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Reforestation
Main article: Reforestation
Reforestation is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands that have been depleted, usually through deforestation. It is the reestablishment of forest cover either naturally or artificially.[16] Similar to the other methods of forestation, reforestation can be very effective because a single tree can absorb as much as 22 kilograms (48 lb) of carbon dioxide per year and can sequester 0.91 tonnes (1 short ton) of carbon dioxide by the time it reaches 40 years old.[17]
The relative cost of planting tree is low when looking at other methods of carbon emission reduction, making reforestation a go-to method for cost effective means of reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Possible methods of reforestation include large-scale industrial plantations, the introduction of trees into existing agricultural systems, small-scale plantations by landowners, establishment of woodlots on communal lands, and rehabilitation of degraded areas through tree planting or assisted natural regeneration[1]. Most of the focus of wide-scale reforestation efforts have been focused on tropical climate areas like some parts of Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa. Many other countries and regions are beginning to start or have already started reforestation programs and initiatives in hopes of counteracting global climate change drivers. Reforestation has also been shown to be useful in the process of nurturing once farmed land back to a condition where it can be used for agriculture or conservation. Reforestation can also help mitigate the effects of soil degradation and pollution depending on the methods of planting, location, and plant species[2].
Agricultural expansion
Further information: Agricultural expansion
The number one largest cause of deforestation and acute degradation is agriculture. According to Wageningen University and Research Centre, more than 80% cause of deforestation is agriculture. A continued increase of demand for timber and agricultural products are only critical indirect drives. Forest are giving way to plantation for coffee, tea, palm oil, rice, rubber, and many other highly demanded products. These rising demands for certain products and global trade arrangements causes forest conversions, which ultimately leads to soil erosion. The top soil oftentimes erodes after forests are being cleared which leads to sedimentation increase in rivers and streams. Over time, agricultural land degrades and becomes almost useless causing producers to find new productive lands.
Most deforestation also occurs in tropical regions; however, studies have shown that non-tropical forests will also see consequences from deforestation as new pressures from climate change warms areas that were once uninhabitable or too frigid to be arable[3]. The estimated amount of total land mass used by agriculture is around 38%[4]. The major contributing factor in the rise of deforestation is agriculture. The main drivers of deforestation in relation to agriculture are population growth and the increased pressures for agricultural expansion. Deforestation is linked with co2 emissions, in part due from crops having a relatively less impressive carbon storage per unit area then wooded areas or forests. Agricultural deforestation can take different forms, the most salient of which are the commercial plantations in tropical regions. Another prevalent method of agricultural deforestation is slash-and-burn agriculture, which was primarily used by subsistence farmers in tropical regions but has now become increasingly less sustainable. The method does not leave land for continuous agricultural production, but instead cuts and burns small plots of forest land which are then converted into agricultural zones. The farmers then exploit the nutrients in the ashes of the burned plants. This method is not sustainable because the plots can only be tilled for 2-3 years, where after said amount of time the farmers will move to a different plot and repeat the process. This process will be repeated for around 5 to 10 times before a farmer would return to a patch of once deforested land allowed to return to a forested state. If land is not available, the length of time between cycles can be shortened leading to less nutrients in the soil. This lack of nutrients can then lead to smaller crop yields and a need to convert more forest land into agricultural zones. The repeated cycle of low yields and shortened fallow periods eventually results in less vegetation being able to grow on once burned lands and a decrease in average soil biomass[5]. In small local plots sustainability is not an issue because of longer fallow periods and lesser overall deforestation. The relatively small size of the plots allowed for no net input of co2 to be released [6]. With the increased pressure to expand agricultural production this method has been used on a much larger scale then traditional subsistence farming. Slash-and-burn agriculture accounts for about 30% of all global arable land.
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- ^ Zomer, Robert J.; Trabucco, Antonio; Bossio, Deborah A.; Verchot, Louis V. (2008-06-01). "Climate change mitigation: A spatial analysis of global land suitability for clean development mechanism afforestation and reforestation". Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. International Agricultural Research and Climate Change: A Focus on Tropical Systems. 126 (1): 67–80. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2008.01.014. ISSN 0167-8809.
- ^ Cunningham, S. C.; Mac Nally, R.; Baker, P. J.; Cavagnaro, T. R.; Beringer, J.; Thomson, J. R.; Thompson, R. M. (2015-07-01). "Balancing the environmental benefits of reforestation in agricultural regions". Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics. 17 (4): 301–317. doi:10.1016/j.ppees.2015.06.001. ISSN 1433-8319.
- ^ Cunningham, S. C.; Mac Nally, R.; Baker, P. J.; Cavagnaro, T. R.; Beringer, J.; Thomson, J. R.; Thompson, R. M. (2015-07-01). "Balancing the environmental benefits of reforestation in agricultural regions". Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics. 17 (4): 301–317. doi:10.1016/j.ppees.2015.06.001. ISSN 1433-8319.
- ^ Longobardi, Patrick (April 21, 2016). "Deforestation induced Climate Change: Effects of Spatial Scale". PLoS ONE. 11.
- ^ Houghton, R.A (2012-12). "Carbon emissions and the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in the tropics". Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability. 4 (6): 597–603. doi:10.1016/j.cosust.2012.06.006. ISSN 1877-3435.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Tinker, P. Bernard; Ingram, John S. I.; Struwe, Sten (1996-06-01). "Effects of slash-and-burn agriculture and deforestation on climate change". Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. Alternatives to Slash-and-Burn Agriculture. 58 (1): 13–22. doi:10.1016/0167-8809(95)00651-6. ISSN 0167-8809.