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

Christopher D. Philipson; Mark E. J. Cutler; Philip 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 D. Philipson, Mark E. J. Cutler, Philip 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

School of Geosciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract / Description of output

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
Journal	Science
Volume	369
Issue number	6505
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aay4490
Publication status	Published - 14 Aug 2020

Access to Document

10.1126/science.aay4490

377. Wheeler. ScienceAccepted author manuscript, 1.06 MB

https://www.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aay4490

Cite this

Philipson, C. D., Cutler, M. E. J., Brodrick, P. G., Asner, G. P., Boyd, D. S., Moura Costa, P., 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., Sau Wai, Y., ... 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{92ca2b1bc663489288a318d16abc3152,

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 = "Philipson, {Christopher D.} and Cutler, {Mark E. J.} and Brodrick, {Philip G.} and Asner, {Gregory P.} and Boyd, {Doreen S.} and {Moura Costa}, Pedro 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 {Sau Wai}, Yap and Wheeler, {Charlotte E.} and Burslem, {David F. R. P.}",

year = "2020",

month = aug,

day = "14",

doi = "10.1126/science.aay4490",

language = "English",

volume = "369",

pages = "838--841",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE",

number = "6505",

}

Philipson, CD, Cutler, MEJ, Brodrick, PG, Asner, GP, Boyd, DS, Moura Costa, P, 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, Sau Wai, Y, 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 D.

AU - Cutler, Mark E. J.

AU - Brodrick, Philip G.

AU - Asner, Gregory P.

AU - Boyd, Doreen S.

AU - Moura Costa, Pedro

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 - Sau Wai, Yap

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.

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.

U2 - 10.1126/science.aay4490

DO - 10.1126/science.aay4490

M3 - Article

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 369

SP - 838

EP - 841

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6505

ER -

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

Abstract / Description of output

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this