Creating tree plantations

Increasing area of planted forest

Description

Creating tree plantations involves systematically establishing and managing areas of land with selected tree species for purposes such as timber production, erosion control, carbon sequestration, and habitat restoration. This strategy addresses deforestation, land degradation, and resource scarcity by providing sustainable wood supplies, improving soil quality, enhancing biodiversity, and mitigating climate change. Effective implementation requires site selection, species choice, planting techniques, and ongoing maintenance to ensure ecological and economic benefits.

Context

Forests provide are essential for the Earth's vitality. They play a crucial role in regulating the atmosphere, climate and terrestrial activities, and are home to diverse ecosystems and much of the world's biodiversity. They provide many commodities to humankind including, construction, energy, nutrition and medicines. However, they are being used unsustainably and their rate of loss is accelerating. It is widely agreed that plantations or planted forests are needed in order to provide and maintain these services, in addition to existing natural or modified forests. Another advantage is that plantations can be planned to provide most benefit to societal needs.