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Opportunities and Challenges for Ecological Restoration within REDD+ |
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| Authors: | Sasha Alexander Cara R Nelson James Aronson David Lamb An Cliquet Kevin L Erwin C Max Finlayson Rudolf S de Groot Jim A Harris Eric S Higgs Richard J Hobbs Roy R Robin Lewis III Dennis Martinez Carolina Murcia |
| Institution: | 1. Society for Ecological Restoration, 1017 O Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001, U.S.A.;2. College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812, U.S.A.;3. Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CNRS‐UMR 5175), Montpellier, France;4. Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd., PO Box 299, St. Louis, MO 63166‐0299, U.S.A.;5. Center for Mined Land Rehabilitation, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia;6. Department of Public International Law, Ghent University, Universiteitstraat 4, 9000 Gent, Belgium;7. Kevin L. Erwin Consulting Ecologist, Inc., 2077 Bayside Parkway, Ft. Myers, FL 33901, U.S.A.;8. Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, PO Box 789, Albury, NSW 2640, Australia;9. Environmental Systems Analysis Group, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands;10. School of Applied Sciences, Cranfield University, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, U.K.;11. School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8S 3L7, Canada;12. School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia;13. Lewis Environmental Services, Inc., PO Box 5430, Salt Springs, FL 32134, U.S.A.;14. Indigenous Peoples Restoration Network, PO Box 495, Douglas City, CA 96024, U.S.A.;15. Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, U.S.A. |
| Abstract: | The Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) mechanism has the potential to provide the developing nations with significant funding for forest restoration activities that contribute to climate change mitigation, sustainable management, and carbon‐stock enhancement. In order to stimulate and inform discussion on the role of ecological restoration within REDD+, we outline opportunities for and challenges to using science‐based restoration projects and programs to meet REDD+ goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and storing carbon in forest ecosystems. Now that the REDD+ mechanism, which is not yet operational, has expanded beyond a sole focus on activities that affect carbon budgets to also include those that enhance ecosystem services and deliver other co‐benefits to biodiversity and communities, forest restoration could play an increasingly important role. However, in many nations, there is a lack of practical tools and guidance for implementing effective restoration projects and programs that will sequester carbon and at the same time improve the integrity and resilience of forest ecosystems. Restoration scientists and practitioners should continue to engage with potential REDD+ donors and recipients to ensure that funding is targeted at projects and programs with ecologically sound designs. |
| Keywords: | carbon emissions carbon sequestration ecosystems services forest‐dependent communities forest restoration forested wetlands reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation tree plantations |