Novel Method of Boreal Zone Reforestation/Afforestation Estimation Using PALSAR-1,2 and Landsat-5,8 Data

Nowadays, global remote sensing studies of tropical forest parameters are relevant for assessing carbon sequestration, whereas boreal forests receive little attention. This is due to the current idea that forests with greater aboveground biomass absorb more carbon. However, new research indicates that rapidly growing young forests take up more carbon than mature ones. Therefore, it is necessary to develop universal methods of remote reforestation/afforestation monitoring. The existing reforestation methods rely on the separate analysis of multispectral optical images and radar data. Here, we propose a method for analyzing the joint dynamics of NDVI (or the Normalized Burn Ratio, NBR) and the radar vegetation index (RVI) on a 2D plot for a test reforestation site. NDVI and NBR time series were derived from Landsat-5,8 data, and the RVI was derived from ALOS-1,2 and PALSAR-1,2 for 2007–2020 using the resources of Google Earth Engine. The quantitative parameters to evaluate the degree of reforestation and changes in the species composition of young trees have been suggested. The suggested method enables a more thorough evaluation of reforestation by measuring the coupled dynamics of the projective cover of young trees and aboveground biomass.

Designing synergies between hybrid renewable energy systems and ecosystems developed by different afforestation approaches

In this study, we explore the possibility of techno-ecological synergy (TES) based sustainable design of hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES) and their surrounding ecosystems to mitigate emissions. We consider an HRES system with a photovoltaic cell, wind turbine, fuel cell, electrolyzer, and diesel generator. The NO2 and CO2 emissions from HRES have been conventionally treated using a selective catalytic reactor and monoethanolamine (MEA), respectively. However, a forest ecosystem can naturally uptake NO2 and CO2. Therefore, we have considered the forest ecosystem as an additional unit operation in this study and its growth dynamics have been incorporated in the system design. Thus, we analyze two approaches to remediate emissions from the HRES: (1) technological approach — SCR and MEA, (2) TES approach — forest ecosystem in tandem with technology. Unlike previous TES design studies, we focus on cities in India and compare a traditional method for forest restoration and a faster Miyawaki method considering their growth dynamics. Furthermore, we consider the case of social forestry, which is relevant in developing countries. Here, the trees are pruned, which increases the pollution uptake rate. We find that the emission abatement technology cannot be removed from the system as it is needed for seasons wherein trees shed their leaves; therefore a periodic profile of technology utilization for emissions abatement is observed. We find the TES approach to be more economically feasible for pollution uptake than a purely technology based approach for the sustainable operation of HRES at Delhi and Chennai in India, respectively. Based on this, the annualized cost of electricity generation is found to be 15% less than the base case. Moreover, the study reveals that annualized cost of electricity generation associated with the Miyawaki method is 13% less than the traditional reforestation method for attaining TES designs.

Influence of growth stimulants on the biometric indicators of four-year-old Khingam fir (white-bark) (<i>Abies nephrolepis</i> (Trautv.) Maxim.) seedlings

Relevance. One of the main methods of reforestation is the use of growth stimulants, which are widely used in agriculture in Russia and abroad. In forestry, their use is carried out on an experimental basis. The increase in the sowing qualities of seeds, in the biometric indicators of seedlings is observed, their safety is activated. In this regard, the use of such growth stimulants as Zircon, HB-101, Root Super and Ferovit is relevant.Methods. The effect of root feeding with stimulants Zircon, HB-101, Root Super and Ferovit on the biometric parameters of four-year-old seedlings of Khingam fir (Abies nephrolepis (Trautv.) Maxim.) was studied. The experiments were carried out in the nursery of GTS — the branch of Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity FEB RAS. The growth of seedlings was studied in terms of stem height, height gain and root collar diameter.Results. It has been established that root fertilization with the stimulants Zircon and HB-101 has the greatest effect on the growth of fir seedlings. The increase in the height of seedlings is by 3.9–60.7%, in height gain — by 11.4–137.1%, as well as in the diameter of root collar — by 16.7-66.7% was noted. It was revealed that the use of the stimulator HB-101 in the solution concentration of 0,5 ml / 10 l has a more positive effect compared with the concentration of the drug solution of 0.5 ml / 5 l of water.

