Active restoration accelerates the carbon recovery of human modified-tropical forests

Christopher Philipson; Mark Cutler; Phiip G. Brodrick; Gregory P. Asner; Doreen S. Boyd; Pedro Moura Costa; Joel Fiddes; Giles M. Foody; Geertje M. F.  van der Heijden; Alicia Ledo; Philippa R. Lincoln; James A. Margrove; Roberta E. Martin; Sol Milne; Michelle A. Pinard; Glen  Reynolds; Martijn Snoep; Hamzah Tangki; Yap Sau Wai; Charlotte E. Wheeler; David F. R. P. Burslem

doi:10.1126/science.aay4490

Active restoration accelerates the carbon recovery of human modified-tropical forests

Christopher Philipson (Lead / Corresponding author), Mark Cutler (Lead / Corresponding author), Phiip G. Brodrick, Gregory P. Asner, Doreen S. Boyd, Pedro Moura Costa, Joel Fiddes, Giles M. Foody, Geertje M. F. van der Heijden, Alicia Ledo, Philippa R. Lincoln, James A. Margrove, Roberta E. Martin, Sol Milne, Michelle A. Pinard, Glen Reynolds, Martijn Snoep, Hamzah Tangki, Yap Sau Wai, Charlotte E. WheelerDavid F. R. P. Burslem

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Abstract

More than half of all tropical forests are degraded by human impacts, leaving them threatened with conversion to agricultural plantations and risking substantial biodiversity and carbon losses. Restoration could accelerate recovery of aboveground carbon density (ACD), but adoption of restoration is constrained by cost and uncertainties over effectiveness. We report a long-term comparison of ACD recovery rates between naturally regenerating and actively restored logged tropical forests. Restoration enhanced decadal ACD recovery by more than 50%, from 2.9 to 4.4 megagrams per hectare per year. This magnitude of response, coupled with modal values of restoration costs globally, would require higher carbon prices to justify investment in restoration. However, carbon prices required to fulfill the 2016 Paris climate agreement [$40 to $80 (USD) per tonne carbon dioxide equivalent] would provide an economic justification for tropical forest restoration.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	838-841
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	369
Issue number	6505
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aay4490
Publication status	Published - 14 Aug 2020

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1126/science.aay4490

Author Accepted Manuscript
This is the author’s version of the work. It is posted here by permission of the AAAS for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Science (vol. 369, issue 6505) on 14th August 2020 DOI: 10.1126/science.aay4490.
Accepted author manuscript, 1.06 MB

Cite this

Philipson, C., Cutler, M., Brodrick, P. G., Asner, G. P., Boyd, D. S., Costa, P. M., Fiddes, J., Foody, G. M., van der Heijden, G. M. F., Ledo, A., Lincoln, P. R., Margrove, J. A., Martin, R. E., Milne, S., Pinard, M. A., Reynolds, G., Snoep, M., Tangki, H., Wai, Y. S., ... Burslem, D. F. R. P. (2020). Active restoration accelerates the carbon recovery of human modified-tropical forests. Science, 369(6505), 838-841. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aay4490

@article{986eee7487d44a1c82bf63691d809c72,

title = "Active restoration accelerates the carbon recovery of human modified-tropical forests",

abstract = "More than half of all tropical forests are degraded by human impacts, leaving them threatened with conversion to agricultural plantations and risking substantial biodiversity and carbon losses. Restoration could accelerate recovery of aboveground carbon density (ACD), but adoption of restoration is constrained by cost and uncertainties over effectiveness. We report a long-term comparison of ACD recovery rates between naturally regenerating and actively restored logged tropical forests. Restoration enhanced decadal ACD recovery by more than 50%, from 2.9 to 4.4 megagrams per hectare per year. This magnitude of response, coupled with modal values of restoration costs globally, would require higher carbon prices to justify investment in restoration. However, carbon prices required to fulfill the 2016 Paris climate agreement [$40 to $80 (USD) per tonne carbon dioxide equivalent] would provide an economic justification for tropical forest restoration.",

author = "Christopher Philipson and Mark Cutler and Brodrick, {Phiip G.} and Asner, {Gregory P.} and Boyd, {Doreen S.} and Costa, {Pedro Moura} and Joel Fiddes and Foody, {Giles M.} and {van der Heijden}, {Geertje M. F.} and Alicia Ledo and Lincoln, {Philippa R.} and Margrove, {James A.} and Martin, {Roberta E.} and Sol Milne and Pinard, {Michelle A.} and Glen Reynolds and Martijn Snoep and Hamzah Tangki and Wai, {Yap Sau} and Wheeler, {Charlotte E.} and Burslem, {David F. R. P.}",

