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

Geography and Environmental Science

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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

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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.
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Cutler, Mark

Geography and Environmental Science - Professor & Professor of Physical Geography

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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

Philipson, Christopher ; Cutler, Mark ; Brodrick, Phiip G. ; Asner, Gregory P. ; Boyd, Doreen S. ; Costa, Pedro Moura ; Fiddes, Joel ; Foody, Giles M. ; van der Heijden, Geertje M. F. ; Ledo, Alicia ; Lincoln, Philippa R. ; Margrove, James A. ; Martin, Roberta E. ; Milne, Sol ; Pinard, Michelle A. ; Reynolds, Glen ; Snoep, Martijn ; Tangki, Hamzah ; Wai, Yap Sau ; Wheeler, Charlotte E. ; Burslem, David F. R. P. / Active restoration accelerates the carbon recovery of human modified-tropical forests. In: Science. 2020 ; Vol. 369, No. 6505. pp. 838-841.

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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.}",

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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

Active restoration accelerates the carbon recovery of human modified-tropical forests. / Philipson, Christopher (Lead / Corresponding author); Cutler, Mark (Lead / Corresponding author); Brodrick, Phiip G.; Asner, Gregory P.; Boyd, Doreen S.; Costa, Pedro Moura; Fiddes, Joel; Foody, Giles M.; van der Heijden, Geertje M. F. ; Ledo, Alicia; Lincoln, Philippa R.; Margrove, James A.; Martin, Roberta E.; Milne, Sol; Pinard, Michelle A.; Reynolds, Glen ; Snoep, Martijn; Tangki, Hamzah; Wai, Yap Sau; Wheeler, Charlotte E.; Burslem, David F. R. P.

In: Science, Vol. 369, No. 6505, 14.08.2020, p. 838-841.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

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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.

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.

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