Optimizing Select Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri) Reforestation Methods within an Artificial Bald at Mount Buckley, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Optimizing Select Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri) Reforestation Methods within an Artificial Bald at Mount Buckley, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Прогнозная модель послепожарного лесовосстановления в Иркутской области

Forest fires are one of the most acute problems of the forest complex of the Russian Federation. On the one hand, most of the natural coniferous forests of the boreal zone have pyrogenic origin, and forest fires are a natural component of the successions of coniferous forests. On the other hand, forest fires cause great damage, consisting in the costs of extinguishing them, burnt material values, including damaged stands on the root, as well as environmental damage - pollution of the air basin over large areas, pollution of runoff into reservoirs, etc. Different tree species, in different forest growing conditions, react differently to the pyrogenic effects of different intensities. A striking example is the larch forests of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), growing on permafrost, and very well adapted to fairly frequent wildfires. The adoption of management decisions on the types and methods of reforestation after forest fires of various intensity should be based on predictive models of the course of natural reforestation. To compile such a model for the forests of the Irkutsk region, full-scale experimental studies were carried out, consisting in the examination of hares of different years, after forest fires of varying intensity. As a result of statistical processing of the experimental data obtained, mathematical dependences of the development of a multicomponent forest ecosystem, including coniferous and deciduous trees of the younger, middle and older age groups, presented in this article, were compiled. The work was carried out within the framework of the scientific school "Innovative developments in the field of logging industry and forestry" of the Arctic State Agrotechnological University.

Impacts of Different Reforestation Methods on Fungal Community and Nutrient Content in an Ex-Tea Plantation

Long-term monocultures of tea and the excessive use of chemical fertilizer lead to the degradation of soil quality. Improving the soil quality of ex-tea plantations through vegetation restoration is an important task. However, the changes in soil nutrients, fungal communities, and the effects of microorganisms on soil nutrients after reforestation remain unclear. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to explore the effects of Pinus and Chinese fir on soil nutrients and fungal communities in ex-tea plantation areas that were subjected to the reforestation modes of pure forest and mixed forest by measuring soil chemical properties and ITS rRNA gene sequences. The results showed that (1) after reforestation, the relative normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of the Mixed forest, Mixed Pine and Mixed Fir areas increased (p < 0.05) compared to that of pure forest; (2) the soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and N:P ratios of the mixed forest increased by an average of 54%, 90%, and 299% (p < 0.05) compared to pure forest, whereas the total phosphorus (TP) and available potassium (AK) decreased by an average of 39% and 89% (p < 0.05); and (3) there was no significant difference in the diversity of the fungal communities of the pure and mixed forests, but the fungal phyla Mucoromycota, Glomeromycota, and Rozellomycota were significantly different in the pure and mixed forests. This differing microbial composition led to a significant increase (p < 0.05) in symbiotrophs (ecotomycorhizal, ericoid mycorhizal) in the mixed forest, which was negatively correlated with the soil TP and positively correlated with the TN and the N:P ratio. In addition, there was also a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in complex nutrient types (ectomycorrhizal-fungal parasite-plant saprotroph-wood saprotroph), which were negatively correlated with the SOC and TN, and arbuscular mycorrhizas, which were positively correlated with the TP. Our results show that the chemical properties of soils and the structure of the fungal communities changed significantly due to the reforestation of Chinese fir and Pinus, and the mixed forest mode of reforestation was more conducive to improving the soil quality; therefore, a mixed forest of Chinese fir and Pinus can be used to improve degraded soils in ex-tea planting areas.

