Researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand’s (Wits) Future Ecosystems for Africa program, have created maps of where reforestation can effectively combat climate change.About 195 million hectares, were identified globally, where tree restoration will be able to deliver maximum benefits for the climate.
Professor Sally Archibald, head of the Future Ecosystems for Africa (FEFA) programme, said “the drop from previous estimates is due to layers that previous maps haven’t been able to incorporate, because the research was still nascent at the time. It accounts for the albedo effect, for example, which means restoring tree cover can, in some locations, actively heat the earth rather than cool it, by affecting how much sunlight is absorbed or reflected. It also excludes native grasslands and other ecosystems where carpeting the land with trees, could harm biodiversity and exacerbate fire regimes.”
This distinction is particularly important for Africa, where natural grasslands and savannas are often inappropriately converted to forests, harming biodiversity and worsening fire regimes.
African countries contribute less than 5% of global carbon emissions yet face disproportionate climate impacts, while holding enormous potential for nature-based solutions.
Wits said the research directly supports the Roadmap for Just Systems Transformations for Africa’s People and Nature, a continent-wide collaboration between FEFA, Conservation International and partners aimed at accelerating investment in Natural Climate Solutions that benefit both mitigation goals and local livelihoods.
Archibald also said the goal of the Africa Roadmap, is for African scientists to rise to the challenge to provide guidance on appropriate landscape management and restoration activities in non-forest ecosystems.
Professor Forrest Fleischman from the University of Minnesota and co-author of the study said “in areas that are non-forest ecosystems, increasing tree cover is not always appropriate and must explicitly consider historical natural state. The study emphasises, challenging simplistic tree-planting approaches that ignore ecological complexity.”
Picture: Phys.org