An area size of France threatened by forest restoration initiatives; tree planting widespread across non-forest systems
Photo for representation: iStock
Scientists have issued a warning that ill-conceived tree-planting initiatives are endangering vital ecosystems throughout Africa.
New research has found tree-based restoration in Africa extends into non-forest areas, posing a threat to ecosystems. Over 70.1 million hectares, or 52.5 per cent of tree planting projects, target unsuitable landscapes, including savannas and grasslands — exceeding the land area of France, said a new study published in journal Science, February 15, 2024
Research led by Catherine L Parr of the University of Liverpool revealed widespread afforestation in non-forest ecosystems, causing degradation. The analysis further indicated that large-scale restoration efforts in savannas and grasslands, through tree planting and agroforestry, are prevalent.
Furthermore, almost 60 per cent of agroforestry projects utilise non-native species, posing invasive risks, such as with Grevillea robusta also known as Australian silver oak.
Planting trees in grassy systems increases canopy cover and reduces light, with consequent structural, compositional, and functional changes to the understory. In some grassy systems, this can result in wholesale biodiversity loss, notably of shade-intolerant species associated with open habitats.
It can also lead to changes in ecosystem functioning, declines in critical ecosystem services, reduced water availability, restricted access to food and medicinal resources and even unintended climate warming due to reduced albedo (refracted light).
Africa is the continent with the greatest cover of savanna and grasslands. To understand the potential scale of tree planting in savannas and grasslands, researchers examined restoration pledges under the African Forest Restoration Initiative (AFR100) and on-the-ground projects, finding that tree planting is widespread across non-forest systems.
The AFR100 aims to restore 100 million hectares across Africa by 2030 through planting and natural regeneration of trees.
The study pointed out that across Africa, a total of 133.6 million hectares (ha) have been pledged towards AFR100 in 35 countries. This exceeds the original target of 100 million ha by a third. The median land area pledged per country is 8 per cent. However, there is considerable variation in the pledges.
Some countries have a large proportion of their total area pledged for restoration, particularly Rwanda (85.6 per cent), Burundi (76.2 per cent) and Malawi (40.5 per cent), whereas others, known to be undergoing considerable degradation of non forest areas through woody encroachment, are also pledging to “restore” substantial areas by increasing tree cover (Eswatini, 27.6 per cent).
The analysis revealed that for 18 out of 35 countries, the pledged area exceeds that of the forest area. Nearly a fifth of the total area pledged for forest landscape restoration (25.9 million ha) covers eight countries with no forest cover (Burkino Faso, Chad, Lesotho, Mali, Namibia, Niger, Senegal, The Gambia).
Many countries that have forest cover have pledged an area greater than forest area available. This means that a further 25 million ha is earmarked for restoration in non-forest systems (Republic of Sudan, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Burundi).
United Nations agency Food and Agriculture Organization defines forests as “land spanning more than 0.5 ha with trees higher than 5 meters and a canopy cover of more than 10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in situ”. But this definition has been criticised because it can be used to erroneously classify open systems with trees, such as savanna, as forest.
Catherine L Parr, lead author of the study said:
There is an urgent need to revise definitions so that savannas are not confused with forest because increasing trees is a threat to the integrity and persistence of savannas and grasslands. Highlighting this issue now means there is still time to negate this threat and ensure that non-forest systems receive appropriate restoration.
Although there is acknowledgement that forest landscape restoration promoting tree planting should not cause the loss or conversion of open, non-forested ecosystems (they should not be afforested), concerns have been raised that the focus on tree-based restoration combined with misclassification of grassy ecosystems could lead to misplaced restoration and destruction of intact, ancient ecosystems.
The issues raised with the analysis of AFR100 are broadly representative of the situation in other parts of the world too, for instance the ‘All India Tree Plantation Campaign’, the study pointed out.
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