Reforestation of grey mangroves (Avicennia marina) along the northern coasts of the Persian Gulf

Every ecosystem supports the living organisms by providing direct and indirect benefits and services. Among these areas, mangrove forests are one of the most fertile ecosystems in the intertidal zones. These natural forests are one of the coastal ecosystems that not only provide a source of food for humans and animals, but also play a major role in protecting and stabilizing coastlines and controlling climate. Mangroves are a breeding ground and a safe habitat for a variety of marine vertebrates and invertebrates. This study explains the experienced methods of propagation and foresting of Avicenna marina species. For the first time in the Persian Gulf, we reported a 5-year evaluation of reforestation method of grey mangrove. Reforestation in the highest latitude of natural forests in the Persian Gulf did not have any side effects on growing of Grey mangrove in the selected sites. As a result, increasing the area of Grey mangrove forests in the Persian Gulf improves the ecosystems of the tidal area. Increasing the chances of fishing and improving the economic conditions of the local communities around this bay will be some of the results of mangrove forestation. Furthermore, this is the first report of a simple method to train all the steps of grey mangrove reforestation.

Pelestarian Lingkungan Hidup dalam Pandangan Syariat Islam

This study aims to determine how the views of Islamic law on environmental conservation. This research is a qualitative descriptive study with library research. The results of the study indicate that efforts to preserve the environment from the beginning were carried out and called for by the Prophet Muhammad. In the Qur'an and several hadiths, the Messenger of Allah. explain how important it is to protect the environment, as explained that the Prophet forbade cutting down sidrah trees. The understanding of the hadith is that environmental preservation with the reforestation method is a form of safeguarding and realizing Islamic law. Likewise, his calls for reviving dead soil, forbidding the cutting of trees indiscriminately, forbidding littering in any place, and a number of appeals concerning the maintenance and preservation of the environment. Therefore, if there are humans who do damage or damage the environment, then he is considered to have violated Islamic law. Efforts to build environmental awareness should be carried out through education, coaching and inculcating the values of Islamic teachings sourced from the arguments of the Qur'an and Hadith. Then efforts to build awareness of environmental sustainability must also be carried out continuously so as to form character for each individual which in turn forms intrinsic awareness for each individual in addressing environmental problems.

Taxonomic and functional diversity of bird communities in mining areas undergoing passive and active restoration in eastern Amazon

The advance of land-use change processes in the Amazon rainforest has modified its natural landscape, resulting in losses of biodiversity and ecological functions. Under this scenario, some reforestation methods have been proposed and tested in degraded areas aiming to reverse environmental damage. We assess the efficiency of three reforestation methods by investigating the taxonomic and functional diversity of birds in a post-mining landscape located in the eastern Brazilian Amazon. We counted birds in 56 sites located in both forest and areas under the process of ecological restoration through natural regeneration, planting seedlings, and nucleation. Species composition and richness differed significantly between forests and areas under recovery. Nucleation showed distinct species composition from planting seedlings or natural regeneration areas, which can be explained by the difference in environmental structure in the areas recovering by this method. Although age did not influence species richness, we observed different species composition between old and young areas that received planting of seedlings. In general, we found no differences in functional diversity and functional richness between the methods of recovery. We conclude that the three recovery strategies evaluated herein showed a similar efficiency. However, it is necessary to consider that perhaps eight years is a short period to observe significant differences in the structure of the areas recovered by the different methods and, consequently, the structure of bird communities. Also, the diversity patterns of the current bird communities located in the post-mining areas were far from those found in forest areas, indicating the need for maintaining long-term recovery programs.

Modern Problems of Forest Restoration on the Example of the Irkutsk Region

Based on the importance and relevance of forest conservation and restoration, at least from the perspective of reducing the negative consequences of global warming, the article analyses the state of forest restoration processes in the Russian Federation and measures to organize and ensure these processes. The lack of balance between the legislatively fixed preferred method of reforestation as an artificial or combined method and the real, prevailing volumes of natural forest regeneration is associated with an extremely inefficient forest policy and a limited regulatory framework for the formation of the necessary reforestation processes. The article focuses on the fictitiousness of the reforestation process implemented by tenants within the framework of the natural forest planting system in the absence of subsequent long-term proper care. It is emphasized that it is almost impossible to provide long-term and high-quality forest care within the existing lease relations with loggers. On the other hand, the management bodies are not able to ensure proper control and monitoring of reforestation to assess its effectiveness. These problems and their severity are clearly demonstrated by the analysis of the forestry activities of the Irkutsk region.

