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The Curiosity Daily podcast had a related topic this past week. There are plans to plant 1 billion (or 1 Trillion) trees at various levels of government (WEF is

by jvm___ 3y ago

The Curiosity Daily podcast had a related topic this past week. There are plans to plant 1 billion (or 1 Trillion) trees at various levels of government (WEF is the 1Trillion number). So researchers went out to try to find saplings from local nurseries that could supply the diversity of trees that would be needed. They found that less than half the nurseries could supply saplings - and very few were 'climate change friendly' saplings, most were decorative or other non-climate-friendly trees. “Plans to plant billions of trees threatened by massive undersupply of seedlings.” by Joshua Brown. 2023. https://www.uvm.edu/news/story/plans-plant-billions-trees-threatened-massive-undersupply-seedlings https://www.uvm.edu/news/story/plans-plant-billions-trees-th... “A lack of ecological diversity in forest nurseries limits the achievement of tree-planting objectives in response to global change.” by Peter W. Clark, et al. 2023. https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/biosci/biad049/7223625?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article-abstract... “Trees Help Fight Climate Change.” Arbor Day Foundation. N.d. “Benefits of Planting Trees.” Tree Advisory Board. N.D. https://www.bgky.org/tree/benefits https://www.bgky.org/tree/benefits

mym1990 3y ago
Can you expand on the difference between climate change friendly and non climate change friendly trees, for the noobs like me?
- jvm___ 3y ago
  The money is in growing saplings of white-pine, the ones commercial re-planters will buy - because they grow fast and can be turned into toilet paper in 25(?) years. Growing saplings of local 'slow' growing, non-harvestable species doesn't make you $$$. "In essence, forest nurseries tended to maintain a limited inventory of a select few species, electing to prioritize those valued for commercial timber production over species required for conservation, ecological restoration, or climate adaptation." "Yet, in their 20-state survey, the team only found two tree nurseries that had inventory of red spruce, a species from which many millions of seedlings are needed to meet restoration goals. “Remarkably, only 800 red spruce seedlings were commercially available for purchase in 2022,” the team reports in their new Bioscience study, “—enough to reforest less than one hectare.”
  - myshpa 3y ago
    Maybe we should plant seeds, same as nature does. Dozens of different seeds per m2, nature would choose what'd survive and flourish. An example of a forest farm planted with the same approach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ST9NyHf09M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ST9NyHf09M
    - RetroTechie 3y ago
      I recall some initiative (in Africa, iirc) where locals would collect seeds of random herbs, shrubs, trees etc, mix those up & pack into seed bombs. Then others who travel around for their work, would toss those in random places. From bicycle thrown some distance from roadside, or a bush pilot dropping some during flight, etc. Basically as many different seeds in as many different places as possible. Then let nature do its thing. Note this was still mostly local. So not introducing invasive species from other side of the globe. Just helping native species to spread a bit further & faster.
      - myshpa 3y ago
        Yes, that's a very effective method. Such initiatives are all over the world. It's based on ancient method of seedballs, promoted by Fukuoka. https://www.permaculturenews.org/2014/06/18/making-seedballs-ancient-method-till-agriculture/ https://www.permaculturenews.org/2014/06/18/making-seedballs... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqYTz6-zGcg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqYTz6-zGcg
    - freedude 3y ago
      The same problem exists at the seed level. Who is collecting the 2 trillion seeds (50% germination rate)?
      - myshpa 3y ago
        It's a similar problem but on a smaller scale (it's easier/cheaper to collect & spread seeds than grow & plant the seedlings).
      - 3y ago
- developer93 3y ago
  If a plant isn't native, the insects and animals that eat or use it aren't around, those that are can't use it, and it's of limited use to the ecosystem. Not to mention it's interactions with other plants.
destron 3y ago
... of course the nurseries don't have seedlings to plant one trillion trees. Growing seedlings of the appropriate species would have to be part of that effort.
- prawn 3y ago
  There are volunteer efforts in some places to spread the load in starting seedlings. Not sure how effective it would be though in contributing to an effort of that scale where you need commercial scale to make a dent.
  - Cthulhu_ 3y ago
    It can be done though, if anyone that has a balcony or a back yard were to look after a tray of seedlings (25 or so trees?) until they're ready to be planted, it'd quickly add up. The challenge then becomes logistics though. But again, can be done with volunteers.

by jvm___ 3y ago

mym1990 3y ago

Can you expand on the difference between climate change friendly and non climate change friendly trees, for the noobs like me?

jvm___ 3y ago
The money is in growing saplings of white-pine, the ones commercial re-planters will buy - because they grow fast and can be turned into toilet paper in 25(?) years. Growing saplings of local 'slow' growing, non-harvestable species doesn't make you $$$. "In essence, forest nurseries tended to maintain a limited inventory of a select few species, electing to prioritize those valued for commercial timber production over species required for conservation, ecological restoration, or climate adaptation." "Yet, in their 20-state survey, the team only found two tree nurseries that had inventory of red spruce, a species from which many millions of seedlings are needed to meet restoration goals. “Remarkably, only 800 red spruce seedlings were commercially available for purchase in 2022,” the team reports in their new Bioscience study, “—enough to reforest less than one hectare.”
- myshpa 3y ago
  Maybe we should plant seeds, same as nature does. Dozens of different seeds per m2, nature would choose what'd survive and flourish. An example of a forest farm planted with the same approach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ST9NyHf09M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ST9NyHf09M
  - RetroTechie 3y ago
    I recall some initiative (in Africa, iirc) where locals would collect seeds of random herbs, shrubs, trees etc, mix those up & pack into seed bombs. Then others who travel around for their work, would toss those in random places. From bicycle thrown some distance from roadside, or a bush pilot dropping some during flight, etc. Basically as many different seeds in as many different places as possible. Then let nature do its thing. Note this was still mostly local. So not introducing invasive species from other side of the globe. Just helping native species to spread a bit further & faster.
    - myshpa 3y ago
      Yes, that's a very effective method. Such initiatives are all over the world. It's based on ancient method of seedballs, promoted by Fukuoka. https://www.permaculturenews.org/2014/06/18/making-seedballs-ancient-method-till-agriculture/ https://www.permaculturenews.org/2014/06/18/making-seedballs... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqYTz6-zGcg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqYTz6-zGcg
  - freedude 3y ago
    The same problem exists at the seed level. Who is collecting the 2 trillion seeds (50% germination rate)?
    - myshpa 3y ago
      It's a similar problem but on a smaller scale (it's easier/cheaper to collect & spread seeds than grow & plant the seedlings).
    - 3y ago
developer93 3y ago
If a plant isn't native, the insects and animals that eat or use it aren't around, those that are can't use it, and it's of limited use to the ecosystem. Not to mention it's interactions with other plants.

destron 3y ago

... of course the nurseries don't have seedlings to plant one trillion trees. Growing seedlings of the appropriate species would have to be part of that effort.

prawn 3y ago
There are volunteer efforts in some places to spread the load in starting seedlings. Not sure how effective it would be though in contributing to an effort of that scale where you need commercial scale to make a dent.
- Cthulhu_ 3y ago
  It can be done though, if anyone that has a balcony or a back yard were to look after a tray of seedlings (25 or so trees?) until they're ready to be planted, it'd quickly add up. The challenge then becomes logistics though. But again, can be done with volunteers.