Reforestation reversals and forest transitions

Rural land abandonment is too ephemeral to provide major benefits for biodiversity and climate

“…Abandonment is certainly related to agricultural suitability ( 64 ), but it is also driven by a combination of socioeconomic and demographic changes, policies, and broader environmental factors ( 3 , 44 , 64 , 65 ). Abandonment is often a by-product of urban migration and rural depopulation, particularly in Europe, East Asia, and Latin America ( 2 , 25 ). Other cases are more directly related to sociopolitical change.…”

“…Recultivation may occur when incentives for reforestation are removed ( 69 ) or when subsidies for cultivation are reestablished ( 44 ). Recultivation can also be triggered when short-term stressors are removed, as is frequently observed in post-conflict regions ( 65 , 70 ), or when international or rural-urban migration pathways are disrupted, as has recently occurred between Latin America and the United States ( 25 ). Our research demonstrates the value of long-term analysis at annual intervals, which has the potential to improve our understanding of the drivers of abandonment and recultivation.…”

“…While abandonment is predicted to continue in Europe, Russia and Central Asia, East Asia, and the Americas ( 1 , 15 , 20 ), for how long and to what end remains unclear. Moreover, despite recent reforestation in many regions, recent evidence from Latin America has called the durability of such reforestation into question ( 24 , 25 ). Understanding the true potential of cropland abandonment to contribute to biodiversity and climate goals requires detailed information not only on where and when abandonment is taking place but also on what happens to croplands after they are abandoned.…”

Predicting wasteful spending in tree planting programs in Indian Himalaya

“…First, the target-based nature of many programs may lead to a limited focus on short-term outcomes such as meeting acreage targets or evaluating seedling survivorship after 3-5 years while ignoring long-term goals such as improving tree cover or restoring ecosystems (Fleischman, 2014;Joshi et al, 2011). Second, the focus on tree planting targets may come at the expense of understanding underlying causes of forest loss and regrowth, and/or lead to unintended consequences (Sloan, 2022). This problem has been common in past approaches adopted by the international community for improving forests in the developing world: for example, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) often fails because it focuses on changing local actors' behavior rather than addressing underlying causes of deforestation or forest degradation (Brockhaus et al, 2014;Skutsch & Turnhout, 2020), while donor-led participatory forest management often hides likely losses and hardships local communities face and fails to ensure meaningful participation of local communities (Hajjar et al, 2021;Rana & Chhatre, 2017).…”

The Impact of Globalization on Forest Growth: Evidence from Multinational Panel Data

“…In recent decades, the world economy has experienced rapid growth; however, at the same time, forests have been ignored and deforestation has grown. Since the carbon emissions caused by deforestation cause problems such as global warming, human diseases, and the extinction of large numbers of species (Strassburg et al, 2012;Roopsind et al, 2019) [1,2], the protection of forests remains essential to ensure environmental quality, sustainable social development, and biodiversity (Nanni et al, 2019;Sloan, 2022) [3,4]. Therefore, it is necessary for governments to take measures to protect forests.…”