RESTORATION OF FORESTS IN THE TERRITORIES PASSED BY LARGE-FOREST FOREST FIRE IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE STATE ENTERPRISE «OVRUTSKE FORESTRY»

RESTORATION OF FORESTS IN THE TERRITORIES PASSED BY LARGE-FOREST FOREST FIRE IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE STATE ENTERPRISE «OVRUTSKE FORESTRY»

Опыт создания лесных культур посадочным материалом с закрытой корневой системой

Intensification of forestry requires the use of modern methods of reforestation, which include the introduction of container planting material. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the survival rate and linear growth of spruce container seedlings depending on the planting site location and the agrotechnical tending. The studies were carried out at the test site located in the Tomsk district of the Tomsk region. It was found that many planting containers store not 1 seedling, but 2–4 pcs and therefore approximately the same quantity of seedlings as in the traditional planting of container planting material. It was revealed that the height of 30–35 % of seedlings fails to fulfill the standard values, which was observed, as a rule, in the planting containers with several plants. According to the autumn inventory data, the height of plantations created by planting seedlings in the furrow bottom (Kruskal-Wallis test, p = 0.0001 > 0.05) reliably differs from the height of plantations of “mound” and “untreated soil” options. In terms of height growth, the options “mound side” and “furrow” have the best performance, also significantly different from the options “mound” and “untreated soil” (Kruskal-Wallis test, p = 0.0001 > 0.05). Survival rate below 85 % was observed in the plantings of the following options: “untreated soil”, “furrow bottom”, and “mound” with agrotechnical tending. The 3-fold tending decreased the survival rate of plantations except for planting in the mound side. Thus, the most successful option of planting is planting in the mound side. For citation: Debkov N.M. Experience in the Creation of Forest Plantations Using Container Seedlings. Lesnoy Zhurnal [Russian Forestry Journal], 2021, no. 5, pp. 192–200. DOI: 10.37482/0536-1036-2021-5-192-200

Household-Level Determinants of Participation in Forest Support Programmes in the Miombo Landscapes, Zambia

The need to protect forest resources from unsustainable, yet rational, human actions has attracted global attention. This is because smallholder dependence on forests can degrade forest resources and cause deforestation. While efforts to understand forest programmes and motivations to protect forests have increased in recent decades, there remains a limited understanding of household factors affecting participation in forest support programmes, especially in the context of high-pressure areas, such as the Miombo woodlands. This study was conducted in the North-Western, Copperbelt and Eastern Province of Zambia. In each province, we selected landscapes consisting of protected and non-protected forest areas. We administered structured interviews to 1123 households and used logistic regression to estimate determinants of participation. We found that better education, landholding size, increased share of forest income, cash crops and non-farm income, and access to forests and markets have a negative impact on participation in forest support programmes. Being located in landscapes with protected areas was positively associated with participation. We suggest that, in order to increase participation, forest programmes should focus on households with low levels of education, limited livelihood opportunities, and poor access to markets. Besides, programmes should provide incentives, including support for farm inputs and at the same time encourage reforestation and agroforestry methods.

The Cloquet Forest Experiment Station in 1910

In 1909, the University of Minnesota secured 2,640 acres of tribal forest lands on the Fond du Lac Reservation in northeast Minnesota for a school forest.1 The station’s purpose was “to demonstrate proper methods of forest management and reforestation in the Lake States; and to advance the science of forestry as a whole” (Zon 1912, p. 1; Figure 1). The station was intentionally “situated…in the heart of a cut-over and burned-over area” to be an “ideal location” for the long-term demonstration of silvicultural practices (University of Minnesota 1914, p. 61). University staff primarily reserved red and white pine seed trees along existing forest roads for the purpose of public education, as well as for their scenic value. Among these reserves was “a beautiful grove of large red pine” where future buildings would be “carefully planned to harmonize with the environment” (Tierney 1910;...