note = "Field data were acquired for the EU-funded INDFORSUS project (ER-BIC18T960102 to G.M.F.) and from projects funded by the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland (ref. 50076 to M.E.J.C. and D.F.R.P.B.) and the DfID and NERC Programme “Understanding the impact of the current El Nino event” (NE/P004806/1 to M.E.J.C., D.F.R.P.B., D.S.B., G.M.F., and G.M.F.v.d.H.). Airborne carbon mapping, processing, and analysis were funded by the UN Development Programme GEF, Avatar Alliance Foundation, Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, Worldwide Fund for Nature, Morgan Family Foundation, and the Rainforest Trust (to G.P.A. and G.R.).",

year = "2020",

month = aug,

day = "14",

doi = "10.1126/science.aay4490",

language = "English",

volume = "369",

pages = "838--841",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

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Philipson, C, Cutler, M, Brodrick, PG, Asner, GP, Boyd, DS, Costa, PM, Fiddes, J, Foody, GM, van der Heijden, GMF, Ledo, A, Lincoln, PR, Margrove, JA, Martin, RE, Milne, S, Pinard, MA, Reynolds, G, Snoep, M, Tangki, H, Wai, YS, Wheeler, CE & Burslem, DFRP 2020, 'Active restoration accelerates the carbon recovery of human modified-tropical forests', Science, vol. 369, no. 6505, pp. 838-841. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aay4490

TY - JOUR

T1 - Active restoration accelerates the carbon recovery of human modified-tropical forests

AU - Philipson, Christopher

AU - Cutler, Mark

AU - Brodrick, Phiip G.

AU - Asner, Gregory P.

AU - Boyd, Doreen S.

AU - Costa, Pedro Moura

AU - Fiddes, Joel

AU - Foody, Giles M.

AU - van der Heijden, Geertje M. F.

AU - Ledo, Alicia

AU - Lincoln, Philippa R.

AU - Margrove, James A.

AU - Martin, Roberta E.

AU - Milne, Sol

AU - Pinard, Michelle A.

AU - Reynolds, Glen

AU - Snoep, Martijn

AU - Tangki, Hamzah

AU - Wai, Yap Sau

AU - Wheeler, Charlotte E.

AU - Burslem, David F. R. P.

N1 - Field data were acquired for the EU-funded INDFORSUS project (ER-BIC18T960102 to G.M.F.) and from projects funded by the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland (ref. 50076 to M.E.J.C. and D.F.R.P.B.) and the DfID and NERC Programme “Understanding the impact of the current El Nino event” (NE/P004806/1 to M.E.J.C., D.F.R.P.B., D.S.B., G.M.F., and G.M.F.v.d.H.). Airborne carbon mapping, processing, and analysis were funded by the UN Development Programme GEF, Avatar Alliance Foundation, Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, Worldwide Fund for Nature, Morgan Family Foundation, and the Rainforest Trust (to G.P.A. and G.R.).

PY - 2020/8/14

Y1 - 2020/8/14

N2 - More than half of all tropical forests are degraded by human impacts, leaving them threatened with conversion to agricultural plantations and risking substantial biodiversity and carbon losses. Restoration could accelerate recovery of aboveground carbon density (ACD), but adoption of restoration is constrained by cost and uncertainties over effectiveness. We report a long-term comparison of ACD recovery rates between naturally regenerating and actively restored logged tropical forests. Restoration enhanced decadal ACD recovery by more than 50%, from 2.9 to 4.4 megagrams per hectare per year. This magnitude of response, coupled with modal values of restoration costs globally, would require higher carbon prices to justify investment in restoration. However, carbon prices required to fulfill the 2016 Paris climate agreement [$40 to $80 (USD) per tonne carbon dioxide equivalent] would provide an economic justification for tropical forest restoration.

AB - More than half of all tropical forests are degraded by human impacts, leaving them threatened with conversion to agricultural plantations and risking substantial biodiversity and carbon losses. Restoration could accelerate recovery of aboveground carbon density (ACD), but adoption of restoration is constrained by cost and uncertainties over effectiveness. We report a long-term comparison of ACD recovery rates between naturally regenerating and actively restored logged tropical forests. Restoration enhanced decadal ACD recovery by more than 50%, from 2.9 to 4.4 megagrams per hectare per year. This magnitude of response, coupled with modal values of restoration costs globally, would require higher carbon prices to justify investment in restoration. However, carbon prices required to fulfill the 2016 Paris climate agreement [$40 to $80 (USD) per tonne carbon dioxide equivalent] would provide an economic justification for tropical forest restoration.

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Active restoration accelerates the carbon recovery of human modified-tropical forests

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Forest Response to ENSO Drought (STEED) (Joint with Universities of Aberdeen and Nottingham)

Cutler, Mark

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Active restoration accelerates the carbon recovery of human modified-tropical forests

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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Projects

Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Forest Response to ENSO Drought (STEED) (Joint with Universities of Aberdeen and Nottingham)

Profiles

Cutler, Mark

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