Afforestation
[2] In comparison, reforestation means re-establishing forest that have either been cut down or lost due to natural causes, such as fire, storm, etc.
An essential aspect of successful afforestation efforts lies in the careful selection of tree species that are well-suited to the local climate and soil conditions.
[4] However, there has been debate about whether afforestation is beneficial for the sustainable use of natural resources,[6][7] with some researchers pointing out that tree planting is not the only way to enhance climate mitigation and CO2 capture.
[6] Non-forest areas, such as grasslands and savannas, also benefit the biosphere and humanity, and they need a different management strategy - they are not supposed to be forests.
Afforestation can also negatively affect biodiversity by increasing fragmentation and edge effects on the habitat outside the planted area.
[12][13][14] Australia, Canada, China, India, Israel, United States and Europe have afforestation programs to increase carbon dioxide removal in forests and in some cases to reduce desertification.
Preparation can involve a variety of mechanical or chemical methods, such as chopping, mounding, bedding, herbicides, and prescribed burning.
[22] An essential aspect of successful afforestation efforts lies in the careful selection of tree species that are well-suited to the local climate and soil conditions.
[37] Therefore, scientists consider "the protection and recovery of carbon-rich and long-lived ecosystems, especially natural forests" to be "the major climate solution".
Earth offers enough room to plant an additional 0.9 billion ha of tree canopy cover, although this estimate has been criticized,[42][43] and the true area that has a net cooling effect on the climate when accounting for biophysical feedbacks like albedo is 20-80% lower.
[45] Life expectancy of forests varies throughout the world, influenced by tree species, site conditions, and natural disturbance patterns.
A meta-analysis found that mixed species plantations would increase carbon storage alongside other benefits of diversifying planted forests.
[57]: 1457 Afforestation provides other environmental benefits, including increasing the soil quality and its organic carbon levels, reducing the risk of erosion and desertification.
[60] Afforestation protects the biodiversity of plants and animals which allows the sustenance of ecosystems that provide clean air, soil fertilization, etc.
By shading and evaporation, forests can lower local temperatures, offering a more comfortable environment in urban areas and reducing the impact of extreme heat.
[66] Afforestation can negatively affect biodiversity through increasing fragmentation and edge effects for the habitat remaining outside the planted area.
The canopy cover of mature trees could make the surface albedo darker, which causes more heat to be absorbed, potentially raising the temperature of the planet.
[71] Thousands of Adelaide citizens participated in community planting days on sites including parks, reserves, transport corridors, schools, water courses and coastline.
Rann said the project aimed to beautify and cool the city and make it more livable, improve air and water quality, and reduce Adelaide's greenhouse gas emissions by 600,000 tonnes of CO2 a year.
[77] According to the 2021 government work report, forest coverage will reach 24 percent based on the main targets and tasks for the 14th Five-Year Plan period.
[80] In 2017, the Saihanba Afforestation Community won the UN Champions of the Earth Award in the Inspiration and Action category for "transforming degraded land into a lush paradise".
[81] The successful afforestation of the Loess Plateau involved collaborative efforts by international and domestic professionals alongside villagers.
Through this initiative, millions of villagers across four of China's poorest provinces were able to improve farming practices and increase incomes and employment, alleviating poverty.
In an attempt to make afforestation both low-cost and less time-consuming, China shifted towards monoculture of mostly red pine trees.
However, this did not adequately take into consideration environmental structure and led to increased soil erosion, desertification, sand/dust storms and short-lived trees.
[90] As part of the Green Deal,[91] the EU program "3 Billion Tree Planting Pledge by 2030"[92] provides direction on afforestation of previous farmland in addition to reforestation.
According to Food and Agriculture Organization statistics, Spain had the third fastest afforestation rate in Europe in the 1990-2005 period, after Iceland and Ireland.
Increasing the tree cover would also help in creating additional carbon sinks to meet the nation's Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030 - part of India's efforts to combat climate change.
[97] Since the 1990s there has been a trend towards more ecological approaches planting mixed forests combining pines with broadleaf Mediterranean species e.g. oak, pistachio, carob, olive, arbutus and buckthorn.
Public works programs under the New Deal saw the planting of 18,000 miles of windbreaks stretching from North Dakota to Texas to fight soil erosion (see Great Plains Shelterbelt).
