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How does restorative tree planting work in the long run? Does it eventually lead to a stable ecosystem, or is it something that ends up less stable or otherwise

How does restorative tree planting work in the long run? Does it eventually lead to a stable ecosystem, or is it something that ends up less stable or otherwise worse off when compared to a natural recovery?

microcolonel 7y ago
Far as I can tell this region would not necessarily be naturally tree-covered if they just left it.
- Panino 7y ago
  According to the article, Ethiopia was 30% forested at the end of the 19th century, and is now at only 4%. What's unnatural is the current state, and reforesting will help correct that. Something to note is that the point isn't for every tree planted to survive. It's for some of them to survive. Those trees will then grow and drop leaves in fall, improve soil health, provide a canopy layer for vines, shrubs, herbs and animal life, and self-seed new trees to join and replace them. Over time the system as a whole will grow until it reaches stability. Right now they're at step 1, planting, which comes after step 0, deciding to plant. We should follow their lead and plant native trees wherever we are.
  - microcolonel 7y ago
    I said that it wouldn't if they left it, since parent seemed to imply that this region would reforest itself.
jes5199 7y ago
it’s complicated, but in many ecosystems no-trees and lots-of-trees are both relatively stable states, and human activity can cause a toggle that might _never_ happen naturally
red75prime 7y ago
Given the current trend of Sahara expansion [0], it could be that the result of natural recovery in Ethiopia is desertification. [0]: https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=244804 https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=244804
fortran77 7y ago
There have been some successful projects in Israel! See http://www.kkl-jnf.org/forestry-and-ecology/afforestation-in-israel/turning-the-desert-green/ http://www.kkl-jnf.org/forestry-and-ecology/afforestation-in...

microcolonel 7y ago

Far as I can tell this region would not necessarily be naturally tree-covered if they just left it.

Panino 7y ago
According to the article, Ethiopia was 30% forested at the end of the 19th century, and is now at only 4%. What's unnatural is the current state, and reforesting will help correct that. Something to note is that the point isn't for every tree planted to survive. It's for some of them to survive. Those trees will then grow and drop leaves in fall, improve soil health, provide a canopy layer for vines, shrubs, herbs and animal life, and self-seed new trees to join and replace them. Over time the system as a whole will grow until it reaches stability. Right now they're at step 1, planting, which comes after step 0, deciding to plant. We should follow their lead and plant native trees wherever we are.
- microcolonel 7y ago
  I said that it wouldn't if they left it, since parent seemed to imply that this region would reforest itself.

jes5199 7y ago

it’s complicated, but in many ecosystems no-trees and lots-of-trees are both relatively stable states, and human activity can cause a toggle that might _never_ happen naturally

red75prime 7y ago

Given the current trend of Sahara expansion [0], it could be that the result of natural recovery in Ethiopia is desertification. [0]: https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=244804 https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=244804

fortran77 7y ago

There have been some successful projects in Israel! See http://www.kkl-jnf.org/forestry-and-ecology/afforestation-in-israel/turning-the-desert-green/ http://www.kkl-jnf.org/forestry-and-ecology/afforestation-in...