15 Reforestation Efforts, Projects and Trees Explained
Reforestation efforts are; natural habitat protection, soil conservation and restoration, soil seeding and biostimulation, agroforestry, biodynamic cultivation, hazard mitigation, and creation of awareness.
Major reforestation Projects include; Eden Project, Mozambique; Reforest the Amazon Basin project, Brazil; and Agroforestry to Stop the Desert, Burkina Faso.
Examples of reforestation trees are; Pinus sylvestris, Eucalyptus sp., Acer rubrum, Pinus contorta, and Acer saccharum.
This article discusses reforestation efforts, projects and trees, as outlined below;
-Reforestation Efforts
Reforestation efforts are measures taken in the course of reforestation projects, to ensure the effectiveness and success of such projects.
The specific efforts made in any given reforestation project, depends on the scale, ecologic context, and objectives of the project.
Below is a list of some prominent reforestation efforts that have been used in projects around the world;
1). Natural habitat protection and spontaneous regrowth
2). Sustainable agricultural practice, soil conservation and restoration
3). Soil seeding and biostimulation
4). Agroforestry and biodynamic cultivation
5). Water conservation in forest ecosystems
6). Hazard mitigation
7). Creation of awareness
An example of reforestation where biostimulation efforts are applied; is the reforestation of Majdanpek and Kolubara mining basins using plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and mycorrhizal fungi (MF) [1].
-Reforestation Projects
Reforestation projects include Eden Project, Mozambique; Amazon Reforestation Project, Brazil; and Agroforestry to Stop the Desert, Burkina Faso.
Each of these examples is discussed briefly below;
1). Eden Project, Mozambique (as one of the Examples of Reforestation Projects)
The Eden project in Mozambique is one among many similar reforestation projects being conducted around the world.
Parts of Mozambique where this project is (or has been) functional include; Changalene and Maputo Bay coastal area.
The project involves replanting and regeneration of natural ecosystems and habitats that have been lost to deforestation, climate change and natural disasters.
Reforestation efforts which have been implemented in the project include; hazard mitigation, habitat protection, soil restoration, water conservation, and soil stabilization.
Erosion prevention is one of the major considerations in this project, especially in coastal parts of the affected region. Sustainable agricultural practices like biodynamic farming have been effectively used to increase ecologic resilience and reduce the risk of degradation.
The Eden project in Mozambique has been facilitated by collaboration with local residents to create awareness and establish cooperation toward forest replenishment.
2). Reforest the Amazon Basin, Brazil
Reforest the Amazon Basin program aims to restore depleted parts of the Amazon Atlantic forest in Brazil, especially in areas experiencing the negative impacts of human activities like illegal mining.
The program focuses on the most problematic areas of the Amazon vegetated basin, where severe deforestation has occurred, and the prospect of natural or spontaneous regrowth is low.
Areas recovered on this project include thousands of acres of de-vegetated arable lands.
The overall period it would take to reforest the Amazon is at least six decades at current rates of reforestation. It would also cost approximately $2-3 billion for such reforestation.
Multiple projects like Reforest the Amazon Basin have been, and are being implemented to control illegal activities and regenerate the Amazon forest.
3). Agroforestry to Stop the Desert, Burkina Faso (as one of the Examples of Reforestation Projects)
Agroforestry to Stop the Desert is a reforestation project aimed at protecting vulnerable land areas from desertification in Burkina Faso [2].
Burkina Faso occupies the Sahel-Sahara region of Africa, alongside countries like Djibouti, Sudan and Ethiopia; all of which are susceptible to harsh climatic conditions and hydrological hazards like drought.
In Burkina Faso, desertification is responsible for the loss of millions of hectares of land.
Addressing this problem is the primary objective of Agroforestry to Stop the Desert; which has since involved the efforts of thousands of local farmers to restore and protect land from desertification, through tree-planting.
The conduction of this project locally, accounts for much of its effectiveness; as it has combined the objective of agricultural production with that of environmental remediation.
Local handling has also ensured that the reforestation project is conducted mostly by individuals and groups with first-hand knowledge of the geographic and geologic characteristics of the region.
Essentially, it could be argued that this project is not aimed at actual reforestation; since the areas being vegetated are not necessarily forest lands.
However, the project has made use of basic reforestation techniques for land and soil restoration.
Principles of sustainable agriculture have also been at the forefront of the project; so that approaches such as permaculture, biodynamic farming, rotational grazing, organic farming, and classic agroforestry, are all featured.
-Reforestation Trees
Reforestation trees include;
1). Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine)
2). Eucalyptus sp. (eucalypt)
3). Acer rubrum (red maple)
4). Pinus contorta (lodgepole pine)
5). Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Conclusion
Reforestation efforts include; natural habitat protection, soil conservation and restoration, soil seeding and biostimulation, agroforestry, biodynamic cultivation, hazard mitigation, and creation of awareness.
Reforestation projects include;
1. Eden Project, Mozambique
2. Reforest the Amazon Basin, Brazil
3. Agroforestry to Stop the Desert, Burkina Faso
Reforestation trees include; Pinus sylvestris, Eucalyptus sp., Acer rubrum, Pinus contorta, and Acer saccharum.
References
1). Karlicic, V.; Ćurguz, V. G.; Raicevic, V. B. (2016). “The alleviation of reforestation challenges by beneficial soil microorganisms.” REFORESTA 1(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.21750/REFOR.1.12.12. (Accessed 23 November 2022).
2). Reij, C.; Smale, M.; Tappan, G. G. (2009). “Re-greening the Sahel: Farmer-led innovation in Burkina Faso and Niger.” International Food Policy Research Institute. Available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/burkina-faso/regreening-sahel-quiet-agroecological-evolution. (Accessed 24 November 2022).
