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Restoring degraded forests is a critical strategy for the climate change of the potential for forests to the carbon store, both in the trees and the soil. However, despite extensive efforts to restore streamside forests globally, the carbon storage potential of these forests is often overlooked. Dr. Kristen Dybala, Dr. Kristen Dybala, compiled carbon storage data from 117 publications, reports, and other data sets on streamside forests around the world. This inquiry is the first of its kind to evaluate global results on the carbon storage benefits of streamside forests.
Researchers found that the average amount of carbon stored in mature streamside forest rivals the highest estimates for any other forest type around the world, such as tropical or boreal forests. These estimates vary depending on climate, but the average values for mature streamside forests range from 168 to 390 tons of carbon per acre in the trees alone. Researchers also found that, on average, soil carbon can be expected to be more than triple when converting to a mature streamside forest. However, with other forest types, it can take decades to go into full effect, on the order of 40-90 years for the carbon stored in trees and more than 115 years for soil carbon.
"One of the most important things we're doing is actively restoring forests by planting trees jump-starts this process," said Dr. Dybala. "If you look at two forests, one planted and one regenerating naturally, carbon stored is comparable. " This finding drives home the important role of restoring degraded streamside forests as a climate mitigation strategy.
Streamside Ecosystems around the world have been severely degraded, and their wide-scale restoration is a priority in many places, including California's Central Valley and Brazil. These ecosystems are known to benefit water quality, habitat for fish and wildlife, and recreational opportunities. These new results demonstrate the substantial additional benefit of carbon storage, which should increase the priority of restoring and maintaining streamside forests.
Looking ahead, new tools and funding sources are emerging to help plan and implement effective streamside forest restorations. Countries in the world have pledged to restore forests under the Bonn Challenge, a global commitment to restore forests and a climate mitigation strategy. "As these countries are going to meet their goals, we hope they will be able to share their strategy," says Dr. Dybala.
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Materials provided by Point Blue Conservation Science. Note: Content can be edited for style and length.
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