СРАВНИТЕЛЬНЫЙ АНАЛИЗ ИСПОЛЬЗУЕМЫХ МЕТОДОВ ЛЕСОВОССТАНОВЛЕНИЯ ЗЕЛЁНЫХ ЗОН РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ

The article examines the advantages and disadvantages of methods for restoring forest areas lost due to forest fires, illegal logging. The most relevant methods of reforestation measures for the reproduction of green zones in Russia have been identified, taking into account the reasons for the negative impact and the relationship of tree and shrub plantations with the nature of recreation. A comparative analysis of the methods of reforestation used in the formation and reconstruction of forestry areas is presented. The study determined that the most effective method for restoring forest areas is artificial reforestation. Today, most of the forest area is restored using traditional methods, including natural methods. It should be noted that regular forest fires have a detrimental effect on forestry and the country's ecology as a whole; here it is necessary to use the most effective methods aimed at accelerating the renewal of forest resources. The use of the artificial method of reforestation allows the use of seedlings both with an open root system and with a closed one, which are more resistant to various pests and diseases.

PENGARUH PERLAKUAN BENIH DAN PERSIAPAN LAHAN TERHADAP KEBERHASILAN TUMBUH BENIH Acacia crassicarpa DENGAN TEKNIK TEBAR LANGSUNG

Critical land, which is still very large requires alternative reforestation methods, one of which is direct seeding. This study aims to determine the seed treatment and land preparation in direct seeding of A. crassicarpa seeds. The research was conducted in Parungpanjang, Bogor with a three-factor factorial randomized design, i.e. environmental conditions (A1=under the stand, A2=open area), seed treatment (B1=untreated, B2=soaked in hot water and allowed to cool for 24 hours), and sowing technique (C1=sowing on the soil surface without cleaning, C2=sowing on the soil surface of the cleared and loosened land, C3=sowing with 2-3 cm immerses on the cleared and loosened land). The results showed that seedlings under the stand tended to have better height growth (14.8 cm) compared to seedlings in open area (11.2 cm), as well as for seedlings diameter (under the stand 0.14 cm; in open area 0.11 cm). The application of the direct seeding of A. crassicarpa can be done by treating the seeds soaked in hot water allowed to cool for 24 hours and sowing methods by loosening the soil and immersing the seed 2-3 cm which results in 11% seedling survival, 11.85 cm height, and diameter 0.12 cm at 14 weeks after sowing.

Stabilities of soil organic carbon and carbon cycling genes are higher in natural secondary forests than in artificial plantations in southern China

AbstractOur understanding of how reforestation affects microbial carbon cycling genes remains limited, restricting our ability to evaluate reforestation methods. We hypothesized that natural reforestation produces soil organic carbon (SOC) with significantly more complex chemical composition and more diverse carbon cycling genes than artificial restoration. The SOC fractions and carbon cycling (primarily fixation and degradation) genes present in natural restoration/regrowth (natural secondary forests), and artificial restoration (Masson and slash pine plantations) were compared. The SOC in natural secondary forests was significantly more abundant and structurally more complex than that of Masson and slash pine plantations. The natural secondary forest soils contained significantly more abundant and diverse carbon cycling genes than plantations. Plant‐, soil‐, and nutrient‐associated factors explained 42.1% of the variation in microbial carbon cycling gene compositions. These factors included tree diversity, fine root surface area, litter stock, clay and silt, labile and recalcitrant organic carbon, available nitrogen and nitrate‐nitrogen contents. These factors affect the microbial carbon cycling gene diversity but not abundance in the natural secondary forest soils. These genes' abundance and diversity in the Masson and slash pine plantation soils were enriched by increasing litter stock and decreasing clay and silt contents; they were also enhanced by higher tree diversity, labile and recalcitrant organic carbon, available nitrogen, and nitrate‐nitrogen contents. These findings indicate that current reforestation methods affect carbon cycling genes, carbon cycling potential, and thus, biogeochemical carbon cycling processes. Natural restoration is better than artificial restoration in terms of organic carbon stability and cycling.