Natural forest regrowth offers a lower-cost path to climate and biodiversity goals

Natural forest regrowth, when given the opportunity and some assistance, can simultaneously address climate change and biodiversity loss while being far more cost-effective than traditional tree-planting efforts. A recent study from the University of Queensland and the University of Newcastle in Australia has revealed that allowing nature to regenerate forests can provide significant carbon storage and increased biodiversity, often at up to a 96% reduction in cost compared to conventional planting programs.

The research, published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, highlights how support for natural regeneration, such as managing invasive species, ensuring adequate seed sources, and providing protection from fire, grazing, and human activity, can lead to forests that are not only higher in carbon storage but also more biodiverse than forests created through planting.

The findings suggest that certain regions, particularly in Indonesia, Madagascar, the Philippines, Mexico, and Malaysia, offer "holistic hotspots" where natural regeneration yields the highest carbon and biodiversity benefits at the lowest restoration costs. These areas are primarily located in the Neotropical regions of the Amazon basin and the Indomalayan tropics, including Borneo, Sumatra, and Papua New Guinea, as well as the Afrotropics, including Madagascar.

This approach aligns with global efforts to restore 30% of degraded land by 2030 as part of the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The study underscores the urgency and economic feasibility of leveraging natural processes for restoration, offering a roadmap for nations and communities to prioritize restoration efforts based on specific goals and available resources.