Scientists are warning that poorly planned tree planting efforts in Africa are posing a threat to the region’s ecosystems.

Scientists have issued a warning that poorly planned tree-planting initiatives are endangering vital ecosystems in Africa.

Studies have shown that forest restoration efforts are being carried out in unsuitable environments, putting an area equivalent to the size of France at risk.

The African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative has a goal to reforest 100 million hectares (247 million acres) of land by 2030. However, experts caution that this plan may involve planting trees in non-forest areas such as savannahs and grasslands, which could cause harm to existing ecosystems.

According to the study, more than half of tree-planting initiatives in Africa are taking place in savannahs. Additionally, nearly 60% of these projects involve non-native tree species, posing a potential threat of introducing invasive species.

The scientists warn that labeling grassy ecosystems such as savannahs as “forests” may result in misguided attempts at reforestation and the loss of these historic grasslands.

The current definition of forests as stated by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization states that forests are considered to be areas of land that are larger than 0.5 hectares and have trees that are taller than 5 metres, with a minimum tree canopy cover of 10%.

According to this definition, ecosystems with trees that have open spaces, like savannahs, would be considered forests and would qualify for reforestation, regardless of their suitability.

Planting additional trees in these regions increases the coverage of the canopy and reduces the amount of sunlight that can penetrate the ground. This may alter the grassland ecosystem of the savannah, posing a potential threat to animals like rhinos and wildebeest, as well as communities reliant on these environments.

The authors emphasized the need for action to prevent losing the savannah due to being overly focused on individual trees, resulting in irreversible loss of these important grassy ecosystems.

According to Kate Parr, a tropical ecology expert at the University of Liverpool and co-author of a study in the journal Science, it is crucial to restore ecosystems in a manner that is suitable for each specific system. This means that non-forest ecosystems like savannahs should not be mistakenly labeled as forests and targeted for tree restoration efforts.

“We must promptly redefine the terminology used to differentiate savannahs from forests in order to prevent the proliferation of trees, which poses a danger to the stability and survival of savannahs and grasslands.”

According to Dr. Nicola Stevens, a scholar studying African environments at the University of Oxford and a collaborator on the study, there is a pressing need to carry out extensive tree planting. However, this urgency has led to the funding of projects that have not been properly evaluated. These projects are unlikely to have significant benefits in terms of carbon sequestration and may also have negative impacts on society and the environment.

Source: theguardian.com