Example
Recovery may occur through planting or assisted natural regeneration.
The catch
A plantation and a diverse natural forest can have different ecological outcomes.
Related terms
Afforestation, Biodiversity, Blue carbon, Carbon sink, Carbon stock, Deforestation
In more depth
Reforestation, explained.
Reforestation removes carbon slowly at first, fastest during the years of vigorous growth and less as the forest matures, so a planting announced today delivers most of its removal decades later. Where seed sources survive nearby, assisted natural regeneration is often cheaper and richer in species than planting.
Location changes the climate result. In snowy high latitudes a dark canopy absorbs sunlight that snow would have reflected, and this albedo effect can offset part of the cooling from stored carbon. In dry regions, thirsty plantations can lower water tables. Afforestation, on land that was not forest historically, is a separate category with its own trade-offs. Any forest claim also needs a plan for permanence, since fire and drought can return the carbon to the air.